Table of contents for 39 - 2018 in Best

Weddings – all the bride really wants to do is marry the man she loves. But then she starts planning the thing – who gets an invitation, who’ll be bridesmaids, the dress code, the reception – the list is endless even for us mere mortals. So we can only imagine what that task was like for Meghan Markle or Prince Andrew’s younger daughter, Eugenie. And how many more people want to voice their opinion about both women – from Piers Morgan’s views on Meghan to newspaper reports on the money Eugenie is spending? So good luck, ladies. We hope the day will be all Eugenie wants – and Meghan will undoubtedly look stunning. • Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan. wykes@hearst.co.uk EXECUTIVE EDITOR…

Victoria will definitely need her sense of humour after this fiasco When the former Spice Girl launched a chatbot with Facebook recently, fans were left both giggling and downright shocked by the apparent replies. Explaining the app last week, the fashion designer, 44, called it the ‘chatbot version of me, Victoria Beckham’, which would keep all her followers up to date with ‘everything that’s happening at London Fashion Week’. But once it was up and running, the questions coming in quickly got personal, with the replies churned out by the robotic app, rather unfortunately for Posh, clearly bearing no resemblance to how the ‘real’ Victoria would have answered. When asked by a user if divorcing her husband David, 43, would make her happy, the bot answered, ‘Very’! In response to…

Did you know that one in two women over 45 suffers from vaginal dryness?* It’s time to end the taboo Isn’t it a relief that the menopause is no longer a taboo? With so many great features in the media, whatever we experience, we know we’re not alone. Yet there’s still one sensitive subject that even some gynaecologists find it difficult to discuss. Caused by oestrogen deficiency and certain medications, vaginal dryness affects one in two women over 45. Sometimes painful and embarrassing, the stinging, itching and burning sensations are undeniably distressing. So it’s reassuring to know there’s a hormone-free cream you can buy over the counter. Vagisan MoistCream is easy to apply and its soothing lipids get to work even after the first application. And that’s a real relief.…

Floating fancy A fit and flare top will hide a tummy Midi magic Below-the-knee styles flatter all figures Skirt alert A statement pattern below will draw the eye downwards Made me jump Dress a printed jumpsuit up or down TAP THE APP If there’s a student in the family, the Student Beans app will tell them which shops they can get a discount in.…

I can still remember the exact moment I first laid eyes on her. Maggie was a Bullmastiff, and was being advertised on Gumtree as she’d been badly treated and needed rescuing. It was 19 December 2008, and as it was nearing Christmas, I wanted to do something meaningful and worthwhile. So, I collected Maggie with a view to rehoming her. Only then, I fell in love. She was the most welcoming, gentle dog. I couldn’t give her up, so she became my own companion, my own family. A stranger even stopped us in the street once. ‘You can just tell she’s a lovely dog,’ she said, as Maggie wagged her tail happily. And she was. I’d always loved animals and had grown up around them. My mum, Flora, now 70,…

‘You’re going to kill yourself,’ my doctor said bluntly. ‘Through food. You’re putting too much pressure on your heart. You’re at risk of type 2 diabetes. If you don’t do something right now, you’ve only two years to live.’ Harsh words. My hands shook and my eyes filled with tears. I was 25, 32st and a size 32. I knew I was overweight, but to be told I was killing myself… I had five children at home! ‘Please,’ I stammered. ‘Help me.’ I hadn’t always been morbidly obese – my mammoth weight gain had taken years. In my teens, I was 5ft 7in and a size 10-12. I swam a lot and took healthy packed lunches to school – a sandwich, fruit, crisps and yoghurt. But everything changed when I…

‘I was whisked off to Vegas at 16!’ Legendary Carry On star Anita Harris has enjoyed a TV and film career spanning 50 years. The 76-year-old talks about working with TV icons such as Frankie Howerd and Sid James, and opens up about her sadness over never being able to have children. You’ve never really stopped working Anita, have you? Well, it’s tough going at my age. I’ve had my fair share of financial troubles, but this year has been a whirlwind! I was really excited when I was invited to be a contestant on Celebrity MasterChef. But when it all got going, I was shocked by the reality of it all. I felt really inept, and I did things I would never do in my kitchen at home. You just get…

It’s all sparkles and smiles as they strut their stuff on Strictly Come Dancing but, beneath the sequins and glitter, there are often moving tales of struggle and heartache. To look at them, you would never guess that these three ladies have overcome and, in some cases, continue to face major traumas. It just goes to show, you should never judge a book by its cover… ‘HEARTBROKEN’ Newsreader Kate Silverton For BBC newsreader Kate Silverton, who is partnered with Aljaž Škorjanec, life hasn’t always been plain sailing. Now a doting mum to Clemency, six, and Wilbur, four, Kate once thought motherhood was an impossible dream. Having lost an ovary in life-saving emergency surgery at 29, Kate was convinced that her chances of conceiving were little to none. Doctors at the…

