Woman's Own January 21, 2013

Have you started (and probably given up) your new year’s diet yet? Over half of us quit slimming within the first month, with many only managing a week! So maybe this year you’ll let us help you shed the pounds with our diet plate. It’s easy to incorporate this healthy eating plan into your daily life because it’s all about portion control and eating ‘normal’ foods, rather than unrealistic quick fixes. Find out more on page 32 and, if you join womansowndiets.co.uk, your £14.99 plate is free. Do drop me a line when you start to drop lbs! facebook.com/womansownmagazine twitter.com/womansown womansowneditor@ipcmedia.com 020 3148 6565…

On the spot with... Pam Ferris The Call The Midwife star, 64, lives in Kent with husband Roger and their dog, Stanley 1 Call or text? Call. You get those nuances in conversation that you can’t pick up on in a text. 2 Save or splurge? Both. Work for a long time, save the money, and then have a really great holiday. 3 Kindle or book? I love my Kindle. I mainly read fiction on it, but I’m also very fond of reading Richard Dawkins’ science books. 4 High street or designer? Designer. I love Sahara, Oska and YaccoMaricard. But I rarely get dressed up. I’d get bored if I did it all the time. 5 Bath or shower? Baths. They’re good for aching shoulders. 6 Herbal tea or double…

Would you wear a onesie? Tell us now at womansown.co.uk The yummy mummy-to-be Will Kate Middleton, 31, be commissioning her wedding dress designer, Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, to create the perfect comfy combo for a special baby bump? Join the dots Holly Willoughby, 31, proves that a Minnie Mouse-inspired polka dot number can still look glamorous, even if it does have ears. Complete the look with a pair of boots. Cool ’ n’ comfy Corrie actress Alison King, 39, is on-trend with this all-in-one fashion statement. Adding a leather jacket, Converse trainers and huge earrings gives it a slouchy, rock-chick look. Top to toe comfort Actress Jennifer Ellison, 29, thinks hers is the ultimate in laid-back casualwear, teaming it with a pair of snug fur-lined ugg boots. Perfect for…

Are you the next EL James? Igiggled my way through the first Fifty Shades Of Grey book – I must say, it was certainly an education! Some of the content was more than a bit bizarre, but all three of EL James’s books tapped into women’s appetites for a bit of titillation, and their author has made herself an absolute fortune from her sexy stories. Women need more than naughty pictures to stimulate them sexually, which is why it’s no surprise there has been such an – ahem – almighty explosion in erotic fiction. It’s notoriously difficult for authors, especially men, to write good sex scenes. Most of them are downright silly, not to mention anatomically impossible, but EL James has opened the floodgates and made it acceptable to read…

W ho says you need to have an acid tongue to succeed as a T V judge? At 77, The Great British Bake Off star Mary Berry is arguably the coolest – and kindest – judge there is! The BBC baking show, which also features co-judge Paul Hollywood and hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc, returns for a Comic Relief special next week, including celebrities such as Duncan Bannatyne from Dragons’ Den, Claudia Winkleman, Countryfile’s Julia Bradbury, Jo Brand and Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds. PRECIOUS MOMENTS AT HOME ‘I was very keen on giving my children the right food,’ says Mary, picture d in 1975 Family life Mary’s husband Paul (right) is a book and art dealer. They have two children – Tom, 45, Annabel, 41 – and five grandchildren.…

NATALIE CASSIDY The actress, 29, reveals how she finally won her weight war After 15 years of ups and downs with her weight, actress Natalie Cassidy has finally found the right balance. And it’s thanks to her daughter, Eliza. ‘Since becoming a mum two years ago I’m not obsessed with being thin any more,’ Natalie tells Woman’s Own. ‘I realised there was something in my life that was more important than how I looked. Now I want to be a healthy mum for my daughter.’ The actress admits she has never had an easy relationship with food. Being in the public eye made it even harder. She says, ‘I was 14 and playing Sonia in EastEnders when the press tracked me down on holiday and took a picture of me…