Table of contents for 33-2019 in Best

Broadcaster Fiona Phillips has never been shy when strong opinions are called for – it’s one of the reasons we love her! And it was clear the big guns were out when Fiona, 58, slammed reality TV star Gemma Collins in a recent newspaper column. Fiona described the Essex-born star, whose reality TV show Diva Forever is on ITVBe, as a ‘narcissist’. The mum-of-two went on to say that the 38-year-old ‘has sent a message to Boris Johnson, moaning that she has to use taxis as “not everyone can get on” Boris bikes, and cramming onto the tube is not easy for her “these days”.’ Fiona’s advice was pretty spectacular: ‘Move your body as much as you do your mouth, Gem. That should sort it. Boris has got more important…

TOP TIP Dip your toe into the trend with a statement print T-shirt and shoes. TOP TIP Avoid mixing and matching tie-dye prints. The most elegant way to wear it is the same print top to toe! TOP TIP Soft pastel shades give this print a feminine feel.…

Stripe it lucky Finish summer off with a touch of nautical style. Into the deep Indigo shades are softer to wear than black or navy. Shoulder style Keep covered up and still flash some flesh with a pretty Bardot top. True blue Make the most of late summer sun with a cool and classic sundress.…

Crossing my ankles elegantly, I look approvingly around the cocktail bar. ‘I’ll have a glass of Champagne,’ I tell the bartender, without even looking at the drinks menu. He nods discreetly and hurries off to uncork a new bottle. To be honest, this bar, tucked away in London’s exclusive Mayfair district, isn’t the sort of place I could afford to come to myself – but I already know I won’t be picking up the bill, so I’ll happily order what I want. Because, you see, I’m a sugar lady – a grown-up version of a sugar baby, who enters into ‘arrangements’ with wealthy men. In exchange for company and attention, these men will happily treat their sugar lady to new outfits, meals out, holidays, even money. I don’t have to…

Berry Meringue Semi-Freddo Easier to make than traditional ice cream, but just as delightful! This dessert is sure to have you going back for seconds. Hands-on time: 30 mins, plus overnight freezing. Cooking time: about 5 mins Serves 15 400g mixed berries, we used raspberries, blackberries and strawberries125g icing sugar, sifted3tbsp fruit liqueur, such as crème de cassis or crème de framboise1 lemon, zested and juiced (keep zest and juice separate)4 large egg whites600ml double cream50g bought meringue nests, crumbled 1 Line a freezer-proof roasting tin or serving dish roughly 20.5cm x 30.5cm x 5cm with baking parchment and set aside. Hull and quarter any strawberries and put into a pan with the remaining fruit. Add 50g of the icing sugar, the fruit liqueur and lemon juice and heat gently until…

SAY MY NAME! Taylor Swift’s trio of cats have the best names in showbiz. Two of her fur babies are named after TV characters, Olivia Benson (pictured) and Meredith Grey (right), and her latest bundle of fluff is called Benjamin Button! FELINE FRIEND Self-confessed animal lover Ricky Gervais has a friend in Ollie! THE X FACTOR Dermot O’Leary and pet Socks cuddle up after a night out. PURRFECT PARTNER! Patsy Kensit’s cat, Bowie, looks like he has plenty of catitude! CATWALK! Holly Willoughby’s beautiful Bluebell is just as purrfect in front of the camera as her famous owner.…

WALKING THE DOG WITH EMILY DEAN The radio host and author joins some of her pals for a walk with their pooches and discusses the issues of the day. Guests range from Jenny Eclair to Reverend Richard Coles. ISY SUTTIE’S THE THINGS WE DO FOR LOVE The Peep Show star and stand-up comedian hosts a chat show every week. Isy delves into her own and her guests’ romantic pasts to explore the lengths we go to under the influence of love. MY DAD WROTE A PORNO James Morton reads out chapters from Belinda Blinks – the erotic novels written by his then 60-year-old father – and the results are hilarious. He’s joined by his pals, James Cooper and Radio 1’s Alice Levine.…

