Table of contents for 07-2025 in Best

My old boss came in to film Suddenly Single with us this week (p21). You may have even read her column in the Mail On Sunday – Liz Jones’s Diary. As a shy 20-year-old, I found her beautiful – flowing dark hair, huge brown eyes, soft voice. From dating to divorce, bankruptcy to veganism, nothing was off limits for Liz. Reading her column for the last 20 years, I discovered she thought of herself as hideously ugly from ‘about the age of six.’ Liz will answer with honesty any question you pose – are her teeth new for example? ‘Yes,’ she replies, ‘£30k from Turkey.’ Did she really set a detective on her most recent ex? ‘Yes, two and it wasn’t cheap. I needed to know if he was cheating.’…

The name’s Beckham… David Beckham. He may be known for his leg action on the football pitch – but there’s no denying the former sports star, 49, is renowned for his suave style, confident demeanour and impeccable taste… remind you of anyone? If the new Hugo Boss advert is anything to go by, you could easily mistake the handsome dad-of-four for the infamous fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, as he steps out of his vintage car dressed to the nines… Of course, he’s got the looks, the charm – and, naturally, he’s English – so could our favourite footballer really be in the running to play the notorious spy?! After watching the Boss One advert, we sure hope so! Back in 2015, speculation was rife over whether the…

Gloria Hunniford is, well, fabulous, but she hadn’t sung on a stage for 27 years before she appeared on The Masked Singer back in 2022, as ‘Snow Leopard’. Yet, the experience inspired her because ‘InstagramGlo’ as she’s known on social media, cut her teeth in the showbiz world as a singer. In fact, she was aged seven when she first took to the stage, travelling with her father, who worked as a part-time magician. Here, she reveals her delight at ‘coming full circle’… Hi Gloria. Tell us how this album came about… It was a simple phone call – and I was thrilled when the record company asked if they could put out A Taste of Hunni (first released in 1979). I’m being streamed – vinyl to spotify – (laughs)…

The wind is so brutally cold it feels like pins are pricking at the little patch of skin open to the elements around my eyes – the only bit of my face not covered by a balaclava – and I’m struggling to blink as my eyelashes are so heavily laden with thick frost. My hands are painfully frozen in position around a wooden handrail, despite the specialist protective mittens I’m wearing. But I can’t help giggling like a small child as I feel my sled being pulled across the snow by a team of four huskies, yelping and howling with delight as they scamper along. We’re travelling at about 15 miles an hour in a convoy of one-man sleds that we’re racing around a 35km figure-of-eight route in the Swedish…

TOP TIP! For more beauty recommendations £10 and under, don’t miss our fab weekly FREE newsletter. Subscribe at facebook.com/bestmagazine.…

Côte de boeuf with rosemary salt fries and truffle mayo A côte de boeuf is the French name for a single bone-in ribeye steak, which makes a superb special occasion meal for two, especially when paired with crispy chips and a rich dip. Hands-on time: 25 minutes, plus cooling and restingCooking time: about 55 minutesServes: 2 • 4tbsp vegetable oil• 500g large Maris Piper potatoes, unpeeled• 1 côte de boeuf, about 700-800g• 25g butter• 2 sprigs rosemary, plus 2tsp finely chopped leaves• 2tsp coarse sea salt• 1-2tbsp truffle oil• 3tbsp thick mayonnaise, we used Heinz Seriously Good 1 Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan/mark 7. Bring a medium pan of salted water to the boil. Line the base of a large roasting tin with baking parchment (to stop the chips sticking)…

TOP TIP! Shop for pieces made to last! This pretty fabric garland looks great over the table, placed over a mirror or hung in the doorway.…

Happy, happy, happy, I love lazing in front of the fire on a Winter’s day. I sigh, I love my life. Nothing is going to make me move from here, wait, hang on a minute, what’s happening? Not happy now, I am being dragged from my favourite fluffy blanket. ‘Time for your walk, my angel.’ Nooo, my blanket, warm, happy... I try to explain, but the next thing I know, I am being led into the cold, windy outside. I walk familiar ground towards the park down the road from my house, happy again, may as well get to work, protect Mum from the world – Gurrh, go away! – I bark my fiercest bark, as a furry creature runs in front of me and up the nearest tree. ‘You…

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES The answer will appear in the shaded boxes and this is your prize answer. Enter by using the numbers at the top of the grid or at hearstmagazines.co.uk/bestcross0725 ACROSS 1 7 8 9 10 11 13 15 17 21 22 23 24 25 DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 12 14 16 18 19 20 What was the fourth film in the James Bond series of films? The answer will appear in the shaded squares. Phone and online entries open 11 February 2025 until midnight on 28 February 2025. You must be over 18 and have the bill payer’s permission. †Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge, and should last no longer…