Eamonn and Ruth actually met through TV circles – at a party hosted by Mr Motivator, aka Derrick Errol Evans, the fitness instructor who rose to fame in the early 90s through appearances on breakfast show GMTV. ‘I’ve Mr Motivator to blame,’ Eamonn joked. ‘The first time I saw Ruth, I went, “Wow”. She had me right under her spell, which is why I call her the witch! I’m joking, of course! ‘For me, it was love at first sight. That has never changed. We argue every day, but we have the deepest love possible. But for Ruth, an argument is like foreplay!’…

NATURAL WAYS TO KEEP AWAY FLU As the season changes, the last thing you want is to get the sniffles – or worse, the dreaded flu – but there are plenty of ways to boost your immune system naturally. As my regular readers know, I’m convinced all good health starts with nutrition. So, you need to be eating your immune system strong. Try plain or coconut yoghurt, kefir (fermented milk drink) and kombucha tea, available from health food shops. All of these contain probiotics, the live bacteria that fertilise your gut. Not for you? Then supplement your diet with a good digestive enzyme from the local health food shop, or Pro B11 from angiebestwellbeing.com. Vitamin C is an immune system hero, found in broccoli, cauliflower, green and red peppers, spinach,…

SHIRLEY AND ME I loved the video BBC Three shared recently, showing five-year-olds giving their very forthright opinions on Strictly. Very cute. One of them suggested that Shirley and I were in love. That made me giggle! I mean, I love Shirley, but clearly, not in that way! LOOKING ‘COSY’ So, Lee Ryan and partner Nadiya Bychkova have been seen out holding hands. Big deal. The thing is, when you’re dancing so closely and, literally, holding hands with another person for eight hours a day, you become quite tactile. A gesture could be meaningless but, to the outside world, it can look like you’re madly in love… Moi, starstruck?! I love meeting the big guest stars we get on Strictly. I was so starstruck by Beyoncé in 2006. She was…

Taking a deep breath, I clutched my bouquet and took a step forward. I was the last of five bridesmaids to walk down the aisle and behind me, my best friend Gracia was dressed in a beautiful white dress, excited, nervous and waiting for her moment. Gracia, 34, and I met at Middlesex University. She’d just split up with her boyfriend, and my mum was seriously ill with cancer. As we supported each other through our respective tough times, we became firm friends. We both got jobs as language teachers, and Gracia met someone new, Rajvi Batchu, where she lived in Richmond upon Thames, London. They were so clearly in love, it didn’t surprise me when she told me he’d proposed while they were on holiday in Paris in the…

Strobing, highlighting, illuminating – whatever you call it, the shops are bursting with products promising to give us that elusive glow. But where do you start? ‘Highlighter is meant to illuminate and draw attention to key features on your face,’ explains Francesca Neill, Collection make-up artist. Here’s the low-down on highlighting… Fake it yourself Pore-clearing mask The key to a beautifully illuminated face is for skin to be as clear as possible. If your pores are enlarged, they’ll be all the more visible with a layer of highlighter on them. Pores can’t be ‘closed’ but they can be minimised by a deep clean, something that a weekly face mask can help with. In a blender, add 3-4 blackberries, 2tbsp honey and 1tbsp coffee granules. Blend for a few seconds, apply…

Pork schnitzel with coleslaw Sage and garlic pack a punch in this dish. Serves 4 Per serving: 622 cals, 32g protein, 32g fat (5g saturates), 49g carbs (21g total sugars), 7g fibre 4 pork loin steaks, thin-cut, fat trimmed50g plain flour2 medium eggs, beaten100g fresh white breadcrumbs2tsp garlic granules3tbsp finely chopped sage75ml sunflower oil1 lemon, cut into wedges FOR THE COLESLAW 50ml cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar50g honey50g yellow American mustard50g mayonnaise½ red cabbage, cored and finely sliced2 carrots, coarsely grated1 small fennel bulb, cored and finely sliced1 apple (skin on), coarsely grated 1 Put one pork steak at a time on to a board and cover with cling film. Carefully flatten to 0.5cm (¼in) thickness by hitting with a rolling pin. Peel off cling film and pat pork…