Freddie Browne is one of seven newbies who joined the cast of Made In Chelsea earlier this year. He’s already proving a big hit with the girls, too! The proud Chelsea boy, 26, admits he adores a party, loves vintage motors and has already been getting advice on manners from show veteran Mark-Francis Vandelli. Here, he opens up about what we can expect from the new series, how the show has changed his life and why he may not be looking for love just yet… How did you feel walking into MIC series 17? It was rather daunting, to be honest, because I just didn’t know what to expect going on to such a successful TV show. I hope I made a good impression. I’m told I handled it well! Did you…

1 THE MAGIC OF… HOLIDAYS Disney has been working hard, with the new version of The Lion King having just hit the big screens, so it’s no wonder the cartoon company is in vacation mode! Disney posted this picture of Mickey and Minnie on a beach, enjoying a cocktail, and captioned it, ‘Sunset views are better with two!’ We couldn’t agree more. Now, when can we jet off for our own enchanting break? Michelle’s a vision in delicate lace, while Claire goes for the English rose look and Eva is all white on the night! 2 Who wowed the crowd? All white now Making the most of the summer sun, last week the celebs looked-show-stopping in designer white. Singer Michelle Heaton, 40, looks stunning in lace, while actress Claire Foy,…

She became a household name in the 70s and 80s – and now, the eternally glamorous Linda Lusardi is wearing the very same bikini for best that she posed in for Britain’s biggest papers in 1988, to prove you can still look, and feel, incredible at 60 and beyond. Linda, who is married to talent agent and former Brookside star Sam Kane, and has two children – singer and star of The Voice Lucy Kane, 22, and son Jake, 19 – talks ageing, motherhood and her secrets to a happy relationship… Linda, how do you feel about your body at 60? I think I look pretty good! I can’t believe I’m wearing the same sparkly bikini I wore back in the day. I found it in my attic the other weekend…

The Katie Piper Foundation Rehabilitation Centre is set in the green, peaceful grounds of the Fairfield Independent Hospital in St Helens, Merseyside. It’s a place where burns patients can take ‘therapy walks’ on top of their treatment, do sports or simply take time out from the enormity of what they’re dealing with. The centre aims to treat 20 patients in its first 12 months, offering adapted, on-site bungalow accommodation. And if Katie, 35, should tell a badly disfigured patient that they ‘can do this’, it’s no cliché – she’s been there. Mum to daughters Penelope, 20 months, and Belle, five, Katie survived a brutal acid attack in north London in 2008, ordered by a vengeful ex-boyfriend, that left her blind in one eye and needing more than 250 operations. A decade on,…

Q Spots have left pink and brown marks over my cheeks. How can I get rid of them? Charlotte, Swansea A DR AAMER SAYS: Called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), this is scarring caused by injury to the skin. It’s very important that you get an expert diagnosis before commencing any sort of treatment and are treated by a doctor. Sometimes, the tools used to treat hyperpigmentation can actually exacerbate the condition. A course of light salicylic acid or chemical peels, laser therapy or red light and blue light treatments (if there is active acne) will help fade the marks over time. Peels cost from £100 per treatment, laser therapy from £150, while red and blue light therapy is priced from £60. LESLEY SAYS: Pigmentation can be a stubborn problem and needs…

Asked in a recent interview how many people comment on her appearance on any given day, former Countdown presenter Carol Vorderman replied, ‘Oh! Hundreds. And one of the sad things is that people think I only ever talk about the way I look, when it’s just what’s printed by the media. It’s the Kardashians who’ve changed that. There’s no other content now…’ The famously curvy mum-of-two also revealed she has fallen out of love with online platforms. ‘I can’t fight that battle now, so I just choose to pay no attention to it.’ As for Carol’s undeniable brainpower, she says, ‘I was a free school-meals kid, I got to the University of Cambridge from a comprehensive – that just didn’t happen in the 70s. Now, I do a lot of work…

