Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Apr-2014 i Woman's Own

Editor’s LETTER Move over Kate, it’s your son who’s now the trendsetter! Little George’s cute kangaroo rucksack (below) has already sold out, just hours after the young royal family began their tour of Australia and New Zealand. And when he wore a powder blue jumper with his name on the front in a recent portrait (far left), a website sold over 1,200 personalised tops in the four days after the shots were released. He may be just eight months old, but he’s a style icon already, bless him!…

Vanessa Feltz stepped out sporting a slimmed-down figure recently and is looking better than ever. So what’s brought about her fab new shape? Woman’s Own had an exclusive chat with the presenter, 52, where she revealed she’s loving her role as grandmother to her daughter Allegra’s first child, Ezekiel, and why he’s a reason she’s determined to keep the weight off this time… You look great! Have you been on a new diet? I had my gastric band in 2010 and lost a lot of weight, because it’s impossible to eat a lot. Even if I’d wanted chips and pudding, I physically couldn’t have eaten them. Unfortunately a gastric band is a flawed method though, because you can gobble down quite a lot of chocolate mousse, crème brûlée and trifle. But…

Hit show The Only Way Is Essex has made stars of Lydia Bright and friends, but her mum, Debbie, along with Carol Wright, Joan Collins and Nanny Pat, have all enjoyed being part of the reality TV show, too. Woman’s Own was invited along to Debbie’s Big Chocolate Tea Party, helping to raise money and awareness for The Sick Children’s Trust, to eat cake, drink tea and have a catch-up. Being a part of TOWIE has made you celebrities - when was the first time you were recognised? Debbie I was in Morrisons, in the biscuit aisle. This old dear said to me, ‘Get James some biscuits.’ And I went, ‘What?’ She said, ‘Get him some biscuits, he loves them.’ I thought to myself, ‘What the hell is she on about?!’ And with…

Monsoon Boho chic is big news right now at Monsoon. Look out for heavily detailed jackets, flattering dresses and stunning accessories. Tu at Sainsbury’s From a timeless trench to the perfect patterned pencil skirt, there’s plenty of stylish pieces to pick up while you’re doing the weekly shop. Evans Masters of plus-size dressing, Evans’ new additions are all about celebrating your shape in on-trend bright colours and figure-flattering designs.…

What to do Each week, choose three options from the 14 Ways To Drop A Dress Size list (right), and do them as often as advised. You can stick to the same three every week, or switch to different options week by week. It’s up to you! Just choose the ones that suit you and your food preferences best. Team with the 6 Simple No-Diet Food Rules (opposite) to help keep your weight loss steady and consistent at one to two pounds a week. Optimise your results by increasing your physical activity to 10,000 steps a day (wear a step counter, or download a free app, such as Runtastic Pedometer). Keep going with this regime and you should drop a dress size within six to eight weeks. 14 WAYS TO…

Switch off! Do you sleep with your mobile? According to Ofcom, 80% of us take our phones to bed with us. Stop it right now – it’s playing havoc with your sleep! Apart from making us hypervigilant, experts say the screen light interferes with the body’s natural rhythms, fooling us into thinking it’s daytime when we should be fast asleep. SYMPTOM CHECKER Hay fever WHY DO WE GET IT? Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, which causes your nose, eyes and throat to become inflamed and irritated. It generally starts in childhood, but you can develop it at any age. WHAT’S THE TREATMENT? Over-the-counter antihistamines and eye drops can help but if your symptoms are severe, your GP may prescribe corticosteroids or immunotherapy, where exposure to small amounts…

Woman’s Own has teamed up with gift experience provider Buyagift.com to give readers 15% off short breaks, making them less than half the original price. All offers are available across the UK, so you’ll have no problem finding the perfect place to relax this spring. Whether you’re hoping to spend time in the city, escape to the countryside, take a break by the sea or enjoy a romantic hideaway with a loved one, our flexible hotel break voucher includes plenty of options to suit your needs. Choose from a wide range of venues for your mini break for two people, complete with two nights’ accommodation and breakfast included each morning. There are more than 80 hotels available, in destinations from Cornwall to Scotland. To take up this fabulous offer, claim…