‘We had to fight to get married’ June Bernicoff, 81, shot to fame with her late husband, Leon, as husband-and-wife armchair telly experts on Gogglebox. They have two daughters, Helen, 55, and Julie, 53. June, congratulations on the book! Did you shed a few tears writing it? Leon always talked about writing a book about our life, so it’s exciting. I did shed some tears, but it brought me a lot of joy. Did you talk a lot about the old days? Oh yes, especially in the last few months when he wasn’t so well. Leon was a great one for reminiscing! He’d remind me of things I’d forgotten. This book would have made him very happy. You met as teenagers. How did it happen? At teacher training college. Leon…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 1 Amount which may be held (8) 5 A word describing a type of ‘doing’ word (6) 10 Carmen, e.g. (5) 11 Applicable everywhere (9) 12 Natural fleece material (9) 13 Find the solution (5) 14 Sort, type (4) 15 Ketchup, e.g. (5) 18 Start (5) 20 Shoe fastener (4) 22 Watchful (5) 24 UK newspaper (9) 26 Organically (9) 27 Heavenly messenger (5) 28 From Copenhagen, e.g. (6) 29 Chummy (8) DOWN 1 Select, pick (6) 2 Going before (9) 3 Applauded by hand (7) 4 Goods vehicle (5) 6 Female garments (7) 7 Artist’s stand (5) 8 Trusted, relied upon (8) 9 King of the Jungle (4) 16 Original, not altered (9) 17…

850 guests will attend Eugenie’s wedding – 250 more than Harry and Meghan invited When Meghan Markle wed her prince at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, in May, you could have forgiven her for thinking it was the wedding of the year. But there’s competition in town with the forthcoming nuptials of Princess Eugenie, 28, and entrepreneur fiancé Jack Brooksbank, 32, at the same venue on 12 October. The Queen’s granddaughter is said to be planning a two-day affair, including a formal reception and a ‘festival and funfair’-themed party. The estimated price tag is close to £3 million, with a heavy security bill being picked up by the tax-payer, even though Eugenie is not a working royal. As for the ceremony itself, Eugenie, ninth in line to the throne, seems to…

TOP TIP Forget the LBD – invest in an elegant trouser suit. It looks fabulous worn with a metallic shirt, or do a Meghan Markle and team with a plain black camisole. TOP TIP If skinny trousers aren’t for you, opt for wide-leg trousers with a looser jacket. This shape is on-trend – and a little more forgiving! TOP TIP This blazer-style jacket-and-trouser combo would also look stylish dressed down with flat pumps and a Breton T-shirt.…

It’s a day that will stick in my mind forever, but it began like any other. Rushing around, shovelling down breakfast and gathering school bags, trying desperately to get out of the door on time. ‘Have you done your teeth, Oli?’ my eight-year-old daughter Issy asked her brother. I couldn’t help laughing. It was typical Issy. Full of sass, she was like a little mother hen to her big brother. But she was also full of love, and when I dropped them off at school, it was she who turned and waved, treating me to the full sunshine of her smile. At 3.30pm that day in late June, I finished work and picked up 11-year-old Oli, taking him to the shops while we waited for Issy’s dance class to finish.…

‘Lots of people were shocked and agony aunt, Deidre Sanders, angry when The Sun’s legendary advised a caller on This Morning not to tell his wife he’d slept with a stripper. I think she was right – sometimes, honesty is not the best policy. I tell it like it is, but I know when someone isn’t ready for the truth, even if they ask for my opinion or advice. I don’t lie exactly, but I’ll either say nothing at all, if I can, or at least be diplomatic. For example, my friend doesn’t need me to tell her that her bum looks big in that, because I’m sure deep down she already knows, and is just looking for reassurance. So I’ll say, “Not from where I’m standing.” And if someone’s…

Whether you’re well practised at throwing together a packed lunch for school or work or you’re new to it all, packing your own meal is a great way to lose weight. It’s particularly handy because you can control your portion size and calories. When hunger strikes, your packed lunch is there waiting for you, making you less likely to nip out for something high-calorie just because you fancy it or because you’re in a rush. In fact, a study by the University of California, San Diego, found that following a diet of portion-controlled, prepacked meals helped slimmers lose eight per cent of their body weight over 12 weeks – compared to six per cent in dieters left to select their own slimming meals. A healthy packed lunch should include… •…

Our son got married… and shut us out Last year, my son got married to a lovely girl. We held the ceremony in our own home, and my husband and I couldn’t have been happier for them. Since then, I’ve been lucky to receive a phone call every couple of weeks, let alone see them. My main concern is, when they start a family, I won’t see my grandchildren! I know they are probably still in that ‘honeymoon phase’, but I miss my son, and there are only so many times I can reach out without taking this rejection personally. Darcy, north London Oh, Darcy. They have only been married a short time. Of course they are still in the honeymoon period, where they are wrapped up in a cocoon of…

TOP TIP Go back to nature and shop for bold prints in this super-luxe shade.…

…touring with his band I have friends who have this fantasy of what a rock ’n’ roll tour is. They visit for a week and realise it’s a lot of work. The time to be wild and energetic is on stage – to give people who paid a lot of money what they deserve. …working with Madonna She’s amazing. We had a great collaboration with Justify My Love. I still love that track and video. People may say she is too sexy, but a woman her age wants to get it, too! There are many cultures in the world where elders are respected. The fact is, they’ve been here longer than everyone. Look at Mick Jagger in his 70s, still performing like a 21-year-old. It’s beautiful, and people should not…