Innholdsfortegnelse for 30-jun-14 i Woman's Own

Standing on stage, Dame Helen Mirren was the epitome of style, elegance and grace. She was at a recent ceremony being presented with a well-deserved award for her role as beautiful British icon. And she sure looked the part in a demure designer gown and immaculate make-up. Only then she opened her mouth. Her expletive-ridden acceptance speech started with a crude joke about her lady parts before finishing with the line ‘and 70 is f***king awesome’. Our jaws dropped. Here she was, the woman whose film portrayal of the Queen was so fabulous we considered her almost regal herself, swearing like a trooper! Could you imagine Her Majesty coming out with such foul language? Columnist Quentin Letts certainly wasn’t impressed. ‘She works in a world where the full possibilities of…

3 ways to... Tan yourself slim Fake tan can slim legs, trim arms and give the illusion of a younger-looking body. SCULPT As well as delivering a bronzed body, Skinny Tan 7-Day Tanner, £26.99, skinnytan.co.uk, contains firming ingredients to trim as you tan. SHINE Highlight the décolletage, tops of the arms and front of the legs with St Moriz Instant Shimmer Tan, £4.99, Tesco. The gleam will create definition. CONTOUR Apply a spray bronzer like Rimmel SunShimmer Air Brush Effect, £8.99, on top of a base tan to areas that need extra help, like the hips, under the arms and down the sides of your legs. Treat yourself! A combination of long-wearing vanilla and jasmine, and the lighter, fresher tea and bergamot, YSL Manifesto L’Eclat EDT, 90ml, £39.50, is worth…

Is a new dog theanswer? My 70-year-old mum hasn’t been the same since her beloved dog died. Do you think, given her age, it would be irresponsible to surprise her with a puppy? She is very mobile, thanks to walking her last dog. She says she’s too old for another dog, but I secretly think she would like it. Kitty, 44, New Forest As helpless as it may make you feel, you need to respect your mum’s decision – at least for the time being. She needs time to grieve, and forcing a new dog on her will not speed up that process What will help is encouraging her to talk about her dog, taking her for outings and acknowledging that she has suffered a big loss. In a few…

Grief has no pattern, no rhyme or reason. It hits everyone in different ways and for different lengths of time. Yet I knew none of this until it visited my family and almost destroyed us. How we came through it astounds me. And it’s why I want people to know our story, because the journey we’ve been on has been the hardest of our lives. Losing a loved one is never easy, but how you cope – well, that’s the toughest part of all. The morning started like any other. It was January 2004 and I kissed my husband, Paul, 46, goodbye before he headed off to work as a delivery driver. I left my son, Scott, 15, and daughter Holly, 13, in bed and went to my own job,…

PIC OF THE WEEK Win £50 if we feature your photo Poor Susanna I can’t help but feel sorry for Susanna Reid in her new role on Good Morning Britain. So many people appear to be having a pop at her. Even Graham Norton couldn’t resist making a joke at the show’s expense at the BAFTA TV Awards. Making a success of this new morning show a fter leaving BBC Breakfast must be quite a responsibility. Hang on in there, Susanna – even Lorraine found it difficult. It will take time to turn around. Linda Birchall, via email Vanity kills I read your story ‘Let my face be a warning to you’ about the woman who got cancer in her eye and it really worried me. We all like to…

You may remember my story – my husband Paul and I appeared in Woman’s Own telling everyone how happy we were after working through our marriage problems. I’d been prepared to forgive him when he had cheated on me and I wanted everyone to know that a marriage can survive infidelity. ‘Look at us,’ I said. I was proof that couples shouldn’t give up on their vows at the first sign of trouble. Oh how those words jar now. How that sickly sentiment of forgiveness leaves such a bad taste in my mouth. Because here I am, three years later, and I want to tell a very different story. Because when I took back my philandering husband, I made the biggest mistake of my life. Paul…

Embarrassed by yours? Do you hide your feet because of discoloured or misshapen toenails? Yellow-brown patches and thickened nails can all be caused by fungal infections, like athlete’s foot. But help is at hand. Dothis ‘Most fungal infections need persistent and dedicated treatment as they don’t give up easily!’ says Alison Cullen, nutritional therapist at herbalists A. Vogel. ‘Try natural neem oil. Apply it regularly for best results.’ For fungal toenails, ask your podiatrist to pare off the top layer of the nail, then apply spilanthes tincture twice daily (Neem Oil, £6.99 for 100ml; Spilanthes Paracress Drops tincture, £9.15 for 50ml, from avogel.co.uk ). Or use  Boots Pharmaceuticals Advanced Footcare Fungal Nail Treatment Pen (£18.49 for 4ml) to treat stained nails. Hard skin We all get hard…