When it comes to indulging, the bank holiday weekend is the perfect time to relax with a little bit of what you fancy. And there’s nothing like a warm buttered hot cross bun. Why not have a go at baking your own? Stork has come up with a modern twist on a classic Easter favourite – Spiced Chocolate and Orange Hot Cross Buns – which will have your family’s mouths watering! It’s a great recipe to try, even if you’ve never baked before or lack confidence in the kitchen. Thanks to Stork, these yummy buns are easy to make. The secret to better baking, Stork is a specialist baking spread that has been used for more than 90 years and is loved by home bakers and accomplished cooks alike. Stork…

£10 M&S voucher + £25 free bingo *Gift card and £25 free play for first deposit only. £10 deposit and wager of 1p required. You must enter the promo code above to claim. For £25 free play you must accept the Signup Bonus when depositing. UK residents and open accounts only. Offer ends 30 April 2014. Gift Card for UK stores only, valid for 24 months from issue date. Please allow 28 days from close of offer for the delivery of gift card. Gift Card will be sent to address provided when joining. Subject to terms and conditions at womansown-bingo. co.uk. Operator reserves the right to cease or change the Welcome Bonus or any promotions at any time. We do not accept member registrations from countries in which real money…

Victoria Beckham ARIES (17 April) Change-bringer Uranus has been active in Victoria’s chart in recent years, guiding her successful reinvention as a fashion designer. The next couple of years should be calmer, but she’ll stay firmly in the limelight. Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr Much of the craziness that’s been going on lately comes to a head. Tuesday’s Full Moon heralds a crisis and if anything comes to an end now, it’ll be a permanent change. It’s not your easiest emotional week, but it is the start of something great. ◆ For more call 0901 609 4780* Taurus 21 Apr – 20 May It’s an intense week in the heavens. Whatever’s going on could feel painful. If you have an old hurt lurking, events now trigger it and make…

I discovered Woman’s Own Bingo about three years ago, after my sister Yvette recommended it to me. I had played on a couple of other sites before, but I found them boring – this was a whole new experience. It’s exciting, so much fun and different to all the other bingo sites. There’s a lot going on and I was a fan straightaway. Rainy day play Usually you’ll find me playing the slots – Tiki Temple is my favourite – but occasionally I’ll dabble in the bingo rooms when there’s a huge jackpot up for grabs. Which is what happened one particular rainy afternoon recently. I’d logged on to play the Show Us Your Balls daily game, which is free when you’ve deposited £2 in the past seven days. I love it…

Since she left EastEnders, actress Jo Joyner, who played Tanya Cross (née Branning), has been busy sinking her teeth into a new role. Starring as Meg, a woman who’s had an affair, Jo, 36, admits that filming Trying Again left her racked with insecurities. In fact, when we meet her at the screening of the new comedy-drama, Jo can’t even watch herself on TV. So what’s going on? Jo, why wouldn’t you watch the show with us? Ah, the irony of not wanting to watch your big fat head on telly and sitting upstairs eating instead! To be in a room full of people who might not necessarily be in your team, watching it first thing in the morning was too scary. And, quite frankly, I wanted to watch Jeremy Kyle…

Holiday It was so long ago, I can barely remember! I think it was when I went to Barbados on honeymoon with my wife Emma two years ago. We’re thinking of taking our son Harry to Disneyland Paris later this year, so hopefully we’ll get around to that because it would be nice to go away as a family. Kiss It was with my wife this morning. She’s the best kisser in the world… it’s why I married her. Purchase Some food shopping for the house. I buy all my shopping online from an organic food company, as I’ve become pretty health conscious recently. I lost 2st in two months on Dancing On Ice and built up a lot of muscle and I want to keep up the good work,…

