Table of contents for 2 - 2016 in Best

The skies may be grey, the cash may be strapped, and you may be entering the week psychologists gleefully describe as the most depressing of the year – when the gulf between now and seeing your next ray of sunshine/pay cheque/waist ever again seems insurmountable. Well, that’s where we come in. We understand that January can be bleak but, even if your thoughts have turned to detoxing, dieting and debt, it doesn’t have to be painful. Need proof? See our guide to purse-friendly beauty detox products (p16), our exclusive look at Rosemary Conley’s secrets to slimming for life (p50), and our Cashback Queen’s guide to whether you might be sitting on a windfall – fingers crossed (p37)! There’s pure TV joy on right now with a host of familiar faces…

Heathcote & Ivory Rainforest Cleansing Shower Cream, £20 Work up a lather every morning with this super fresh citrus scent. Benefit Instant Comeback Serum, £36 A lightweight fluid that works wonders at erasing the signs of tiredness, thanks to radiance-enhancing ingredients. Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Charcoal Mask, £22 Can’t seem to get your face clean? This clay-based marvel will suck all the grime out... Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil, £34 A non-greasy formula for sluggish skin. Massage in circular motions across your body. M&S Apothecary Eucalyptus Muscle Relaxing Bath Soak, £8.50 Just a few drops in your tub will help ease tension, while the invigorating eucalyptus scent will clear your head. Vichy Normaderm Night Detox, £15.50 This works to keep your skin clear with pore-minimising, spot-fighting salicylic acid. Skyn Iceland…

Best columnist (and Simon Cowell’s brother) Tony talks showbiz The Geordie Shore star is still a huge fan of Celebrity Big Brother, the show she stole the crown on Celebrity Big Brother is back on the box. You won it back in 2013, are you enjoying the new series? I’m loving it. Every time a Geordie goes on one of these shows, we smash it. Vicky [Pattison] won I’m A Celebrity…, I won CBB, and now Scotty T is in it this year, and I honestly think he’ll smash it, too. He’s a lovable rogue, and the girls will adore him. I have such fun memories of my time in the CBB house, it was an amazing experience. To be honest, Tony, I’d go back in there in a flash.…

‘Everyone can relate to what we talk about’ ‘I STILL GET STARSTRUCK’ ‘WE LOVE MEN’ Congrats on Loose Women’s nomination, Ruth! Isn’t it fantastic? I think the show is so popular because people can imagine doing it themselves, chatting away with your girlfriends over a coffee, discussing everything from the situation in Syria to the menopause, to your husband leaving the top off the milk! Everyone can relate to what we talk about, and we’re a mixed bunch, like anyone’s friendship group. If you had to pick a highlight of 2015, what would it be? One of my funniest memories would have to be when I hosted the show on my birthday and my present was Keith Lemon coming on in just his boxers… which had my face on! It…

THIS WEEK... There have been more than 14 million complaints to the banks since January 2011 WHAT IS PPI? Payment Protection Insurance (PPI) is the UK’s largest financial scandal, one worth over £25 billion. It was an insurance sold, usually as part of a loan but also on some credit cards, store cards and mortgages, which was supposed to cover your repayments in the event you couldn’t work. However, it is felt many policies were mis-sold because customers weren’t aware they had PPI, as many of the policies had an ‘opt out’ and it wasn’t mentioned when they took out the loan. If you were sold PPI and were unemployed, a student, or retired, you were almost sure to have been mis-sold and should make a claim. HOW TO MAKE…

THIS WEEK... CLEAN UP YOUR ACT! Eamonn: What is all this hoo-ha over people being asked to pick up litter for the Queen? The injustice of all of this is that the people who will go out there and pick it up are the ones that wouldn’t drop it. I heard a passerby bellow to an offender, ‘Would you do that in your own home?’ Of course he would! Some people live in palaces, some in pigsties. Price, size, affluence, poverty or neighbourhood have nothing to do with it. Values, respect and pride do. I’m not convinced by the threat of litter wardens but I am inspired by campaigns which make litter dropping, fly-tipping, dog fouling just socially unacceptable. I grew up when TV companies had to give time to…

1. Learn the secret of successful weight loss If you want to lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories (fuel) than your body uses up in energy, so that it can draw on its fuel stores (fat) to make up the difference. Most products list their calorie content on the nutrition information on their packaging. Under the ‘Energy’ heading, just look at the ‘kcal’ figure, otherwise known as ‘calories’. Calories are the currency for calculating the energy value of food. In this context, ‘energy’ doesn’t describe the physical energy that makes you feel lively. Rather, it is a scientific description that, in effect, calculates the ‘fattening power’ of food. Women spend around 1,400 calories a day, and men, around 1,900 calories, just by being alive and lying in bed…

