Table of contents for 38-2019 in Best

Remember that scene in the film Bridesmaids, when Kristen Wiig realised that, when you have to go, you just have to go? Well, Amanda Holden knows that feeling only too well, as she admitted recently… on TV. Amanda has never been backwards in coming forward, so it’s par for the course that she feels no shame about her loss of control. It was while she was on a booze cruise to Calais for the ITV2 show Shopping With Keith Lemon that Keith asked, ‘Have you ever got so drunk you’ve c***ped your pants?’ Keith probably wasn’t expecting Amanda to respond with a story about how she did once lose control of her bowels! Although, in her defence, she had a ‘funny tummy’ at the time. But it should come as…

From rumours that she has hired a secret Hollywood PR firm to improve her portrayal in the British press to being labelled Britain’s ‘top social climber’ in an upmarket magazine, alongside claims she’s reached ‘the pinnacle of a greasy pole’, the controversy Meghan Markle seems to leave in her wake shows no signs of abating. After what looks like one disaster after another for both the Duchess and Prince Harry, it appears ‘Me-Gain’ – as she’s been cruelly dubbed – can do no right. Here, we look at just a few of the 38-year-old royal’s recent debacles….. MEGHAN & THE SECRET AGENT If the reports that surfaced last week, claiming that the Duchess of Sussex hired top crisis PR firm Sunshine Sachs – who once represented disgraced film producer Harvey…

‘Whether you believe that man is the cause of global warming or not, one thing is undeniable: there are too many people using up the planet’s finite resources. So, although I’m sceptical on the first issue, I’m passionate about the second. I’m not the only one, either. Joanna Lumley said she’s cut down on plastic, wears everything 120 times and never throws away food. She was inspired by The Queen, who Lumley says uses second-hand everything. Indeed, The Queen is famous for her thrift – she recycles outfits from decades gone by and uses a portable heater in her study rather than have the heating on. But Her Maj has got nothing on me. I drive my cars into the ground and I’ve got clothes older than my husband! I…

Ladies who layer Loose tunic styles worn over trousers are casual and comfy. The right shift Figure flattering and versatile! A classic shift is an investment buy. Get your coat Step out of your comfort zone this season and splash out on a bold buy. Roll with it A roll-neck sweater always looks chic and goes with everything!…

Sausage Pasta I do enjoy a good sausage pasta! It’s quick, easy and, depending which sausages you decide to use, you can totally change the flavour. I quite like the ones with a bit of chilli in, or apple for a little sweetness. PER SERVING CALS 400 FAT 22.75g SERVES 4 300g fusilli pasta4 good-quality sausages, cut into quarters2tbsp olive oil, for frying1 clove garlic, sliced1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks500g passataSmall bunch fresh basil leaves, torn, to serve 1 Cook the pasta in lightly salted boiling water until just cooked. As soon as you drop the pasta in, make a start on the sauce. 2 Fry the chopped sausages in the olive oil on a high heat until golden, pouring away any excess fat, then add the garlic…

DARLINGS, I’M BACK! I’m back – eating, sleeping and breathing Strictly and sharing all the gossip with you lovely readers. I adored dancing at the launch show, so more of that please! And new judge Motsi Mabuse is a breath of fresh air, too – did you see her strutting her stuff? She’s a total professional, and she’ll be brilliant. KEVIN’S SHOCK PAIRING There’s talk of Kevin Clifton ‘fuming’ about being partnered with Anneka Rice. I’ve heard they’re having a ball! And if anyone’s going to whip her into shape (and yes, she is slightly ‘challenged’ in the dance department!) it will be him. Don’t forget, when 2018 winner Stacey Dooley started out, I gave her a ‘four’ – and she went on to get ‘10s’! He’s a skilled teacher.…