Peaches and cream Victoria Beckham, 40, is wearing a dress from her own label, but we think it’s Amanda Holden, 43, who looks like a winner here. It’s time to ditch those black shades, Victoria! Feeling blue It’s close, but Reese Witherspoon, 38, just about clinches it with her higher knee-grazing hem, while Sigourney Weaver, 64, could have done with choosing a more glamorous handbag. Lady grey sometimes simple is best. Take Gillian Anderson, 45 – she accessorises her pewter dress with black peep toes and matching clutch. Helen Mirren, 68, goes a little OTT with pearls and brocade boots. Suits you, madam Another toughie but we reckon Miley Cyrus, 21, just beats actress Lena Dunham, 27, to the top spot this time. why? That classic red lipstick finishes off…

Nigella Lawson endured fresh embarrassment recently when she was barred from entering the US, the result of her drug use confession last year. The TV cook admitted to taking cocaine on several occasions as well as smoking cannabis in front of her children, Cosima, 20, and Bruno, 17, during a very public trial involving her two former personal assistants, who were cleared of fraud against the star and her ex-husband, Charles Saatchi. Nigella, 54, was stopped from boarding the fight from Heathrow to LA by officials and was forced to have her luggage removed from the plane. ‘She didn’t say much, but she didn’t look happy. She could not get on the fight so she had to turn around and leave,’ said one onlooker. A source told Woman’s Own, ‘Nigella…

What’s happened to us Brits? Why do we keep hugging each other? Meet someone – hug. Say goodbye – hug. Sympathise – hug. Celebrate – hug. And so it goes, on and on, until you end up embracing total strangers. Figures* show that almost 50% of us now opt for a hug or a kiss on meeting and greeting someone. And 20% believe that the handshake is far too formal, while a quarter of us think it’s an outdated display of masculinity. It’s all a bit much But, really, haven’t we all taken this touchy-feely business too far? You see a huge amount of hugs on talent shows like The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. One viewer, Barbara Adam, from East Dunbartonshire, recently wrote to a national newspaper to…

The 2014 Age Less Beauty Awards are set to be bigger and better than ever before. This year there will be Summer and Winter winners, with more categories to vote in too. From youth-boosting tanning products and sun protection to make-up and body-firming favourites, we want to hear about those warm-weather beauty heroes that you wouldn’t dare to bare without. And five lucky readers who complete our online survey will be picked at random to win a fabulous beauty hamper worth over £350, filled with treats from Elemis, BareMinerals, St Tropez, Elizabeth Arden, Sanctuary Spa and so much more. It’s got everything you need to prep your body for summer. TO VOTE Go to womansown.co.uk/agelesssummer14, select your favourite products from our shortlist or enter your own nomination with the exact…

Woman’s Own Best Friends 2014 Picking up my phone, I dialled the familiar number, hands shaking with excitement, joy, disbelief. ‘Kate?’ I said when she answered. ‘I’m pregnant!’ For a moment, she was stunned into silence – a rare thing for my normally chatty friend! Then she gave a little shriek of joy. It was spring 2008 and no one had expected this news from me. I was still trying to get my head around it. Somehow, in spite of all the cancer treatment my partner Chris had gone through, there was a baby. I hadn’t even rung my parents yet because it was my best friend Kate I had to tell first. ‘I’m just so happy for you,’ she cried. We’d been sharing everything together since we’d met at…

1 Lower your blood pressure You might worry that too much sex would send your blood pressure soaring. But no, the opposite is true. ‘Actually, it’s good for our hearts and increases blood flow,’ explains Denise Knowles, relationship and psychosexual therapist. ‘The deep breathing and increased heart rate are really beneficial.’ 2 SLEEP WELL Research shows that the ‘feel-good’ hormones released during sex are the reason we feel sleepy afterwards. This particularly applies to men, whose brains are programmed to shut down after orgasm. Fact! 3 Zap pain Those high oxytocin levels help to increase endorphins, which act as a natural form of pain relief. So migraines, headache or arthritis pain can all be reduced following sex. So no more ‘Not tonight, I’ve got a headache’ excuses, then! 4 RELIEVE…