1 GO CRAZY FOR KHAKI BRACE YOURSELVES, FOR KHAKI IS MAKING A FASHION COMEBACK. Fear not, though – instead of channelling safari-chic, this earthy shade of green finds itself on some pretty stylish items. Whether you make a bold statement with this suede jacket, or experiment with a small accessory, this trend is here to stay for 2016. 2 UNBELIEVABLE COURAGE AFTER HEARTBREAK IT IS A NIGHTMARE NO MOTHER CAN BEAR TO THINK ABOUT – watching your husband and son be killed. So our hearts went out to Anna-Louise Bates, 39, who went through exactly that in December last year. Stuart Bates, 43, and their son, Fraser, seven, were returning to their home in South Wales after a Christmas jumper party when they were knocked down while crossing a road.…

Originally famed for embracing her curves, claiming that she was ‘happy being hefty’ and that ‘there’d be no more diets’, Dawn French’s fans were shocked to see her with a noticeably trimmer figure five years ago, following an impressive 7½st weight loss. The 58-year-old came under fire for what some saw as betrayal of larger ladies, but Dawn explained she had to drop weight for the sake of her health – and it seems to have stayed off, with the star looking fabulous promoting her new book According To Yes just last year. Talking openly about how she achieved her new body, Dawn admitted her diet secret was gruelling, ‘No magic wand, just tiny, joyless, low-cal eating and lots more walking for weeks and weeks. It was grim. I wanted…

At the height of his fame, Boy George, aka George O’Dowd, was adored – the colourful, flamboyant prince of 80s pop. The Culture Club singer has fallen off his golden throne dramatically several times since then, battling drink and drugs, but the newly trim singer is now firmly back in the spotlight as a judge on The Voice. Just one episode in, it’s already clear the 54-year-old isn’t holding back as one of its two new faces, alongside regulars Ricky Wilson and Will.i.am and fellow newbie Paloma Faith. The first show saw George diving in at the deep end, getting into a showdown with Paloma, who cried during the scrap and whom he branded ‘bitchy’, ‘rude’ and ‘probably has PMT or something’. Ouch. Before the new series kicked off, though,…

JONATHAN LONG knows a thing or two about hair, and his talent has seen him work with A-listers including Victoria Beckham, open a London salon, Lockonego, which he owns with fellow hairdresser Ben Cooke, and travel the world to work on TV and fashion shows. His experience spans styling and cutting, but he’s definitely the go-to guy for anything colour related, thanks to his role as Clairol Nice’n Easy colour ambassador. With 75 per cent of women dying their locks at some point in their lives, we want to know how to keep the colour for longer. How to get more life from your dyed locks • Whatever your hair colour or type, there are two big factors that speed up the fading process. Firstly, water is your main enemy,…

MIRANDA KERR DRESS A nude frock can be as versatile as the classic little black dress. Fit is essential as it will show up any lumps and bumps, so consider going up a size to make sure it looks flattering. BAG Bowling styles are just as roomy as a tote and are a much smarter option if you are going out straight after work. NECKLACE Diamante jewellery never dates and a statement necklace is the quickest way to add a bit of wow to any outfit. COAT If you have yet to splash out on a winter coat, you can’t beat classic camel. Miranda’s longer length style is perfect teamed with smart tailored clothing. SHOES If you haven’t been blessed with supermodel legs, investing in a pair of nude shoes…

TRAPPED UNDERGROUND It sent shivers down the nation’s spine when it hit the bestsellers list in 2010. Room tells the tale of a young woman, Ma, being held captive in a garden shed by an evil kidnapper, called Old Nick. To add to her trauma she falls pregnant, after being raped by her tormentor, and she is then faced with bringing up her son, Jack, in the tiny space, which is agonisingly close to the outside world. The book has now been turned into a movie of the same name, which is being released at cinemas on 15 January. It makes fascinating but uncomfortable viewing to watch Jack’s total acceptance of the prison he believes to be his entire world, while his mum struggles to create some kind of life…

How does it feel to be on the other side of the camera, Nicky? I loved every minute of this, I’m already praying they’ll have me back for another season! What's your favourite memory of the show? There are so many but I think when we arrived by speedboat in Jamaica and I was sat on a deck overlooking the Caribbean, giving my opinion on a photoshoot with a gorgeous cocktail in hand, that was the moment I realised I was very lucky to land this job! Did you spot the winner from the start? No. I liked a couple of girls initially but when they start doing the same thing in front of the camera, I found them boring. You can't have one ‘look’. The winner was my favourite…

