Table of contents for 13 - 2018 in Best

Middle-aged spread… it’s something I’ve certainly suffered from lately. Alongside Judy Finnigan (above), who seems to have lost and gained a reported 5st, and our cover star, TV presenter Charlie Dimmock, my partner’s Parisian mother recently looked at my waistline and announced, tutting, ‘This would never happen in Paris. You and my son could both do with going on a diet.’ She then walked into the kitchen and began throwing out my stash of sweets… But I’m waiting for Easter, when I’m sure all her hard work on keeping me Parisian-shaped will be undone. Bring on the chocolate, I say! Please let me know your thoughts, siobhan. wykes@hearst.co.uk…

Gemma may have had a romance with Laurence Hearn, but it seems her one true love remains on-off flame, fellow TOWIE star James ‘Arg’ Argent. When she appeared on Loose Women recently, she seemed to brush off any burgeoning romance with Laurence, admitting she was still ‘deeply’ in love with Arg, even joking that she’d decided on their babies’ names! A matter of hours later, Gemma went on a date with her fellow TOWIE cast member which she documented on Instagram, from their cosy curry dinner to calling their TOWIE pal Ferne McCann on Facetime the following morning, with Arg seemingly shirtless in Gemma’s bed – though the video was quickly deleted. A week after, Arg was snapped leaving Gemma’s house in his pyjamas. So, what would the queen of the…

MINDFULNESS – COULD IT WORK FOR ME? Angie: How did mindfulness become so popular? Your mum probably often told you to be ‘mindful’ – mind your head, mind that swing…! Now, being mindful has been reinvented for the 21st century. We have apps on our phones for it and there’s even mindfulness-based therapy for depression. Mindfulness is often described as ‘bringing one’s attention to things happening in the now’. Living in the now sounds like quite a challenge when most of us feel we have to plan carefully just to get through the week! I spoke to Mallika Chopra, the daughter of Deepak Chopra (a world leader in New Age medicine), and she suggests we stop rushing through life and pay attention to the world around us. We can still…

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‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘Don’t beat yourself up if you fall off the diet wagon. Just have a day off and get back on it again the next day.’ Full of excitement, my best friend, Jen, logged on to Facebook and began scrolling through her wedding photos. ‘Wow, look at my beautiful bridesmaid,’ she smiled, passing me her phone. ‘More bulging than beautiful,’ I muttered, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. All I could see was my flabby upper arms spilling out of my size-22 dress. How had I let myself get so big? As a youngster, I’d never had any weight issues, as I was active and ate healthily. But when I moved in to a house in Swindon, Wiltshire, with my fiancé, William, in 2007, everything…

TAP THE APP NailSnaps allows you to turn your photos into nail art that you can then buy. Free on iPhone and Android. When your to-do list is never-ending, it’s no surprise if fitting in a full beauty regime is languishing at the bottom of it. Thankfully, there’s a crop of clever, fuss-free products now available that promise to do their job in super-quick time, leaving you free to get on with your life. You’re welcome! Fake it yourself Zesty body scrub Once party season was out of the way, it became easy to postpone exfoliating and moisturising our body till the warmer months, while our legs and arms are in hibernation. Now, with spring on our doorstep, we have an uplifting homemade recipe that’ll make the often-arduous task of…

Tenderstem Broccoli Pasta With Goats’ Cheese You could use purple-sprouting broccoli for this dish when it’s in season. Serves 4 Preparation: 15 mins Cooking: 15 mins Per serving: 726 cals; 30g protein; 25g fat (9g saturates); 91g carbs (6g total sugars); 8g fibre Vegetable stock500g (1lb 2oz) pappardelle pasta225g (8oz) tenderstem broccoli, halved lengthways150g (5oz) soft goats’ cheese, roughly chopped75g (3oz) walnuts, roughly chopped 1 Bring a large pan of vegetable stock to the boil and cook pasta for 8-10 mins, or until cooked through. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, and return to pan. 2 Meanwhile, heat a small pan of boiling water and cook broccoli for 2 mins, until soft. Drain and stir through pasta with the goats’ cheese, a little of the reserved cooking liquid and…