Five weeks ago, Julia and her nine-year-old daughter, Phoenix, started a shock new diet and lifestyle regime. It came after 16st Julia had pleaded for help in Woman’s Own. At 10st 2lb, her daughter was seriously obese and the worried mum didn’t know how to get her to slim. So we agreed to find a personal trainer to help them beat the bulge. Here, Julia reveals how they have been getting on… The past few weeks have been a roller coaster of emotions. After being measured by our trainer, Tanya Oliver-Grieves, and taken through our new fitness guide, we couldn’t wait to get going. ‘We’re finally going to be slim,’ I thought excitedly. But we hit our first stumbling block immediately. The healthy foods we needed to buy were too…

We love... Pizza Express’ menu now includes a large range of dishes containing fewer than 500 calories. Choices include this tasty Leggera Salmon Salad (444 calories) and the lovely Leggera Panzanella ‘Pizza Express’ (217 calories). Look out for their lunchtime-sized portions, too, available in selected outlets. Visit pizzaexpress.com for participating restaurants. A book to bake by Chef Rosemary shrager’s fab new book, Bakes, Cakes & Puddings (£18.99, octopus) is the next best thing to having her by your side in the kitchen. whether you fancy a simple red Fruit Jelly, Black Forest Gateau or Carrot Cake with mascarpone Icing and Confit orange, Rosemary will guide you every step of the way. We’re DRINKING If you’re looking for some tasty, good value wine to sample over Easter, head to Asda and…

The streets were dark, menacing. Together we walked towards the girl. She looked so young, her eyes anxiously watching the cars passing by. My friend Maria Landon, 44, reached her first and gave her a hug. ‘You know we’re here for you,’ Maria said. ‘We can help you to escape this life.’ It was 2010 and Maria and I were working for a local charity to help prostitutes on the streets of Norwich. This was typical Maria, big-hearted and open, supporting these desperate women. But then she knew better than anyone how they felt – because more than 30 years before she’d been on the streets too. Abandoned by her mother when she was six, Maria had suffered a terrible childhood. She’d been left in the care of her abusive…

CLUES & ARROWS Fill in the clues in the direction of the arrows Quick & Easy If you really don’t have much time to spare, give your brain a break with one of these See if you can solve these in 10 minutes SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3x2 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 6 WORDSEARCH The answer is the word missing from the grid AZTEC BASQUE CELTIC CORNISH GREEK HAWAIIAN KLINGON LATIN MIME MORSE CODE SANSKRIT SEMAPHORE SONG SWAHILIT THAI CROSSWORD ACROSS 7 Uncontrolled (7) 8 Beer factory (7) 10 Stylish elegance (4) 11 Intelligence (4,6) 12 First batsman in (6) 13 Portend (8) 15 ___ flour, mill product (11) 19 Barrow (8) 21 Urge strongly and earnestly (6) 22 Buttery…

I like to play the free daily game Tiki’s Catch of the Day on Woman’s Own Bingo. It’s free once you have joined and made your first £10 deposit. I was chuffed when I won 28p! I used the money to have a few spins on Tiki Island slots and Ianded another £2. ‘This is great,’ I thought, as I switched to the Wonderland game. I had only tried this a few times, but decided to go mad and have two £1 spins. Then I got entered into a bonus round, which said I had to paint the roses. I clicked on each rose to change it from white to red, and earned a cash bonus. First it went up to £14, then to £24.50. ‘Superb!’ I thought, as I clicked on…

POSH TALK Gogglebox faves Steph and Dom look set to land their own talk show. The posh pair, who run a B&B in Kent and are famed for drinking copious amounts of wine in front of the TV, will interview celebs on their sofa as part of the new format. But a C4 insider revealed the couple are still mulling it over. ‘The worry is that big stars wouldn’t want to travel to Kent and they’d end up interviewing people from reality shows. They will have to consider it carefully.’ Please make it happen... Strong Willis! Word of warning, don’t get romantic in front of Emma Willis. The Voice host, 38, has confessed she finds PDAs (public displays of affection) very uncomfortable and refuses to be lovey-dovey with her hubby,…

