Woman's Own December 30, 2012

You’ve got to admit, 2012 has been one hell of a 12 months! Putting together our Women Of The Year feature triggered a lot of debate in the Woman’s Own office as there have been so many amazing women to choose from. I hope you enjoy reading our final cut on page 10. Plus, we asked our columnist and Daybreak presenter Lorraine Kelly to reveal her own inspirational women of 2012. Turn to page eight to read about the brave ladies she has met this year who have made such a difference. Have tissues at the ready... facebook.com/womansownmagazine twitter.com/womansown womansowneditor@ipcmedia.com 020 3148 6565…

On the spot with... Lesley Nicol Downton Abbey’s cook, Mrs Patmore, 59, lives with her husband in London 1 Telephone or text ? Telephone. Texting is too laborious if you have more than one thing to say. 2 Flats or heels? Flats. I’m quite a fan of the Ugg boot! 3 Online or in-store? In-store. I’m not all that good at computers. I’m of the age where I didn’t go to computer school. 4 Brighton or Benidorm? Brighton. There are too many Brits in Benidorm – it doesn’t feel like you’re abroad. 5 Cash or credit? If you have been self-employed all your life, like I have, it’s safer to pay cash! 6 EastEnders or Corrie? Corrie. My mum was in the third episode, in 1960! 7 Posh or Becks?…

Monday So to a Great British Bake Off photo shoot with this year’s victor, John Whaite, as the judge. I was pipped by a Yuletide log from Essex. John said that he preferred my mince to shortcrust when it came to my pies, but as you can see by my gritted teeth, there were no hard feelings! Tuesday Another red carpet means another A-lister! And the legendary Joan Rivers cha-chaed up to me and asked if I was ready for a hoedown. Either she has been in the UK and caught me on Strictly recently, or she was expertly briefed – I think the latter! But she did give me a butcher’s at her handbag, where I found a clean flannel. ‘Have you seen the washrooms in this place?’ she…

Raid the cupboard When it comes to knocking off years, you’re more likely to find Catherine Zeta-Jones, 43, in the kitchen than the beauty salon. She puts her glowing skin down to a DIY scrub. ‘I rub a mix of honey and salt all over my body to moisturise and exfoliate,’ she says. Lighten up She claims she doesn’t have time for regular beauty treatments, but Carol Vorderman, 52, shows how a few golden highlights through your hair can revive a dull complexion – think of it as a light switch for your skin. Sleep tight Well, they don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing! Jennifer Aniston, 43, reveals the secret to her clear, healthy-looking skin is making sure she has plenty of shut-eye. ‘I get at least eight hours…

My Women O f 2012 I’ve been lucky to meet some incredible women this year. Against all the odds, they’ve fought for their loved ones and battled hardship in inspirational ways Tina Nash Defiant after attack Tina suffered horrific injuries at the hands of her violent boyfriend, Shane Jenkin, who broke her nose and jaw and gouged her eyes, blinding her in an ordeal that lasted more than 12 hours. Jenkin was jailed for the crime and Tina, 31, has refused to let him ruin her life. When I interviewed her recently, I couldn’t believe how positive she was. She now helps other victims of domestic violence and is learning to live with her blindness, trying to stay independent for the sake of her two young sons, Ben, 14, and…

Sharon Osbourne FIGHTING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Just three weeks after Sharon became a granny, her son, Jack, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis following the birth of his daughter, Pearl, in April. Later in the year, Sharon, 60, revealed that she’d had a double mastectomy after learning she carries the gene that increases the risk of breast cancer. ‘I didn’t want to live with that shadow hanging over me,’ she says. ‘I want to be around for a long time and be grandmother to Pearl.’ Jessica Ennis BEATING THE WORLD As the poster girl of London 2012, nobody felt the stress to deliver more than Jess. ‘If I had won silver I think the country would have been devastated. Anything but gold was failure,’ says the heptathlete. Set to marry…