On Sunday, 31 August 1997, the streets of Paris bore witness to a tragedy. Diana, Princess of Wales, had been killed in a car crash in the early hours of the morning. The reaction to the death of the ‘people’s princess’ was overwhelming. As then Prime Minister Tony Blair said: ‘The people kept faith with Princess Diana. They liked her, they loved her. They regarded her as one of the people.’ Her two sons, Princes William and Harry, were at Balmoral in Scotland when news of her death broke – and their grandmother’s maternal instinct was to keep them away from London, the reaction and the trauma. But anger towards the Royals – and their perceived part in Diana’s isolation and death – forced the Queen to give her people…

‘This week, two shameless pieces of exhibitionism caught the eyes of the world. In case you missed them, the first involved Kanye West and wife Bianca Censori, turning up, uninvited, to the Grammys and while on the red carpet, Mrs West, with her back facing the bank of photographers, carefully disrobed her massive fur coat to reveal, well, everything. She was wearing a flesh-coloured mesh dress that left nothing to the imagination on either side. This was without doubt Kanye’s work and whether you agree with it or not, he sees it as ‘art’, which I suppose it is. Then, in the same week, we saw the release of another piece of ‘art’ in the form of a promotional film starring David Beckham (see page 9) who strips down to…

1 WAKE UP BRIGHTER To boost your glow naturally, swap your night cream twice a week for Boots Vitamin C Brightening Sleeping Mask, £5, filled with antioxidants to help boost your skin tone while you kip. Or, for a quick colour boost, try Superdrug Solait Overnight Self Tan Sleep Mask, £5.99. The self-tan is buildable, so the more days you apply it, the greater the glow. It gives you the confidence to go foundation-free! 2 CHISELLED CHEEKBONES Make-up artists use contouring to enhance the definition of the face, working to the simple rule that light brings everything forward, while dark areas push them back. Using products to add this kind of dimension is a one way ticket to radiance. Make-up artist Caroline Barnes recommends trying a warm tone with a…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Studies have shown that people who eat a serving of nuts while they slim lose nearly twice as much weight as other folk. This might surprise you as nuts are pretty high in calories, but they are also high in fibre, fill you up – and, because our body finds them a bit tough to digest, we actually don’t absorb all the calories they contain. This combination helps power up your weight loss. 2 Our plan helps make this boost work for you. Our plan sees you eating one meal with a serving of nuts every day – and a nut-based snack. 3 For the plan to work though, you do have to watch your portions – so, remember a portion of nuts is 20g. That…

Cameron Diaz has returned to the big screen for the first time in 10 years (see box) – ironically in a movie called Back in Action... The suitably titled film sees the now 52-year-old star alongside long-time pal, Jamie Foxx, where they play a couple who gave up being spies to have a family... Here, the There’s Something About Mary actress reveals why it’s good to be back in Tinseltown – and why she’d never rule out a Charlie’s Angels reunion... What can you tell us about Back in Action? It’s a really fun movie. Jamie and I play a couple who gave up being spies years ago to have kids and raise a family. Their whole past has been kept a secret until a point in their life when,…

Lynn Reeves had just got out of the bath when her phone rang. It was her daughter-in-law, Kayley. ‘She was screaming, “Come quick, he says they’re dead, they’re dead, he says he’s stabbed them and they’re dead.”,’ Lynn recalls. Lynn is recalling the terrible night when her son Collin killed his Somerset neighbours, Jennifer and Stephen Chapple, while their children slept upstairs. She carries the guilt – and the heartbreak as his mother – for her son’s actions but also talks on our new podcast, Mums of Murderers, about why she firmly believes that post-traumatic stress – PTSD – played a part in the shocking actions that left two children without their parents – and Collin’s own young children with the knowledge that their father is in prison for murder.…

Valentine’s must be hard on a widow, but that didn’t explain Mum’s supermarket selections. On top was oddly shaped macaroni, in pink packaging, promising it would make a ‘hearty’ meal. Smoked salmon, organic orange juice and a bottle of prosecco nestled amongst her usual denture fixative, own-brand sliced loaf and corn plasters. Mum hasn’t drunk alcohol for years. She didn’t like Pale Ale which was Dad’s tipple of choice and is a firm believer in not drinking alone. I’d been subtly hinting she try new things, treat herself a little. I hadn’t actually said so, not recently anyway. She can be stubborn. I suspect me pointing out how beige her diet was kept her eating little except bran flakes, oxtail soup and pies longer than she would have otherwise. “It’s…

E ssex girls are known for their glitz and glamour – and Jess Wright’s home oozes glam, for sure! For more inspiration from the reality star, follow her @jesswrighthome Instagram account.…

AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February It’s all about finding a better balance in your life, Aquarius. With the full moon in your romance zone, love is in the air this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single or attached – but are you making time or space for it? There’s so much more to life than your to-do list. A vintage item is worth a lot more than you think. PISCES 20 February – 20 March The full moon highlights a problem or worry, and once you zoom in on the details, it will quickly become clear what you need to do. It’s far less complicated than you’re making it feel! Meanwhile, chatty Mercury shifts into the adventure zone. Look out for social trips and places or daring hobbies to try!…

PET OF THE WEEK Name: MontyOwner: Sandra, KentBreed: Ragdoll CALLING ALL PETS! From funny to cute, we’re looking for more pets to star in our ‘Day in the Life’ series. If you think your animal is the perfect match, email bestpets@hearst.co.uk with details of your pet, plus a series of snaps.*…

TOP TIP Scared of top-to-toe cream? Then team these wide-leg trousers with a black roll-neck or shirt.…

I was sat at home watching the telly with my family and jumped out of my skin when my mobile phone suddenly pinged. Everyone turned and stared at me. I was only 18, and had just bought my first ever mobile – until that moment the only person who’d texted me was my dad! The text message simply said: ‘Hello.’ ‘Who’s that from?’ asked my step-sister Louise. I had no idea. It was 1998, and hardly any of my friends had mobile phones and I hadn’t given out my number to many people. Curious, I messaged back saying ‘Hi – who is this?’ The phone pinged again with another message informing me his name was Donovan and that he lived in Coventry. I’d never heard of Coventry and had no…

LESLEY I don’t know about you, but I’m over Winter. The sparkle of Christmas is a distant memory, and it’s not quite time to start thinking about Spring, so it’s all just a bit... meh. This time of year is when we all feel frayed at the edges. With the cold weather and dark evenings, no wonder spirits are low. But I always say it’s the perfect time for a little self-gifting. Something indulgent, an investment in yourself. It’s about giving yourself a pick-me-up to get through these final grey weeks. A spa day? A Liberty candle? Both are great choices, but most of us are still reeling from the expense of Christmas. So, it doesn’t have to be extravagant. It’s more about the thought behind it. Take skincare, for…

In the heart of the quiet town of Willowbrook, nestled between cobblestone streets and old brick buildings, stood an unassuming little shop with a sign that read ‘Thorne’s Timepieces’. The clockmaker who owned the shop, Edmund Thorne, was a quiet, meticulous man with an uncanny gift for repairing timepieces – whether they were grand old grandfather clocks or delicate pocket watches. He was known throughout the town for his precision and the gentle hum of his shop, where the ticking of hundreds of clocks created a symphony of time. “TIME IS ENDLESS WHEN SHARED WITH YOU” Edmund had never been one for grand gestures. Romance, in his eyes, was a delicate thing – much like the clocks he worked on. He didn’t seek attention, and he certainly didn’t know how…

1 WHAT IS A HEALTH CASH PLAN? Health cash plans don’t have the high profile that medical insurance has and represent just seven per cent of the market, but they pre-date the creation of the NHS and were originally provided by charitable and nonprofit organisations for their workers. Plans cost from as little as £9 a month. The formula is simple: you pay upfront for your treatment, make a claim to your cash plan provider, and the payout goes directly into your bank account. Some pay a proportion of each claim up to an annual limit per type of treatment. Claims usually need to be made within three months. 2 HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO PRIVATE MEDICAL INSURANCE? The cost of private medical insurance varies and considers your age, fitness…

SHOULD I SACK THE CLEANER? I can’t put my finger on why, but I just don’t trust my new cleaner fully. Can I really sack someone on a gut feeling that I have no proof over? Nothing’s gone missing, it’s more a feeling that I think she’s nosey and is going through my drawers and personal things. What would you do? Sharon, Bexley This strikes me as a ‘trust your gut’ situation. There’s something you can’t quite put your finger on about this individual you just don’t trust. You don’t need to have a showdown. You are entitled not to welcome someone you don’t feel comfortable with into your home. Be polite. Give advanced notice and pay everything you owe, but simply say you have decided to do the cleaning…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Morocco is situated in the north of Africa and looks out to the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic to the west. It’s the perfect destination to escape to, thanks to the almost guaranteed all-year-round good weather. We booked the six-day guided tour with Riviera Travel, as it covered all the popular sights, including the historical capital of Marrakesh, the coastal town of Essaouira and the spectacular beauty of the Atlas Mountains. We just turned up ready for the adventure! INSIDER’S GUIDE The tour kicks off in Marrakesh taking in the sights, smells and sounds of this buzzing capital. Experience the hustle and bustle of the famous souks, selling an array of jewellery, furniture and spices. Next up is the Saadian Tombs – the architecture will…