Fern UNDER FIRE Fern Britton has been branded ‘fake’ by her fans. The presenter, who currently hosts The Big Allotment Challenge, has come under even more fire following a recent interview in which she blasted her time on This Morning. As we reported last week, Fern, 56, is relieved to be away from the show that made her famous, claiming she ‘doesn’t miss it at all’. But some viewers aren’t impressed with her comments. ‘Bitter much?’ asked one, while another said, ‘I can’t stand this woman! So fake!’ ‘She’s ASHAMED’ Scandal hits actress Barbara Knox Corrie star Barbara Knox was driven away from a police station in tears after being charged with drink-driving. Insiders say the star, who plays Rita Tanner in the soap, is ‘feeling ashamed’ and had hoped…

Like most mums, Judy Finnigan is used to the odd row with her kids, but a recent argument with daughter Chloe Madeley left the author reeling. Describing the barney, in which Chloe, 26, accused her mum of hiding a pair of shoes, Judy revealed the war of words the pair became embroiled in. Explaining her reasons for putting her Ugg boots away and out of reach of Chloe, Judy, 65, told her daughter, ‘I haven’t been able to use them for weeks because you’ve always got them on,’ to which an angry Chloe replied, ‘God, Mum, you are SO selfish! I need them now!’ when Judy refused to hand over the shoes, telling Chloe, ‘Tough luck, darling, I’m keeping them under lock and key,’ Chloe hit back, ‘You’re the most…

What was I doing that day in 1987 when a frail, 67-year-old widow was being raped and murdered in her Cardiff home? I don’t know, I can’t remember. I didn’t know the poor woman. Yet what I hadn’t known then was how that woman’s tragic end and my own life would become linked. And how her terrible fate so nearly became mine… The date that bound us together came 22 years later – on Friday, 20 March 2009. It started just as normally as any other. My husband, Richard, got ready for his builder’s job as I got breakfast for our five kids. Our eldest boy was 19 and had a job close by. Our youngest was eight. When everyone had left the house, I went upstairs to vacuum, just…

TREAT YOUR FEET Slather on The Body Shop Peppermint Intensive Foot Rescue, £9, before bed and pop on a pair of socks to smooth dry, cracked heels while you sleep. FIGHT THE FUZZ Smooth legs with a Venus & Olay Sugarberry Razor, £10.99, which moisturises your skin with every shave. BRONZE PASTY SKIN Milk bottle legs, be gone! No More White Bits Instant Mousse Medium, £3.99, Asda, creates a natural golden glow within five hours. SMOOTH THOSE ROUGH PATCHES Nip+Fab Hyaluronic Fix Body Gel, £7.99, delivers deep-down hydration to winter-worn skin. PERK UP YOUR PEDI OPI Brazil Collection Nail Lacquer in Live.Love. Carnaval, £11.95, is perfect for showing off your toes for the first time. SORT YOUR CELLULITE UrbanVeda Sandalwood Soothing Body Lotion, £10.99, urbanveda. co.uk, boosts circulation and helps…

Why has Dad abandoned our Mum? Eighteen months ago my two sisters and I agreed that Dad could no longer cope with Mum’s worsening dementia and that she needed to go into a home. The problem is she hasn’t settled in at all well and Dad rarely visits her – preferring to play golf with his friends! I feel terribly upset that 40 years of marriage don’t seem to count for anything. Carrie, 45, via Facebook You have every right to feel sad and angry. As dementia progresses, loved ones go through a kind of anticipatory bereavement that can be just as debilitating as an actual death. Alzheimer’s Society (alzheimers.org.uk) has produced a fact sheet called Grief and Bereavement about this very subject. Also try Contented Dementia Trust (contented dementiatrust.org),…

She wanted her princess legs Racing down the street in her favourite pink boots, there was no stopping my 15-month-old daughter, Amber. Ever since she’d taken her first steps six months before, she’d wanted to walk everywhere – especially in those boots. But just weeks later, in November 2010, Amber woke during the night, being sick. She was listless and pale and I knew immediately something was wrong. I called an ambulance, leaving my eldest, Jade, five, in the care of family and stayed with Amber as she was rushed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool. There, her condition deteriorated and a red rash spread across her body. Tests confirmed it was meningococcal meningitis and, with the blood poisoning spreading so fast, doctors feared for Amber. ‘There’s a chance…

