Innholdsfortegnelse for 16-jun-14 i Woman's Own

Oh no! It’s official – Strictly hunk James Jordan is leaving. His departure comes after reports of clashes with Craig Revel Horwood. It was also revealed he’d been offered a slimmed-down role that would have seen him being dropped from having a celebrity partner, but still appearing in the show’s specials. James, 36, confirmed, ‘I will not be returning.’ We’ve been admiring his moves for the past eight years, so for us Strictly just won’t be the same. So far, his wife Ola is set to stay. But could that prove rather awkward at home? 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…

She’s taken on a huge amount with her new stand-up tour and promotional commitments, and now pals fear that Dawn French is making herself ill with the workload. Dawn, 56, has already revealed that she’s ‘terrified’ of taking to the stage as part of her 30 Million Minutes tour, and now sources claim that her fears and the sheer enormity of the show has left her with ‘major stress’. ‘Dawn has a lot to live up to, being a funnylady, and she wants to deliver the best,’ a friend of the star revealed. ‘But she keeps changing the material at the last minute to keep it fresh, and she doesn’t know how it will go down with the audience. It’s a gamble. She is making herself sick with the stress.’…

1 Join the bone-marrow donor register for Alice 2 Climb to the top of the stairs at work 3 Be able to fit in a pair of New Rock boots 4 Wear high heels 5 Make my mum proud 6 See my nieces grow up 7 Live to 95 like Nan 8 Stop being The Fat Sister in the family 9 Fit into a bath towel 10 Wear patterned tights 11 Fly without needing a seat-belt extender 12 Stop being such a sweaty Betty 13 Get a bra that fits 14 Fit in ANY chair 15 Wear vintage clothes 16 ...and something with Elmo printed on it! 17 ...and a onesie! 18 Get CONFIDENCE…

What a sight I must have looked! The silk material was stretched to bursting and my bust oozed from the tight bodice. It was January 2013 and I was trying on the wedding dress I’d worn when I married my husband, Jason, 10 years earlier. I had piled on 7st since that day and I knew it wouldn’t fit. But then I had an idea. ‘It might not fit now, but it will,’ I said to Jason. This dress was just what I needed to help me slim. As a child I had struggled with my weight and by the time I was 11, Mum was taking me to a dietitian for weekly counselling sessions. By the time I hit my teens, I was stuck in a cycle of yo-yo…

The latest buzz Honey has been a natural first aid for thousands of years, as it’s dripping with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Scientists have found it is effective for everything from wound care to soothing coughs. But how about a herb-infused honey tailored to your particular health problem? Life Mel honey is made by bees fed on a herbal-mix diet. Try EnergyMel to beat fatigue or RelaxMel to help calm and balance (both £20 for 120g jar, lifemel.co.uk ). 32% of British women admit to having had sex on a beach, in a hotels.com survey Breakthrough Scientists may have found a way to reverse ageing of the brain. The blood of young mice was injected into older rodents and found to boost brainpower. Researchers say they are…

Strawberry sundae An easy pud that will satisfy your sweet cravings! SERVES 4 PREP TIME 5 MINS COST PER SERVING £1.23 1 Mix 400g Sweet Eve strawberries with 1tsp icing sugar. Whip 150ml double cream with 1tbsp runny honey and a few drops of vanilla extract until you get soft peaks starting to form. 2 Fold in 100ml Greek yogurt. Pile the strawberries in 4 glasses, then spoon over some vanilla cream. Add a layer of raspberries (you’ll need about 300g) and more cream. 3 Sprinkle with honeycomb (a chopped-up Crunchie works well) and add a couple of strawberries on top of each glassful. From 1 June-31 August host a Strawberry Tea party and raise money for Breast Cancer Care. Visit breastcancercare.  org.uk/strawberry for your free fundraising kit We’re…

Claudia Winkleman is to take over from Brucie on Strictly. Will she make as good a host? Here’s what you said on Facebook Best person for the job – she’s fabulous! Helen Brodowski A male presenter would be better. Anton Du Beke would have been brilliant! Kerry Groves No, she drives me mad! Too much fake tan, her fringe is always in her eyes and she wears clothes that are far too big for her. Carol Shaw It’s an OK choice, but now they need to get somebody to replace the very irritating Tess Daly. Jane Hammonds What do YOU think? Last week we asked you... SHOULD WOMEN BE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE HOME BIRTHS? This is how you answered: YES 16% NO 84% Don’t forget to…

It’s been a busy few months for Hayley, 37. Juggling her role in Coronation Street with a nationwide Dancing On Ice tour saw her working day and night. And while the actress relished every second of it, the punishing schedule took its toll. When we get together for our interview, it’s a few days later than scheduled because she’s just spent two days in hospital recovering from a nasty bug. Thankfully, Hayley, who first shot to fame as Emmerdale’s Delilah Dingle, is back to her best, revealing all on kissing scenes, being a workaholic and getting texts from Jayne Torvill… You’ve been in Corrie for eight months. How have you settled in? It’s been absolutely fantastic. As clichéd…