Hot stuff! I would prefer men to keep their shirts on this summer, even if they're a David Beckham lookalike with a hot body. Bare chests should not appear in everyday situations. One hot day I saw a topless man walking around pushing his child in town – there really is no need. Men, take note! VICTORIA LOWE, CHIPPENHAM SHOW OFF YOUR BODY It’s fine, no matter the shape, size, hairy or smooth. Women wear as much or as little as we choose, so the same should go for men. Embrace your body, it’s the only one we have. LOUISE BARNES, ST HELENS Not on the streets There’s a time and place and that’s not the supermarket. At the beach is fine and you can do as you please in…

NAMED & shamed Tut, tut, Npower is still being punished for poor customer service. The company has been bottom of the energy complaints table since 2012, according to Citizens Advice, with over 300 complaints per 100,000 customers in the final part of 2013 – three times the number of its nearest rival. A spokesperson says, ‘We wrote to all our customers last year apologising for the impact on them of issues we’ve had with the implementation of our new billing system. We are making good progress in dealing with the root causes of this.’ Worth bearing in mind if you’re thinking about switching suppliers… How do you save money? Tell me your top saving tips and, if it’s printed, you’ll get £25. Email me at tara_evans@ipcmedia. com .…

It was 2011 and the country was in the grip of royal wedding fever. My boyfriend Dan’s nephew was only 11 but he’d heard all about the special couple too. One day he was visiting and he looked at me rather strangely. ‘Are you Kate Middleton?’ he asked. Well, I did have the long, chestnut locks and people often teased I looked a bit like her. So I decided to play along. ‘I sure am,’ I told him. ‘But I’m not going to marry Prince William. I’m going to marry Dan.’ He was my prince. I’d known him since I was 16 and he was 15, and we’d started dating three years later. Now I was 23 and still madly in love. Dan was a musician then and my heart…

Adventure island Brownsea Island near Poole in Dorset, in the middle of Europe’s largest natural harbour, was the location of the first-ever Scout camp in 1907 and the inspiration for Enid Blyton’s Whispering Island. It’s now a beautiful, car-free nature reserve famous for red squirrels. Kids will love the scouting exhibitions, taking part in the Smuggler’s Trail and following the new clifftop walk, which has created perfect picnic spots for all the family. Take the ferry across from Poole Quay (nationaltrust.org.uk/ brownsea-island). Pure poetry At Grantchester, just outside Cambridge, picnic on the meadows lining the River Granta and watch the steady (and not so steady!) stream of passing punters. When you’ve packed up your blanket, head for the Orchard Tea Garden, where the poet Rupert Brooke wrote, ‘Stands the church…

SINGING STAR Alan Carr is to host a new singing competition on Channel 4. The flamboyant talk show host, 38, will front The Singer Takes It All , a live game show that will allow viewers to vote for the new Mariah or Bruce. An insider said, ‘This is a big new show for Channel 4. It is not being seen as a talent show like The X Factor but more like a game show and with Alan presenting it is bound to be lots of fun.’ Promise you’ll take the mic too, Al? KISS & MAKE UP Kelly Osbourne is worried that her mum Sharon, 61, has ruffled a few feathers, after she criticised Kate Middleton’s make-up while appearing on Lorraine .…

Tatt’s RICH! Hollywood couple Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas are preparing for a huge $50 million divorce after pals revealed, ‘They’re worth more than you think.’ The pair were married for 17 years and had one of showbiz’s strongest relationships. Now sources insist they will split their assets equally. ‘I don’t think you’ll find out that they’re divorcing over money,’ said one pal. Meanwhile, Mel, 56, still has her ‘Antonio’ tattoo – and hasn’t said if she will remove it. ‘Ugly TRAMP’ Katie Price, 36, has no plans to forgive former best friend Jane Pountney for having an affair with her husband Kieran Hayler. In fact, she’s still seething! The wronged model posted an extremely unflattering picture of Jane, 49, on Twitter alongside the words, ‘Just a reminder…

