Innholdsfortegnelse for 25-Aug-2014 i Woman's Own

Good on Prince William. He’s the first direct heir to the British throne to become an ordinary PAYE employee. And as he gets set to start his new job as a pilot for East Anglian Air Ambulance, it’s also been revealed he’s donating his full post-tax salary to charity – thought to be around £30,000 per year. It also means he’s delaying becoming a full-time working royal for at least two more years, giving him and Kate the perfect window to add to their family. A new baby? Now that certainly would keep Daddy busy! Join us online Head to our fabulous website, womansown.co.uk , to get all the latest celeb gossip, great competitions and deals, plus beauty, fashion, easy recipes and health tips.…

Another celeb who likes to keep trim and healthy is This Morning presenter Ruth Langsford. It seems Ruth has shed a few pounds recently, and looks fantastic, but fans of the TV favourite have warned her not to lose too much weight, after she posted a picture of her appearing noticeably slimmer. ‘You look lovely, it looks like you’ve lost weight. Don’t get too thin!’ wrote one concerned fan. Cutting back Ruth, 54, has seemed trimmer since she and husband Eamonn Holmes, also 54, have been filling in for This Morning’s regular presenters, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, during the summer holidays. This isn’t the first time the mum-of-one has decided to get in shape. In 2009, she admitted to seeing a personal trainer twice a…

What do you see when you look at this photograph? An attractive woman in a bikini relaxing on holiday. Then you’ll look again and see something that may both horrify and fascinate you. It’s why I’m speaking out here – because I want to change that reaction and make you understand that just because I may look different, I’m still that beautiful, slim young girl you first saw. And I’m very proud to be me. I was three when my problems started. I’d have severe stomach pains that would leave me curled in a ball, crying and screaming for Mummy. My poor mum, Debbie, didn’t know what to do. She and Dad had split when I was little and she was trying to bring up me and my six siblings.…

5 OF THE BEST... sites for homeowners Last month it was revealed house prices have increased by an average of 10% in the last year. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re buying, selling or staying put, when it comes to bricks and mortar it pays to know your stuff. Handily there are loads of nifty tools online that will help you fake it as a housing expert… for free! 1 PROPERTY-BEE.COM This property price tracker works with the site Rightmove and alerts you when a seller has altered their listing including when they cut the price. You can see how much the seller first put the property on the market for and if it has been taken off and put back on since then. This information can be useful as…

Sitting down at my PC, I logged on to Woman’s Own Bingo. I’d been a member for eight years and absolutely loved to play online. I’d been to a bingo hall before, and still occasionally went, but I preferred the online game. You can log on whenever it suits you and also chat away to the other ‘roomies’ on the site. Everyone is so friendly, it makes playing so much fun. I often saw my mum and my sister in the chat rooms, as they’d started playing online, too. And all three of us had hit the jackpot before! Back in 2011, I won £11,090 just three days before my wedding! You might have even seen my story in Woman’s Own . The win was fabulous,…

With his loveable personality and ability to make even the most cringeworthy of dance routines look cool, we couldn’t be more excited about the return of X Factor host Dermot O’Leary! We caught up with the presenter, 41, to chat selfies, the new judges and why he doesn’t think Simon is Mr Nasty… You do a lot of selfies with the fans – do you ever get bored of them? No, I love the selfie. It quickens everything up because before selfies, it was, ‘Give the camera to the Mum to take the picture.’ And you’d give it to Mum and Mum goes, ‘How do I work this thing?’ And then they turn the phone off and then they’ve got to turn the phone back on,…

He may have become something of a heartthrob since The Great British Bake Off hit our screens, but Paul Hollywood has apparently changed his ways in order to win back the trust of his wife, Alexandra. Paul, 48, has reportedly been following a strict set of promises in order to regain Alex’s trust after his affair with US co-host Marcela Valladolid was revealed last year. According to a close friend of the couple, Paul is now making sure that he calls Alex, 49, three times a day while filming the BBC show, buys her flowers every week, regularly surprises her with gifts of jewellery, and he has even promised to stay in a separate hotel from the bakery show’s contestants after rumours last year of his close relationship with finalist…

Is this the end of our friendship? One of my best friends has been promoted at work and is now in charge of a large team. We barely see each other and when we do, she treats me like one of her junior employees. During a recent lunch she told me to stop moaning because things wouldn’t improve until I got ‘a more positive attitude’ and practised being ‘grateful’. I feel like I’ve lost a friend and don’t know what to do. Kally, 41, Sheffield Your friend’s feedback may have an element of truth to it, but it sounds like you needed empathy, not a management-style ticking off. Ask yourself, was her lack of support a one-off? Schedule in a longer lunch so you can have a balanced conversation about…