…celebrating TOWIE’s 25th series It’s insane! I’m actually the longest-serving male cast member. Who would have thought that nine years ago we’d still be here today, and still having the best time? The viewers really took us under their wings and grew up with us. I joined in my early twenties – I’m 33 now. I’ve been through all kinds of highs and lows on telly! …being in a good place I’ve just had my birthday, and I’m really happy with the success of Bobby’s Bill [a campaign to make online homophobia a criminal offence]. I want to continue working on that. …his friendship with Gemma Collins I miss her being on the show, but she hasn’t been a full-time cast member for a few series now. Gem’s my girl.…

Maureen Lipman, 73, who plays Tyrone Dobbs’ battleaxe grandmother – Evelyn Plummer – in Coronation Street, must feel very comfortable on the cobbles, given she spent so much time there decades ago. Her late husband, renowned playwright Jack Rosenthal, wrote many of the episodes in the 60s and 70s. Evelyn proves that, in the world of soap, you don’t even have to be likeable to be loved! Corrie has a rich history of ‘judgemental old bats’ – think Ena Sharples, Annie Walker and Blanche Hunt – and Evelyn carries on the tradition, much to Maureen’s delight. Maureen, we’re loving you as Evelyn! She’s a horrendous person, but funny at the same time. Does she make you laugh? It’s her only saving grace! She’s so in-your-face and shocking, isn’t she? I…

TRAVEL SNAPSHOT With its crooked pastel-coloured houses, vintage tea rooms, antique shops and friendly locals, the chocolate box village of Lavenham looks like a film set. Once an important wool town, its rich history is woven through every timber frame, thatched roof and cobbled stone of this beautifully preserved corner of rural Suffolk, making it a magnet for the showbiz world. One of the Harry Potter films, detective series Lovejoy and John Lennon’s experimental 1970 film Apotheosis were all set here, while a host of celebrities come looking for a picture-postcard country escape. Actors Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory have bought a second home in the area. INSIDER’S GUIDE There’s a variety of hotels and B&Bs in the village, but don’t miss the splendid 15th-century hotel The Swan. It certainly…

1 LOOKING GOOD! We’re a little mesmerised by this striking picture of a chameleon that was recently posted on Instagram by Chester Zoo. We’ve never seen one this close up before! The caption informed us that, according to folklore, the reptiles don’t actually change colour – they reorganise a layer of crystals in their skin cells, so that light is reflected differently depending on how they feel. Green, apparently, means they’re happy. Well, he certainly makes us smile! 2 Who wowed the crowd? Downton Abbey has finally hit the big screen and the cast wowed as they graced the red carpet for the film premiere in Leicester Square. All eyes were on Michelle Dockery, 37, who dazzled in a gold asymmetric gown. Elizabeth McGovern, 58, stunned in a vibrant pink…

‘Eden, the school has been on the phone,’ I said sternly to my teenage daughter. ‘Your teacher said you hadn’t done your homework.’ But, rather than looking dismayed at being found out, Eden shook her head. ‘It wasn’t me,’ she protested. ‘I did mine early.’ While most other parents might ask, ‘Who was it, then?’, I knew instantly what had happened. Glancing over, I saw her twin sister, Summer’s cheeky smile and knew I had found the culprit. Although they aren’t biologically identical, my two girls couldn’t have looked more alike if they had been. Ever since they were born, back in May 1995, they’ve been confusing people – myself included – both accidentally and on purpose. I’d been left reeling with shock when an early pregnancy scan showed I…

Q I’m 46 and have very wide-set breasts. Would implants help their shape? Also, the skin on my bust looks crêpey and older than on my face.Jayne, Kent A DR AAMER SAYS: It sounds as though you have sun damage on the chest area. This is very common, as people often forget to apply sunscreen to the neck and chest. For fresher, younger-looking skin, try the Vampire Bust Smoother. This 60-minute cleavage treatment is a combination of laser therapy and Angel Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. The laser superficially burns the skin in pinprick-like dots, which improves skin texture by ‘resurfacing’ it, as well as stimulating collagen production. Next, PRP involves drawing blood from the arm, isolating the platelets, then injecting them into the chest area. Platelets release chemicals that help…