Lemon and herb crusted rack of lamb SERVES 6 PREP TIME 10 MINS COOKING TIME 45 MINS YOU WILL NEED ◆ Small bunch mint leaves ◆ Small bunch chives, finely chopped ◆ Zest and juice of ½ lemon ◆ 1 clove garlic, crushed ◆ 2tbsp toasted pine nuts ◆ 3tbsp extra virgin oil ◆ 75g fresh white breadcrumbs ◆ 2 racks of lamb, trimmed, each with 6 cutlets HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Whizz the mint, chives, lemon zest and juice, garlic, pine nuts and olive oil in a food processor until coarse. Mix with the breadcrumbs. Put the racks in a shallow roasting tin, then press the breadcrumb mixture on to each rack. 2 Transfer to the oven for 20-24 mins for rare-medium,…

Be in it to win it! From cars to holidays, there are thousands of brilliant prizes out there. So if you’ve got a spare half hour, why not turn your hand to entering a competition? Here are my three tips for success. SET UP A DEDICATED EMAIL Address to use exclusively for entering comps. It’s good to have all your entries in one place. DOWNLOAD AN AUTOMATIC FORM FILLER, like roboform.com. They automatically fill in entry forms with previously agreed information, so you only have to enter your details once. KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE PRIZE Use websites such as competitionhunter.com or goodtoknow/competitions for new ones to enter. WATCH OUT FOR ... Fake holidays! Have you got to your destination only to find you had nowhere to stay? It appears…

I left the surgery in tears at my doctor’s blunt words The holiday resort was a whirlwind of fun. Kids were splashing about in pools, whizzing down water slides. My husband, Oz, and my children Mason, 14, and Kai, 11, were there among them having such a good time. And yet all I could do was lie stuffed into a too-tight, size 22, navy swimsuit. A beached blue whale. Doctors had diagnosed an underactive thyroid gland but at 5ft 7in and 21st, I was enormous. I had gone back to my doctor and begged for more help but this time he had put it bluntly. my problem wasn’t just about my underactive thyroid. ‘You’re the only one who can do anything about it,’ he had said firmly. ‘You’re the one…

Fab at 50 I think Carolyn looks great in your recent article! Your forties and fifties are your sexiest time – why shouldn’t you dress that way too? I’m 72, but in my head I’m a lot younger, and I wear clothes to suit myself. I don’t want to look like mutton dressed as lamb, but I’m often told I look smart and sexy. Elaine Williams, West Glamorgan So bored I’m glad Jamie Lomas is set to leave EastEnders. I like him as an actor, but his character Jake was awful, pathetic and weak. I just couldn’t take to him at all. I wish they had better character writers on the show. I’ve followed it since the beginning, but I haven’t even watched it for the past few months because…

Only 70 miles off the African coast, it’s the ideal year-round getaway – a comfortable sun-lounging 29°C in summer and, even in winter, the thermometer rarely dips below 20°C. Unlike many of its brasher Canary neighbours, Lanzarote has great beaches and no ugly high-rise resorts. But the main reason for coming here is to indulge yourself in a week or two of total rest and relaxation. So, if lying on a lounger and thinking of nothing more taxing than where your next cocktail is coming from, welcome to holiday heaven. The four-star Los Jameos Playa is a relaxed resort hotel in Los Pocillos, just a 10-minute drive from the airport. The 530 rooms form a ‘village’ of whitewashed buildings, each named after a different Canary island. A series of lagoons…

Fred up! Deeply dippy doesn’t even describe the moment I met Right Said Fred. The lads haven’t aged a jot although Richard did admit they had given up on their trademark leathers and raunchy look from the I’m Too Sexy days. ‘We just got too old to get our boobs out!’ he joked. If only I’d learnt that lesson. All Hart Best known for her role as Miranda’s childhood friend, Stevie, I was thrilled to bump into actress Sarah Hadland on the set of The Job Lot, about a jobcentre in the Midlands. Gone were her blonde locks, instead she was sporting an impressive redhaired wig. My pastel knit is your clue I’m entering a Ronnie Corbett phase... Hair-don’ts! Pregnant Benidorm beauty Hannah Waddingham is proudly sporting a healthy bump – but admits she’s…