Amanda Village, 44, lives in Sheffield with her son Kai, six. She works as a part-time secretary for a firm of architects. ‘Three years ago, I saw an advert for Quidco on the internet and decided to try it,’ says Amanda. ‘I needed some travel and car insurance, so I thought it’d be useful.’ Recommended Soon Amanda was using Quidco for her food shop, for clothes and for shoes. ‘Kai is sight impaired, so I often buy sensory toys for him and treat him to holidays. ‘Quidco has been wonderful for money off holidays. I took him to Lanzarote over the New Year, which was fabulous.’ When Amanda decided to get a subscription for Sky TV, she immediately logged on to quidco.com. ‘It was amazing Ð I earned £110 just…

David Walliams (20 AUGUST) With no less than three planets in Leo, David is an über-lion. Later this year and next, lucky Jupiter passes over these three, meaning a bumper time for the writer, actor and comedian. Hollywood could be beckoning… Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr Keep your nose to the grindstone. At the weekend and into Monday you could well be feeling rather dispirited, but don’t give up. Push on through and you’ll find that eventually it will lead to something new and very rewarding. For more call 0901 609 4780* Taurus 21 Apr – 20 May You’re feeling bouncy and on top of the world. But your partner or someone close is increasingly angry and grumpy as the week goes on. At some point there could be…

Your middle name is what? We don’t know what it is about middle names that bring out the child in us, but when we discovered sexy George Clooney’s was Timothy, it had us all of a titter. George, 53, had to reveal his not-so-sexy middle name when he registered his legal intention to marry Amal Alamuddin, 36, at Chelsea Old Town Hall. The couple are due to tie the knot this weekend! MIX & MATCH There was a time when Madonna set fashion trends, but we’re not convinced this clashing combo is going to take off. In fact, we can’t help wondering what Madge, 56, was thinking! The singer stepped out during a family holiday to the South of France recently in this bizarre ensemble. ‘Please tell me she’s only…

Lorraine Kelly has been accused of ‘betraying’ and ‘letting down’ her fans after she dropped two dress sizes. Lorraine, 54, who has been looking slimmer than ever, said she empathised with women about the difficulties of buying clothes once you turn 50. She said she ‘knows from experience’ that finding fashions you look and feel good in can be tricky. When she decided to get in shape a couple of years ago, she confessed it was down to her age. ‘Since I’ve turned 50, I’m more interested in clothes and I think that went in hand with the weight loss,’ Lorraine revealed at the time. But she came under fire from fans recently, with one writing they felt disappointed with the presenter. ‘She betrayed her fat followers by losing weight,’…

Hooray, the holiday season is here – fun, sun and relaxation! All year we wait to take our two-week break with the family to escape our normal lives. It’s our recuperation time, a chance to get things back in order. After all, what can be better for us than getting away from it all, right? Wrong! Overwhelming evidence shows that far from giving us the boost we need, our summer holidays are actually doing us harm. Incredibly, 80% of us find the holiday season to be ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ stressful’* – that ranks right up there with asking for a pay rise! Great expectations Think about it – there’s the planning, washing, ironing and packing, the worry over remembering passports, tickets, and currency. Complications of travel delays, then arriving at…

TRESEMME RENEWAL HAIR & SCALP TONIC, £5.50 Feed your scalp using this tress treat with soothing tea tree extract and sunflower seed oil for healthy hair growth. MAYBELLINE BABY LIPS ELECTRO, £2.99 Combine the care of a balm with the high-octane colour of a lippy with this new neon collection. AGENT PROVOCATEUR FATALE EDP, £36 This is my new desk fragrance – one spritz takes me from work to a night out. It’s floral but edged with a seductive mix of musk and vanilla orchid. BOBBI BROWN BRIGHTENING BLUSH, £34 Give skin a shot of radiance with this pearlescent cheek colour. Swirl a blusher brush over the palette to mix the three shades and sweep over the apples of the cheeks. BAREMINERALS 5 IN 1 BB CREAM EYESHADOW, £17 10…

My dad Jim’s doctor didn’t spot his bowel cancer till it was too late,’ says Carole. ‘Everyone who knew Jim could see there was something terribly wrong, yet despite countless visits to his GP with the glaringly obvious symptoms of bowel cancer, he was fobbed off and told he had anaemia. The irony was that the doctor’s surgery even had a huge poster on the wall spelling out the three biggest warning signs of bowel cancer. Yet still he wasn’t referred for tests. ‘How can a doctor who has trained for seven years not refer a patient who looked as ill as my dad did? And how many more people like him are sent home with sloppy diagnoses that can literally cost lives? ‘By the time my dad’s cancer was…