It was delivered with precisely the mix of bluntness and directness you’d expect from one of New York’s finest, about to go on patrol in one of the most crime-ridden parts of the city, where shootings – often fatal – used to be an everyday occurrence. While in the South Bronx area of New York last month, I had asked the officer how he would feel if he were to be asked to police according to the British model: that is, with neither Taser nor side arm (gun). ‘You might as well ask me to go out there without any shoes,’ was his immediate and unequivocal response. As part of my Time For Tasers campaign for LBC radio, I’d gone to New York to work with the NYPD (New York…

1 To fake a plump pout Apply your lip colour and when finished, reach for your eyeshadow palette. Choose a metallic light shade – pink, silver or nude – and use your fingertip to stamp the colour to the fullest part of your lower lip. 2 Make your own honey lip-plumping scrub Take 1tsp honey, 1tsp almond oil, a pinch of cayenne pepper and 2tsp sugar. Mix all the ingredients together to form a paste and rub onto your lips. The honey and almond oil soothe and moisturise, while the cayenne pepper will plump up your lips. 3 Fight frizz overnight Before your beauty sleep, apply a little serum or leave-in conditioner and bundle your hair into a silk scarf, creating a turban. The product will soften hair and the…

Rainbow Vegetable Stir-fry Sunshine in a bowl! Brightly coloured crunchy veg, wok-fried with a Mongolian-inspired sauce, is the perfect warm-weather vegan stir-fry. Serves: 4 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes 9 SMARTPOINTS VALUE PER SERVING 60ml soy sauce2tbsp sweet chilli sauce1tbsp sriracha hot chilli sauce2tbsp mirin½tbsp cornflour2tsp vegetable oil100g radishes, trimmed and quartered1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced100g mangetout100g baby corn, halved lengthways2 pak choi, chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed3cm piece fresh ginger, grated2 x 250g pouches wholegrain microwave rice2 spring onions, trimmed and thinly slicedHandful coriander leaves, to serve 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy, sweet chilli and sriracha sauces with the mirin and 60ml cold water. Put the cornflour in a separate small bowl and stir in enough of the sauce mixture to…

Need a new season overhaul? M&S is the ultimate destination for all things fashion, home and food. Whether you need to kit out the kids in new clothes or fancy a new outfit for yourself, it’s all available here. Or perhaps it’s your home that you long to update? From cosy bedding to welcome in the darker nights to sofas and armchairs to chill out on, there’s plenty to choose from. You can even stock up on your favourite food, too! We’re giving one best reader the chance to win a £500 M&S gift card. To enter, see right. HOW TO ENTER ONLINE: Save money by entering online at hearstmagazines.co.uk/best3819 by Friday 4 October 2019. POST: Send a postcard with your name, address, email and contact number to Best/M&S Giveaway,…

VIRGO 24 August – 23 September This is a good time for Virgos, like actor Jeremy Irons (born on 19 September) and actress Sophia Loren (born on 20 September), to look at all their options and to be prepared to make decisions that will take them in a new and extremely interesting direction. Trust your gut, it won’t fail you. SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December Your partner or best friend appears to be able to guess your thoughts. It will feel weird when you have something on your mind and they know exactly what this is. They can read you like a book, but there is a practical explanation. It’s because you’re so close, you can’t hide your feelings. PISCES 20 February – 20 March Positive discussions and agreements…

She’s back on the box as one of EastEnders’ most iconic characters – Bianca Jackson – after a five-year break from the spotlight. But at 47, Patsy Palmer has revealed she couldn’t be more different to the young single mum that stepped foot in Albert Square over two decades ago… The now mum-of-four (to Charley, 27, Fenton, 19, Emilia, 18, and eight-year-old Bertie), based these days in California, admitted she didn’t tell BBC producers at the time that she already had a son, Charley, after landing her role in 1993. ‘The industry didn’t favour people with children, especially women. It was very hard back then… so I didn’t tell them until after I started working there and they were really shocked,’ she recalled in a recent interview. And her swift…