One of the things we all love about Easter is, of course, all the yummy treats we get to enjoy. If you are entertaining over the bank holiday weekend, or you just want a fun activity to do with the kids, this bark is great to try. It’s really easy to make, and you can add any topping you wish. Happy making! Love Claire xx WHAT YOU NEED • Baking tray • Baking paper or greaseproof paper • 3 large bars of white chocolate* • 2 packs of Wilton Candy Melts (spring colours are best)* • Mini eggs • Selection of sprinkles 1 Start by preparing your baking tray. Measure a piece of baking paper or greaseproof paper to cover it. Then put to one side. 2 Now, take a…

‘It seems I’ve been baring all for most of my life!’ Ruth Madoc found fame as Gladys Pugh in the hit 80s TV comedy, Hi-De-Hi! Here, the 74-year-old Welsh treasure, tells best about her new ITV show, The Real Full Monty: Ladies’ Night (also starring Loose Woman Coleen Nolan, broadcaster Victoria Derbyshire and Emmerdale’s Sally Dexter). Ruth also tells us about taking dance lessons from Diversity star Ashley Banjo, and her brush with cancer… Since Hi-De-Hi! finished, you’ve never stopped working, have you? I’ve been very lucky with work, but it’s a good thing – I don’t think I want to retire, as I still love what I do so much. As long as I can remember the script and don’t bump into the furniture, I shall carry on. You’re…

TOP TIP Comfortable shoes are key to a perfect mini break. Sore feet = miserable weekend! TOP TIP Be sure to pack mix-and-match separates that will be perfect whatever the weather! TOP TIP A dress is easy to pack and an instant way to look glam.…

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’ ‘Take each day as it comes, and make the most of every moment, because you never know what’s around the corner.’ ‘Choking back tears, I stroked my baby boy’s bandaged hand as he lay in his hospital bed. “Mummy’s here, it’s OK,” I soothed, as the machines that were keeping him alive bleeped loudly. My eight-month-old son, Taylor, was in an induced coma. His body was covered in a deep purple rash and, underneath the bandages, his limbs were ravaged by septicaemia (a severe infection poisoning his blood). “If Taylor’s going to survive, we’ll probably have to amputate his hands and legs,” the doctor said, softly. Tears welled up in my eyes as I nodded. I couldn’t get my head around what was happening.…

Fleshy necks, a double chin and an undefined jawline are stubborn problems for many women and almost impossible to cover up. Here’s how to raise your profile… THE JOWL MELTER Just as gravity pulls down your jawline over time, so can a pocket of fat underneath your chin. Until recently, surgery was the only answer, but now there’s a new advanced treatment called NeckTite, which is specifically designed to treat wrinkly necks and sagging jowls. Using radio frequency-assisted liposuction, the one-hour treatment has a downtime of a week to 10 days, during which a neck-compression garment must be worn. Best results are seen after around six weeks, when new collagen has started to form. From £2,800. THE NECK TIGHTENER High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (known as HIFU) is a non-invasive procedure…

HOW IT WORKS 1 Research carried out by the University of Connecticut, USA, funded by Weight Watchers, found that, when one partner committed to slimming, their other half lost weight, too – even when they weren’t dieting. The group, headed by professor of psychology Amy Gorin, was split in two. One followed a calorie-controlled plan, while the second simply supported their partner, but still lost up to three per cent of body fat in the six-month trial. 2 How does it work? It’s not just the psychological effect of mirroring your partner’s or friend’s healthy-eating habits. You can also shop together, share recipe preparation and monitor each other’s progress. 3 Personal trainer Daniel Forster says, ‘I encourage my clients to involve a training buddy. You motivate each other, help with…