Katy Perry Katy, 29, couldn’t resist taking this snap with songstress Adele, 26, captioning it, ‘The Queen graced me with her presence…’ High praise! James Corden Never mind the fact that millions of people are watching you present the Brits on TV, James, 35, knows that when you get the chance of a pic with Prince, 56, you grab it! Lily Allen Lily, 29, is the queen of celeb selfies, and she clearly couldn’t hide her delight while taking this shot of singer Pharrell Williams, 41, after a gig in Scotland. ‘Happy’ indeed! Amanda Holden Flanked by Graham Norton, 51, and Michael Sheen, 45, Amanda, 43, looks like the cat that got the cream. No wonder she whipped out her phone for a cheeky snap! Myleene Klass When you’re in…

Tressto impress These new hair oils add intense gloss and a smooth finish without weighing your style down. Hair guru Lee Stafford has launched uBuntu Oils from Africa, £10.99 each. Designed to quench coarse, fine and coloured hair. Hot off the press comes Shu Uemura Art Of Hair Essence Absolue For Body And Hair, £39.50, 0800 633 5021. Apply to your ends (and skin, too!) to add instant radiance. Boost your body Your average body cream contains water, which dilutes the potency of the ingredients. Beauty oils, on the other hand, contain a high concentration of active ingredients to deliver moisture deep into the skin. Bobbi Brown Beach Body Oil, £24, is the perfect summer weapon against dry limbs and leaves a flattering sheen. Pamper your skin on a budget…

SYMPTOM CHECKER Heat rash WHAT IS IT? It may look like prickly heat, but this sweat rash, also known as Polymorphic Light Eruption (PLE), is triggered by exposure to sunlight or artificial ultraviolet light and can even happen in the winter. It looks a bit like eczema – small red, blister spots surrounded by red skin – and can be itchy. But, unlike prickly heat, can turn hard or become desensitised. WHY DO WE GET IT? ‘It’s triggered by the immune system’s response to UVA and UVB rays and can occur after as little as 30 minutes in the sun,’ says Samantha Preston, LloydsPharmacy’s allergy expert. ‘It happens when your body’s sweat glands become blocked, but normally clears up within a few days, although the symptoms of PLE can last…

All under 500 calories Peppers, olives and anchovies SERVES 4 PREP TIME 20 MINS COOKING TIME 30 MINS YOU WILL NEED 4 large, ripe tomatoes 6 small Romano peppers 3 garlic cloves, crushed 1 x 60g can anchovy fillets, chopped 2 red onions, cut into wedges 2 x 125g mozzarella balls, torn Small handful black olives Small handful basil leaves HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat the oven to 180 ° C/Gas 4. Put the whole tomatoes in a large bowl and cover with boiling water, leave for 1 min, drain and cool under cold water. Peel off the skins, deseed and dice. 2 Halve peppers lengthways and remove the seeds. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, garlic and anchovies, stuff the peppers and put in a roasting tin, scatter…

There were so many people at the special gala dinner, but there was one woman who really stood out. Her name was Angela Lee and she was the founder of a charity that meant so much to me, my husband, Bob, and our teenage son, Alex. It was October 2007 and we’d been invited to meet her after our family had experienced a near-tragic accident. Three months earlier, Alex, then 14, had been knocked off his bike by a van while on his paper round. His dad and I had always stressed the importance of wearing a helmet, but on this occasion he’d left it at home, heading off to do his early-morning deliveries. He suffered a bleed on his brain, blood clot in his arm and gash to his…

Cheryl Cole CANCER (30 JUNE) Cheryl’s chart says this is a time for consolidating her power in the world. It won’t just be her X Factor return that lets her show off her creativity and influence – her personal life is set to take a surprising turn. Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr A development that shocked you a while back is something you take in your stride when you encounter it again. Why? Because this time round you’ve already processed it and you’re fully prepared. Make sure you stay positive. For more call 0901 609 4780* Taurus 21 Apr – 20 May Money makes your world go around after Tuesday when your ruler Venus lights up your personal finance. In the coming month you could get a minor windfall…

Laugh and a half! Comedian Patrick Kielty and his wife Cat Deeley and I got up close and personal on the red carpet recently. I had to apologise to Cat for manhandling her fella when he came in for a hug. Judging from the expression on Cat’s face when I broke the news, I may have crossed a line! Wedgie alert! Corrie beauty Catherine Tyldesley is always perky in the morning and it’s impossible not to admire her shapely pins when she pops in, although I was strangely drawn to her nude wedges. ‘You can try them on if you want,’ she chirruped. I would’ve done, but it would have been a waste of a good pump – you can never see my feet…