TOP TIP Check trousers also work well with a plain white shirt and pumps. TOP TIP A floral blouse teamed with classic navy and green is an easy way to embrace this trend. TOP TIP A heavy blazer is the perfect transitional cover-up.…

Britain’s oldest twins have become social media sensations, with fans demanding they should have their own TV show. Lilian Cox and Doris Hobday, 95, are from Tipton in Derbyshire and say the secret to their longevity is ‘no sex and plenty of Guinness’, although both confess to a soft spot for hard man movie actor Jason Statham. Since joining Facebook a few weeks ago, the twins have gained thousands of followers with posts about their daily lives, their fitness regimes (chair yoga) and their film reviews (they’re fans of the Fast & Furious series). They even appeared on ITV’s This Morning last week and fans went wild for them, one writing, ‘They are adorable… they need their own show or segment on Gogglebox!’ Originally born in Birmingham, the sisters have never…

Back this month with a new series of ITV’s The Chase, Anne Hegerty, 61, has dominated the nation’s favourite teatime quiz show for years in the fearsome guise of ‘The Governess’. On Loose Women in 2017, she revealed her diagnosis with Asperger syndrome. Her struggles with the condition left her with crippling debts, but a social worker helped her resolve her finances and also got her an audition for The Chase, which she joined in 2010. Anne showed fans a different side of her personality in the I’m A Celebrity… camp last year. They loved her, loved her, and she finished fifth! Anne, who is single, talks to best about dating, guilty pleasures and how much she’s loving fame… Tell us what it’s like being on The Chase! Fantastic! My favourite thing…

HUBBY’S WANDERING EYE Having been with my man nearly 15 years now, I’m pretty certain I’m the only woman he loves. However, he has a very flirtatious personality and doesn’t hesitate to tell me if he thinks another woman is attractive. Recently, I’ve caught him spending a lot of time looking at other women’s Facebook photos and it makes me feel very insecure. What am I supposed to do? I don’t want him to think I’m suddenly hideously jealous of whoever he’s looking at as I know it’s always been in his nature to be a ladies’ man, but I can’t sleep as I’m worried his flirty nature has become something he could act on – call it female intuition…Rachael, Romford Relax. In 15 years your man hasn’t strayed. He’s…

Former Coronation Street star Katherine Kelly, 39, starred in ITV drama Cheat earlier this year. She lives in London with husband Ryan Clark and their two daughters, Orla and Rose. Hi, Katherine! Why should we all be watching Murdertown? If you watched the first series, you won’t be disappointed with the second. And if you haven’t seen it before, I’d recommend it for an insight into how people’s lives are affected by crime. A lot of the friends and family wanted to speak because perhaps they didn’t have an opportunity to speak to the public freely until now. They get across how the crimes affected them and their town as a whole, and what the repercussions are to this day. Are you fascinated by crime and murder mysteries yourself? Like all humans, I’m fascinated…

So, it looks very much as though Brooklyn Beckham (eldest son of Victoria and David) has called it a day on his turbulent relationship with girlfriend Hana Cross – and, if reports are to be believed, his mum and dad are ‘thrilled’. Not so surprising, really. Budding photographer Brooklyn, 20, and stunning model Hana, 22, didn’t exactly come across as love’s young dream. Several times in their nine-month relationship, they were spotted having explosive public rows. You can understand why Victoria might be feeling a sense of relief. While postteen relationships are often turbulent, Brooklyn’s and Hana’s seemed rather toxic. As a mother, you don’t want your child involved in anything so seemingly dysfunctional. Not to mention all that scrapping in the street, and being papped while it’s kicking off.…