HOW IT WORKS 1 The capsule diet is the ultimate meal planner. Like with a capsule wardrobe, all you do is choose few key healthy meals – say three simple breakfasts, four easy lunches and six or seven dinners with a set theme like Meat-free Monday or Pasta Tuesday – and rotate them each week. It’s simple, budget-friendly and a brilliant way to slim. 2 For starters, it helps with willpower. Every time you decide what to eat, you use up a little bit of your willpower store. Spend too long deciding and you can run out completely and give in to those chips! Having your meals or themes planned reduces this risk. 3 By knowing what you’re planning to eat, you’re also less likely to give in to last-minute…

SQUANDERING STEPSON When my stepsons went to university, their mum (who’s loaded) said she’d fund one son and we could fund the other – the demanding one! We bailed out the lazy son when he couldn’t be bothered to work, losing deposits every time he changed digs. We spent all our savings on him and had to downsize to a bungalow. In his final year, he dropped out and got a job. He came to visit last weekend and criticised our ‘old’ car and little bungalow. We were so angry. I asked if he could pay us back some of the thousands we’ve lent him. He said not yet, though he’s spent hundreds on designer shoes. We’re struggling, and I’m at my wits’ end. Michelle, Essex Oh dear. A step-parent’s…

LEO 24 July – 23 August Leos, like iconic pop diva Madonna, can expect to feel a surge of energy that will carry them through the rest of the month with confidence and dynamism. It’s going to be quite an amazing time for those born under this sign. Use that extra pizzazz to dazzle friends and acquaintances – parties aren’t as fun without you. SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November Working alongside an expert will be incredibly rewarding. A demonstration given by a talented person will be fantastic to watch. Their talents and enthusiasm will inspire you to try something new. Take a leap into the unknown. It might take a while to develop new skills but practice will make perfect. AQUARIUS 21 January – 19 February A friendship that…

1 HAPPY HOLIDAYS Half of people surveyed by TopCashback would only pay for a holiday they could buy at a discounted price. If you’re booking flights and hotel separately, use skyscanner.net to compare the cheapest flights across different airlines. For hotels, use trivago.co.uk to compare room prices across different sites. For package holidays, use travelsupermarket.com to compare different deals. 2 GYM BUNNY? If fitness is your thing, your gym membership doesn’t have to make a monthly dent in your bank account. Shop around for the cheapest price – gyms often offer promotional codes or no joining fee offers. Opt for an off-peak membership, which is usually cheaper. Don’t forget, training outside is free. The Our Parks initiative (ourparks.org.uk) gives access to free fitness classes in your local park. Or sign…

… signing up for Strictly I literally can’t dance… I’m terrified. When I was at theatre school, I always swerved dance classes because I was really big and was so self-conscious. So I thought, ‘I need to do this, as I’ve always shied away from it.’ It’s going to be like therapy. It will be a real challenge for me. … the Strictly curse My hubby, Tom, is so chilled about it all! We’re just both relieved it’s out there that I’m actually doing it. It’s been so hard keeping it all a secret – even my nan doesn’t know I’m in the show yet! I’ve felt like a part of the FBI for months… … keeping fit Tom has been helping me get fitter – it’s handy that he’s…