Both these sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares a film starring Brad Pitt (2, 3, 3) WIN £550 STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 1 Parts of trees (8) 5 Picture house (6) 10 Decent, of acceptable conduct (5) 11 Aggressively (9) 12 Downtrodden (9) 13 Our planet (5) 14 Rabbit-like animal (4) 15 Soft cry of pain (5) 18 Milk product, sometimes clotted (5) 20 Aromatic herb (4) 22 Frequently (5) 24 Wavelength measurement (9) 26 Country ‘down-under’ (9) 27 Blackboard stand (5) 28 Nut cases (6) 29 Was present at (8) DOWN 1 Hollow-stemmed, grassy plant (6) 2 Aircraft (9) 3 FE establishment (7) 4 Pixies (5) 6 Floating frozen mass (7) 7 Come in! (5) 8 No specific item (8) 9 Amphibious creature (4)…

HEALTHY AND HAPPY Hot flushes, wavering moods and wrinkly skin – former Big Brother presenter Davina McCall, 48, admits that she finds the classic symptoms of middle age quite hard to deal with at times. No doubt most of us will be nodding our heads in agreement over the popular presenter’s frank comments. But Davina is known for being straighttalking, and openly confesses that, behind the scenes, she was definitely ‘going down that avenue’. ‘There are many times when I’ve moaned about it,’ she admitted. ‘Like when I think I may be getting a hot flush. That is annoying.’ But despite the initial sadness and the annoying flushes, she’s actually finding it a ‘pretty positive’ experience overall. It’s most certainly not ‘the end’ at all, she insists. ‘Most of the…

THIS WEEK... Last week, the papers were full of stories about how many of us marrieds decide to begin the year by disentangling our lives and getting a divorce. The first working day of January has been dubbed ‘Divorce Day’ and, frankly, I’m not surprised. Don’t get me wrong, while I have long said no one can be certain of forever, Ray and I are not heading for the divorce courts. But I can see how it happens. I can only go on my own experience, but the build-up to Christmas is bloody stressful, and my other half is no help whatsoever! Leading up to New Year, Ray decided to have a party – but that is all he did – decide to have a party. Meanwhile, I did all…

‘The first thing I noticed about Dean was his size. In fact, it was the first thing everyone noticed about him. He was a personal trainer at my gym, 20st of pure muscle. But even when people complimented him, he’d laugh and say he still had work to do. He was always trying to be bigger, fitter, better. We’d known each other for years but, one night in 2010, we went to the cinema. I discovered Dean was actually a gentle giant, whose smile was as big as his biceps. Just a few days later, he asked me to be his girlfriend and, although I hadn’t wanted a boyfriend at the time, I said yes. It was the best decision I’d ever made. Dean was my soulmate and a perfect…

Now, let’s get this straight. I am not a runner. Never have been. To me, a marathon has always been a chocolate bar and, because I’m always in heels, I prefer to take life at a slower pace. I definitely admire people who run, but have always felt that they’re slightly different to me. Committed. Fit! But, when the subject of running the Virgin Money London Marathon came up at work, I found myself strangely interested. Especially when I discovered I could run it for Cancer Research UK. I know, as well as most, how wonderful this particular charity is. When I was 16, my grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer. And, if that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, my mam was told she had the same disease a year later. We…

‘I looked like a troll when I was six, and I still do’ She’s been away from our shores for 30 years, but fans of Tracey Ullman will know she pulls no punches in the comedy stakes. Once one of the most popular comedians in Britain, the impersonator fronted Three Of A Kind with Lenny Henry, A Kick Up The Eighties alongside Rik Mayall, and Girls On Top with Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, which were all watched by millions. She went on to launch a successful music career, and it wasn’t long before Hollywood came calling. The Tracey Ullman Show was an instant hit in the States, turning the Slough girl into the world’s richest British comic. Despite bookies taking bets that her 1983 marriage to TV producer Allan…

Our skin can be a little more complex than just something to cover with foundation. If you have specific problems, whether it’s stubborn pigmentation or spots that just won’t disappear, supplement your usual base with products that support and treat in one go. Redness This can be a frustrating problem to handle. It may sound like an old wives’ tale, but green tinted products really do help to neutralise redness. It’s a favourite for perking up sleepy skin, and now YSL have extended their Touche Éclat pens to include Neutralisers, £25, each. The green one is a dab hand at targeting notorious red patches, like around your nose. If you want something for your whole face, No7 Airbrush Away Colour Balancing Primer, £16.50, does a similar job on a larger…

Sick of the sales? The good news is many of our favourite stores have new collections hitting the high street now. SHIRT STYLE You should definitely consider a shirt-style dress if you are looking for something versatile this year. Wear with tights and a pair of ankle boots now and when the warmer weather arrives, wedges will work brilliantly. PERFECT PRINT A print can instantly breathe new life into your wardrobe. Opt for a light palette to give trusty jeans a feminine feel. Shirt, £25, Dorothy Perkins TOP TOTE For the next must-have bag, tassel detailing is still hot for 2016. Bag, £47, River Island COOL CULOTTES They might look challenging but a pair of culottes can be flattering. Team with a fitted top or jacket to create a sophisticated…