THOUGHT OF THE DAY A few bad chapters does not mean your story is over. Dad has moved on so quickly My mum passed away suddenly six months ago, leaving my dad and the rest of our family devastated. But now I’m even more heartbroken, as Dad has told me he’s met someone else – and wants her to come and live with him! I don’t want to begrudge him his happiness, but I feel it’s all too soon. My siblings agree, and we’re all a little hurt that he’s managed to move on so quickly. Olivia, Essex I’m sorry to hear you lost your mum recently – everything is still so raw and emotional. I can well imagine the extra pain you are now going through. Six months, in my…

Best ON Test Budget bottle Co-op Balfour 1503 Foxwood Cuvée, £16.99 A posh gold label doesn’t give away the cheaper price. Fresh, fruity and very drinkable. Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference English Sparkling Wine, £20 A strong aroma, with cinnamon scents. A little bitter, but plenty of bubbles. Chapel Down Reserve Brut at bargainbooze.co.uk, £22.49 Although dry, it has a lovely, light, fruity taste, which makes it the perfect choice for any summer celebration. A real winner! Mid-range buy Waitrose Leckford Estate Brut, English Sparkling Wine, £24.99 A nutty aroma. This is fruity and citrussy rather than sweet, and the fizz is long-lasting. Harvey Nichols English Sparkling Brut NV at Ocado, £27.50 Pale yellow nectar. Sweet, creamy, and the bubbles are so bubbly, they actually fizz! M&S Balfour 1503 Oast House…

‘We’ve had some rocky times, but the culprit has always been men’ Loose Women viewers are well accustomed to Nadia Sawalha lifting the lid on her private life – from her marriage to Mark Adderley to the challenges of the menopause. But the TV host recently admitted that she was left ‘heartbroken’ following a bitter family fallout. Opening up on the show, Nadia explained that she endured a turbulent relationship with older sister Dina – which, at its worse, left them unwilling to speak to one another. Uncovering the reason behind the feud, the 53-year-old confessed, ‘We’ve had some rocky times, but the culprit has always been men. She added, ‘Dina is good at biting her tongue, whereas I’m the total opposite.’ Nadia explained that her frustrations with her older…

‘I love making people laugh’ Heart-throb Idris Elba, 45, has gone from east London to the A-list. The dad-of-two recently announced his engagement to 29-year-old model Sabrina Dhowre. Hi, Idris. Tell us about In The Long Run… It follows two families who live in the same block of flats, their sons play together, and it’s about what it’s like to live in a community where ‘in the long run’, we are all the same. There’s no trickery – you either like these people or you don’t. And it’s nice to have a multicultural cast, to see an African family on-screen alongside an English family. To what extent is it based on your family? It’s really just a good look at the 80s, which was when I was turning from boy…

Win EVERY WEEK WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PR IZES STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 8 Germs (8) 9 Number, digit (6) 10 Not present (6) 11 Apertures, orifices (8) 12 Contains, or grasps (5) 13 Honesty, veracity (5) 14 Stripes, hoops (5) 16 Carmen, e.g. (5) 18 Tacked on (5) 20 Sweeping, or painting, tool (5) 25 Tenaciously unwilling (8) 26 Totally, completely (6) 27 Spider’s trap (6) 28 Put back into position (8) DOWN 1 Hollow-stemmed, tough grass (6) 2 Went to (8) 3 Put pen to paper (5) 4 Farm cart, trailer (5) 5 Make a bid (5) 6 Worse looking (6) 7 Smarter, or more lustrous (8) 15 Type of maths (8) 17 Not for public knowledge (8) 19 Arm joints (6) 21…

Green-fingered goddess Charlie Dimmock, who fronted Ground Force alongside Alan Titchmarsh in the late 90s, was as famous for her slim, womanly figure and skimpy tops – worn without a bra – as she was for her gardening knowledge and cheeky sense of humour. Once called ‘horticultural Viagra’, she had an army of devoted male fans. But in recent years, the 5ft 6in TV presenter has been keeping a much lower profile. However, at a garden centre opening in Woking last week (right), she raised eyebrows with a much-altered appearance. Although her trademark flame-haired locks are the same, Charlie, 51, had a noticeably fuller figure – something that was also remarked upon when she made a return last year on TV show Garden Rescue. While some praised the horticultural queen’s…