Pregnant Sam Bailey worried her family, friends and fans when she was admitted to hospital recently. The X Factor winner, 36, who is six months pregnant with her third child with husband Craig, was taken in for mystery reasons and told to rest. Here, Sam opens up about the experience and how she is now… How are you doing? I’m alright, thanks. We’ve had some hot weather, did you cope OK? Erm, do you know what? This is the first time that I’ve been pregnant at this time of year. What month are we in? June. Both my kids are May babies. So I’m going to be hot, miserable and fat for the next four months, so yeah, I’m loving it! Has it been an easy…

As the photograph was placed in front of me, the courtroom fell silent. I felt my heart quicken and my mouth went dry. The image wasn’t gory, not even offensive. It was simply a picture of a vacuum cleaner. Yet it was the way it was positioned at the top of the stairs that meant so much. ‘Would your daughter have ever left it there?’ the barrister asked. I shook my head. ‘No, never,’ I replied. Yet suddenly my mind was fast-forwarding. I pictured my girl, Louise, lying dead at the bottom of the stairs, her body strangely contorted. She tripped over the vacuum cleaner and ended up that way, the defence counsel was claiming. But I knew that hadn’t happened. I knew that my wonderful, beautiful girl had been…

I proved the bullies wrong The voicemail was short, just seven cruel words, ‘You need to join the fat club!’ The boy who’d left the message lived in our village and I knew who he was. He sent me texts too. ‘You’re fat,’ they said. It was pathetic. Laughable. Or would have been, if only I wasn’t 16 and deeply sensitive. Happy and confident Was that how everyone saw me? The fatty? The freak? I didn’t know how to be any other way. My problems had started when I was little and a very picky eater. What I liked to eat was chocolate and crisps. By secondary school, I was size 14 and everyone made sure I realised I was bigger than I should be. Now at 16, I’d left…

A new career at my age? I’m 49 and I’ve just lost my job for the third time in three years. I work in recruitment and feel I need to do something different, but I‘ve no idea what that might be. How come I can find other people jobs but be so useless at finding one for myself? Jane, 49 via Facebook Don’t be so hard on yourself, Jane. Jobs simply just aren’t for life anymore, which means finding new ones is something many of us are having to do over and over again. I’d like you to read two books. The first is What Colour Is Your Parachute by Richard N. Bolles (£16.99 Ten Speed Press), which will help you answer some important questions including, what do you most…

Is everyone around you sneezing, snuffling and wheezing? Scientists think that climate change and pollution are probably to blame for increases in asthma and hay fever. ‘Climate change in the next few decades will start to have an impact on people’s health,’ says Dr Jean Emberlin, Director of Pollen UK and Scientific Director of Allergy UK. ‘The average temperature has risen 0.7% in Britain over the past 100 years, and this means longer plant growing times. This affects the pollen and spore seasons – causing more allergens to be airborne.’ Why me? If you were born just before or during the peak pollen season – which can occur between March to August – you will be more prone to hay fever. First-borns are more susceptible, too, as they don’t have…

Every little HELPS! The nation’s biggest supermarket, Tesco, is going to be introducing ‘£1 zones’ into some of its stores over the next few weeks. The areas will focus on selling discounted products from as little as 50p and will include items such as kitchen roll, washing-up liquid, vitamins, pet food and detergents. Looks like Tesco is giving the pound stores a run for their money… interesting! 5 WAYS TO save on gardening costs This is the time of year when I finally emerge from hibernation and suddenly feel the urge to rush outside into the garden. I’m a total amateur working on a tight budget, so here are some nifty green-fingered ideas… 1 HOSE LINE IS IT, ANYWAY? Daniel Lloyd-Morgan from dlmgardendesign.co.uk  told me how you can…

Final WISH Following the sad death of his mum, Mary, last month, Richard Madeley, 58, has had another honest conversation with his family about death. The chat took place after they came together to scatter Mary’s ashes. ‘Told family I want to be buried when I fall of my perch but they insist on cremation. Whose funeral is it anyway?’ Richard said. Flyaway FAIL! Carol McGiffin, 54, has let loose on Kate Middleton, 32, after the duchess’ skirt blew up during a gust of wind recently. ‘Every woman knows that if she is going to be somewhere windy, where there are photographers gagging to get a picture of your upskirt, then big pants or some less flowing clothes are the order of the day. Except the Duchess of…

Fashion crisis? WE CAN HELP! Q I love my white shirt dress and wear it a lot. How can I make it look different each time? A Invest in a few statement accessories and no one will know you’re wearing the same outfit. Slip on some eye-catching flats for a casual look or a pair of killer heels for a night out. Push up the sleeves and cinch with a contrasting belt or dress it up with some big dangly earrings and a statement necklace. 3 of the best straw hats Protect yourself from the sun and look stylish in an oversized hat Save vs splurge American brand J. Crew is massive in the States and is now making its name as the label to wear this side of…