Improved IMMUNITY When you reach midlife you hit your immunity ‘sweet spot’. You’re immune now to about 90% of all the infections you could get. You’ll have fewer colds and if you catch flu, it may be mild because your body has learnt how to respond to new infections. Healthier you Yes, your immune system will eventually weaken – it’s the very young and the very old that are most vulnerable to infection – so boost your natural immunity by getting plenty of sleep, eating lots of fruit and veg and managing stress levels. The flu virus mutates, which can leave you open to infection even if you caught it last year, so protect yourself by washing your hands regularly and consider a flu shot. Less STRESSED OK, you may…

Beef and Stilton burgers with French fries SERVES 4 PREP TIME 10 MINS COOKING TIME 20 MINS YOU WILL NEED 4 beefburgers 1tbsp steak seasoning 300g French fries 100g pepperonata Dash of Tabasco Handful parsley, chopped 4 ciabatta buns, toasted 100g Stilton, sliced HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Put burgers on a baking sheet, sprinkle over the seasoning and cook for 15-20 mins, until cooked through. At the same time place fries on a separate sheet and cook for 15-20 mins, until crisp. 2 To make the salsa, chop the peppers and mix with Tabasco, parsley and 1-2tbsp of oil from the jar. Place the beefburgers in the buns and top with Stilton and salsa, serve with the French fries. NUTRITION PER  SERVING 946 cals,…

Thousands of notes have been popping up in the strangest of places across the country. Stuck to lamp posts and car bonnets, or dropped into post boxes, they all bear the same neat handwriting. ‘Dear Stranger,’ one begins. ‘It may be raining outside, but there’s sunshine in your heart.’ Others simply read, ‘Have a great day,’ or ‘Be yourself always.’ Inspiration The messages are touching and heartfelt – and each one is the handiwork of my dear friend Primrose Kaur, 35, who wants to make the world a happier place. I first met her when we started working together at Heathrow Airport as security officers in 2007. Warm and chatty, Primrose always had time for everyone. As I got to know her, I learnt how she had endured a difficult…

Bingo has been a love of mine for years, and when I heard about playing online, I was curious. ‘You can chat to people online while you’re playing,’ a friend told me. That sounded great to me! I signed up, thinking it would be nice to play a few games. But, mostly, I was looking forward to using the chat rooms and getting to know people. Registered as disabled, I wasn’t always able to get out to the bingo hall any more, so this would be perfect. I put in my details and, within minutes, people welcomed me to the site. It was so friendly and really put a smile on my face. There were loads of games to choose from, but I decided to play on Emerald Bingo, as…

PIC OF THE WEEK Win £50 if we feature your photo Sick of being judged As soon as I started to read ‘It’s so hard being slim’, it was like reading my own life story. I too weigh 7.5st, have had three children and agree that people have no right to judge me on my weight. I wouldn’t tell someone they were fat! I totally understand, Vanessa. I wish I could be brave like you and wear shorts and skirts. Good on you! Rona Percival, email Good for you! I loved reading ‘We look better now we’re older’. Both the women featured look amazing! Living in a fast-paced world obsessed with eternal youth, it’s such a tonic to read about women who feel better now in their forties. Cindy Shanks,…

All the single ladies! Form an orderly queue, girls, Gethin Jones has announced he’s sick of being on his own! ‘I hate being single. I’m 36 and fed up with all this now. I just want to meet someone and have a child and get on with it.’ Gethin was engaged to Katherine Jenkins but the couple called off their engagement in December 2011. Gethin, who presents The 21st Question , went on to say, ‘Some girls do google you before you go on a date, but I never do, I’m quite old-fashioned.’ KISS ME QUICK! As auditions go, EastEnders actress Luisa Bradshaw-White’s was a baptism of fire. Luisa, who plays Tina Carter, said, ‘I auditioned with Rebecca [who…

Just like us, telly favourite Richard Arnold was at The X Factor auditions. He too got up close and personal with Simon, Louis, Cheryl, Mel B and even hung out with Dermot… But of course, being Richard, he’s got his own cheeky take on it! Simon Says... An audience with Simon Cowell left me howling – but in a good way. I asked him how Mel B was doing as a judge and reminded him she made a pensioner cry once. Quick as a flash, he turned to Louis Walsh and said, ‘Why, what did she say to you?’ Brilliant! FACE OFF! A quick selfie with Dermot. ‘I look like Liberace compared to you,’ I quipped. Well, I have had a lot…

As a regular on the Loose Women panel, Andrea McLean has certainly revealed her fair share of deeply personal stories. But how much do we really know about the former weather girl? We caught up with mum-of-two Andrea, 44, to discuss what makes her cry, her proudest moment and why she nearly went down a different career path entirely… What can’t you leave the house without? My headphones. I use public transport a lot and the only way I can get through it is by listening to music. I keep them in a little drawstring bag so that I never lose them and I take them everywhere. What makes you cry? Any type of cruelty, whether it’s from one person to another or towards animals. It makes me teary. I’ve…