Straight talking, good-humoured Gemma Collins doesn’t disappoint when best meets her. ‘Make me look fabulous!’ she declares to the make-up artist charged with getting the TOWIE cast member camera-ready. Romford-born Gem, 37, may have hooked up with classic car importer Laurence Hearn, 52, on E4 series Celebs Go Dating but, a little awkwardly, she confessed on Loose Women recently – with Laurence in the audience – that, although the couple had become great friends, in an ideal world she wants to go back to her ex, James ‘Arg’ Argent, 30! Here the GC talks love, plus-size clothes and her plans for a Stateside takeover… Gemma, can you fall in love with a guy, when you’re in love with another – naming no names?! You can fall in love any time…

‘I suspect most people – like me – are worried about Ant McPartlin’s state of mind. But mostly, I fear for the future of Ant and Dec. Selfish, I know, when a man’s clearly struggling with his mental health and reputation, but that’s the way it is. I don’t mean that if Saturday Night Takeaway wasn’t ever on again, it would mean the end of the world, but let’s face it, if the duo didn’t return, they would leave a lot of holes to fill in the TV schedule. No one can touch them when it comes to entertainment, which is why they deserve every award they’ve won. So, while I feel sorry for Ant, I feel more sorry for poor old Dec. If Ant can’t recover, where does it…

JOIN THE CONVERSATION To grey, or not to grey? Right from the moment we noticed our first grey hairs, let’s be honest, most of us considered reaching for the hair dye. But not any more – with the likes of Kim Kardashian West, Kelly Osbourne and Kate Moss choosing to have gorgeous grey locks in their 30s and 40s, we may have to think again! And if that isn’t enough to let your salt-and-pepper strands shine through, you could always try the opposite end of the spectrum. With Helen Mirren and other celebs in their 60s and 70s rocking pink, purple and blue, we think every way looks fab! Would you be brave enough to go bold? Or do you prefer the natural look? WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell us…

Whether you’ve been single for a while or recently been through a divorce or a messy break-up, the chances are, once you’ve healed, you’ll want companionship, affection and maybe even a physical relationship. And this applies whatever your age. Research from Trinity College Dublin found that 59 per cent of over-50s are having regular sex, with a third of those being intimate at least once or twice a week. And, while those statistics speak volumes, there’s also been a sharp rise in the number of divorces in the UK, with more than 13,000 women aged 55 and over divorcing in 2016. So, how do you meet men if you’re single and over 50? In the last decade, there’s been a surge in online dating activity. It’s estimated that half of…

Gluten-free fajita Following a gluten-free diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out on a tasty Tex Mex meal. Old El Paso has just launched the first Gluten-Free Fajita Kit, £4.49, which is available in smoky BBQ flavour. You will find the kit in the ‘Free From’ aisle at Tesco and Morrisons. Eat your greens You can now stock up the freezer with Frozen Tenderstem Broccoli, £1.75, Iceland. Each stem is individually frozen, so you can take out what you want to use, and you don’t need to defrost before cooking! A TASTY TWIST Love hot cross buns? Then you’ll want to pop the new hot cross bun loaf, 85p, from Morrisons, in your shopping trolley. Try it toasted, or if you fancy making an Easter-themed bread and butter pudding,…

…the accusations faced by her character, Priya I was surprised, thinking, ‘Oh, my goodness, this is something very different and quite sensitive.’ I didn’t want to scream and shout in front of the children. But, you know, it’s a great storyline and good to get my teeth into. …feeling sorry for her on-screen alter ego Priya doesn’t have many girlfriends, especially after she betrayed Leyla and lost her, and she doesn’t have her guy. Plus, she’s a single mother. I think she’s just feeling very low. …who Priya will be able to turn to David Metcalfe, because he’s Amber’s father, and they’re friends. It’s great to work with Matthew Wolfenden again. …whether there’s a new man in the pipeline for Priya I’m sure there will be. She feels complete when…