It’s a hugely embarrassing time to be Paul Hollywood, who has been spectacularly ‘pied off’ by his younger girlfriend (if you saw Love Island, then you’ll know what we mean). Paul Hollywood, 53, was dramatically dumped by his 24-year-old flame, Summer Monteys-Fullam, after she was asked to sign a gagging order. Her staunch refusal led to her handing back a £9,000 ruby and diamond ring, given to her by the Bake Off star on her birthday. The unlikely pair met in 2017 at the birthday of Paul’s then-wife, Alexandra, 55, held in the very pub where Summer worked. The couple were romantically linked in November of that year, shortly after Paul and Alex, his wife of 19 years, separated. Now, the silver fox finds himself fighting over his £100,000 Range Rover, plus…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT Nestling at the base of Spain’s Sierra Blanca mountains, Marbella on the Costa del Sol is quick and easy to get to. The area offers a mix of culture, nightlife, golf courses, sandy beaches and, of course, the famous marina of Puerto Banús. Past and present residents include Simon Cowell, Sean Connery and late pop legend, Prince. INSIDER’S GUIDE Packed with yachts, sports cars and designer shops, Puerto Banús is the exclusive haunt of folk who have cash to flash! But for those of us who don’t have a millionaire’s bank balance, it’s great for a bit of celeb-spotting. Keep your eyes peeled for TOWIE stars or even a WAG or two! Shmooze with the glitterati in this Andalusian paradise GETTING THERE: There are plenty of flight options…

Since replacing Chris Evans as the host of Radio 2’s breakfast show last year, presenter Zoe Ball, 48, has lost more than three quarters of a million listeners according to new figures. OK, so the Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two host is still being heard by a weekly average of 8.27 million on the channel (making it the most popular breakfast show right now), but her listeners are down 781,000 on previous months, making it Radio 2’s lowest breakfast rating since 2010. Harsh critics have claimed that the reason behind her ‘catastrophically bad’ show is because ‘it’s irritating to the point where you want to bang your head on a brick wall to escape it’. Ouch, that’s bound to hurt. Elsewhere, mainly male Twitter users branded Zoe ‘giddy’ and…

Reflecting on the young model she once was, posing in front of the camera and looking so confident, Linda told best, ‘Ah, but I was so insecure! If I’d known then what I know now – that you’ll never actually feel “perfect”, whatever your age – I’d have embraced everything that came my way so much more. ‘As a woman, you’re often too critical of yourself. I’d have told that girl to get on with living life and being happy! But that knowledge comes with age. I had a great time, don’t get me wrong, and I wouldn’t change anything I’ve done. All the choices I made brought me to where I am today, surrounded by the people I love.’…

‘Do you believe in fairies? Some people might think that’s an odd question, but I don’t. Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve known that fairies live alongside us humans. Not only that – I believe that, if you’re open to them, they can guide your life and even infuse it with their special brand of magic. I first became aware of their existence when my parents split up – I was five years old. Unable to decide whether I wanted to live with my mum or my dad, I went to stay with my grandmother. I have vivid memories of her pruning her beautiful, fragrant roses, with me collecting the petals to make ‘perfume’ for the flower fairies. The next day, it would always be gone. Even back…

Amanda Seyfried started as a model, aged 11, and went on to star in movies such as Mean Girls and Mamma Mia!. The 33-year-old is married to Thomas Sadoski and has a daughter, Nina. Why did the film appeal to you? It’s a beautiful story about family, a dog, love and connection. It’s irresistible to watch and see things from a dog’s perspective. Tell us about Eve… When we meet her, she’s in her twenties and she has a real sense of confidence. She’s certainly more content than I was. But I’m very happy since the birth of my daughter. Motherhood changes everything for the better. I love being a mother. Can you relate to the bond Eve has with Enzo the dog? Definitely. My dog, Finn, an Australian shepherd-border…

Win EVERY WEEK WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES Use the anagrams, straight, cryptic, quiz and picture clues to solve the crossword. When completed correctly, the pink squares, reading top to bottom, left to right, will reveal the answer to the question below: 3A will appear as Bustopher Jones, later this year, in a film version of what famous Lloyd Webber musical? (4). This is your prize answer. See below for details on how to enter. ACROSS 3 & 18D PICTURE A Who is this? (5,6) 6 Farewell for now (5) 7 What is the French word for ‘bingo’? (5) 8 What liquid measure is equal to approximately 1.75 pints? (5) 10 Legal excuse (5) 11 ANAGRAM TIELE 12 See 3D 14 What animal…