The words were simple, to the point and utterly heartbreaking. They read, ‘I have terminal cancer. I’ve created a bucket list because there are still so many things I still want to do in my life – some possible, some will remain a dream. You have only one life… live it!’ I closed my eyes. It was September 2012 and I was reading a blog written by 16-year-old Alice Pyne, who was dying of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I didn’t know her and she lived 300 miles from my home in Great Yarmouth, but her words really struck me. ‘Only one life… live it!’ she’d said. But what had I done with mine? While poor Alice couldn’t do a thing to change her fate, I’d been busy killing myself with greed. A…

Cardboard boxes and refuse sacks lay around the room, waiting for me to pack up my life and walk away from my relationship. We’d tried, the kids’ dad and I. With two boys – twins – I wasn’t making this decision lightly. Connor and Louis were just three. But all that trying hadn’t got us anywhere. It was June 2005 and I was taking my sons and moving to a little rented house to start again. I began packing up my wardrobe – vast T-shirts like sails and trousers with stretchy, elasticated waists. Into the boxes went everything except a mirror. I didn’t want any in my new life because I didn’t want to see my large figure. It was one thing to know that, at 5ft 7in, I was…

I’ve been with my husband for 33 years. Our marriage ran into problems about three years ago when I hit the menopause. I’m through that now but our sex life is non-existent. Instead of sniping and criticising, I’m trying to rebuild our relationship by being friends, but he pushes my buttons and I become argumentative again! Yvonne, 58, York Sometimes in a relationship, particularly during the post-menopausal years, if you wait till you think you want sex, you may wait a long time. So, here’s what I want you to do. Make a list of four to five easy-peasy things your hubby can do to make you feel loved and appreciated. My list for my partner includes him complimenting me, hanging out the wet washing and feeding the cat. Explain…

Steak and pepper skewers SERVES 4 PREP TIME 5 MINS COOKING TIME 10 MINS YOU WILL NEED 800g beef sirloin steak, neatly sliced into 2cm cubes 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2tbsp teriyaki sauce 2 red peppers, chopped into 2cm chunks 1tbsp wholegrain mustard 1tsp ginger paste HOW TO DO IT 1 In a large bowl, mix together the sirloin steak, 1tbsp oil, teriyaki sauce and red peppers. 2 In a separate bowl, put the remaining 1tbsp oil, mustard, ginger paste and stir well. 3 Thread the steak and red peppers on to skewers and place on a barbecue for 2 mins on each side for medium and 3 mins for well done. Brush with the second bowl’s marinade while turning the skewers. NUTRITION PER SERVING 360 cals, 48g protein,…

Leave Katie alone! I’ve seen some very spiteful comments about Katie Price since the news broke that her husband Kieran was having an affair with her best friend. Remember, she is a pregnant woman with four other children to look after. No matter who she is and what she’s done in the past, she doesn’t deserve to be cheated on. Everybody makes mistakes and no one is perfect – just treat her like a human being. Sandra Mcdonagh, via Facebook A choc-tastic party! After reading about the Big Chocolate Tea Party in Woman’s Own , we decided to hold one at the school where I work, All Souls C of E Primary School in Kent. We asked the children to make their tastiest chocolate cake and design a chocolate cupcake,…

Kym Marsh GEMINI (13 JUNE) This week’s Full Moon could kick off a new relationship for Kym. Will it last? Her chart shows that when she’s hurt by a man, she tends to cut and run. But she has a chance to change that pattern in the coming year. Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr Talks with your nearest and dearest are prone to misunderstandings. This may contribute to the feeling – especially around Friday – that you’re pushing a rock uphill only for it to roll down again. Give it an extra shove – miracles will happen. For more call 0901 609 4780* Taurus 21 Apr – 20 May The course of true love may hit a hiccup around Friday. Your other half is critical or awkward and feelings…

SNUBBED! TV legend Cilla Black has revealed that Sheridan Smith has not been in touch about playing her in ITV’s forthcoming biopic. Cilla, 71, was slightly miffed that Sheridan, 32, didn’t consult her on her portrayal, and said, ‘I gave her my number but I didn’t hear from her. I said, ‘If you ever fall down on anything and you want a bit of advice,’ but she hasn’t phoned me yet, so everything must be going swimmingly.’ ‘I’mnaturally a JEALOUS PERSON!’ Emma Willis on love, life and new BB With Big Brother back on the box, we caught up with host Emma, 38, to find out if she still gets nervous on live TV and why her marriage to pop star Matt Willis keeps…

Fashion disaster When I was younger my mum bought me a hideous tartan cape from Scotland and I hated it. I used to wear it when I left the house, to please her, then stuff it in my bag as soon as I was out of sight. Mind you, a look back on my career will show I’ve had plenty of outfit misses. Kiss I was a bit of a late starter and didn’t have my first kiss with tongues until I was 14, but I thought it was disgusting. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Why on earth do people do this? It’s so unhygienic.’ I guess the passion just wasn’t there. Time abroad without parents I went to Ibiza when I was in college and my mum completely freaked…