Innholdsfortegnelse for 29-Mar-2021 i Woman's Own

When not in lockdown, La Voix performs on board the P&O Cruise ship Britannia, and  one of her fellow boat mates is the one and only Chesney Hawkes. The 49-year-old singer is currently spending lockdown in Los Angeles with his wife, Kristina, and three children, Casey, 19, Jesse, 17, and Indiana, 14. This week, as Chesney’s 1991 smash-hit song The One and Only celebrates its 30th anniversary, our favourite redhead catches up with the pop star to find out what he’s been getting up to, why his Dancing on Ice injury has left him scared of the ice for good and what he’s got coming up in 2021... Darling Chesney, usually you and I see each other in some exotic far-off land like the Caribbean. How are you? I know,…

‘The thought of letting Alice down was terrifying’ With her arms folded firmly and her forehead crinkled into a frown, my granddaughter Alice*, 10, stamped her feet under the restaurant table. ‘I want to go home,’ she demanded before slumping into a sulky heap in her chair, her face red with anger. I looked at my husband, Phil*, 65, and could see he was just as embarrassed as me when other diners started staring. They were mostly couples in their 50s and 60s like us, only without the child having a massive tantrum over the menu. I felt a sudden twinge of jealousy, envious of their childless Sunday lunch. ‘They’ll probably go home for a lovely nap after this, too,’ I sighed to Phil. ‘No such luck for us,’ he…

As an agonising contraction pulsed through my body, I screamed out in pain. I tried to focus on my husband Brian’s face – his beautiful blue eyes and captivating smile – hoping it would give me strength to keep going. But looking at his face only brought me further pain. Unlike the birth of our first two children, Brian wasn’t there holding my hand. All I had was a framed picture of him. ‘All I had was a framed picture’ It was July 2018 and, as tears streamed down my face, even the doctors and nurses were crying. Nobody could comprehend the sadness of what was happening – a little girl being born into the world, who would never meet her amazing father. It was summer 2002 when I’d first…

1 DOWNLOAD THE SELF-HELP FOR ANXIETY MANAGEMENT APP Designed to help you understand what causes your anxiety, this app (free on iOS and android) helps you manage it. 2 STAY IN THE PRESENT Anxiety is a future-oriented state of mind. Instead of worrying about what’s going to happen, think about what you are doing right now. 3 CENTRE YOUR MIND Follow the 3-3-3 rule. Look around you and name three things you see. Then, name three sounds you hear. Finally, move three parts of your body. This mental trick can help bring you back to the present moment.…

Why do it? Everyday dead skin cells, excess oil, dirt and pollution accumulate on the surface of our skin and this can cause a whole range of unwanted issues, such as premature ageing, dehydration or acne. So keeping your skin clean means that you’ll stay looking youthful for longer! Get clued up on skin type For your complexion to look its very best, you need to be using products aimed at your particular skin type, so get to know what yours is. If your skin looks dull and tired, feels uncomfortably tight and in need of moisture, you probably have dry skin. Does your skin react to fragrance? If so, you’re likely to have sensitive skin. If you struggle with blackheads and excess shine, you’re probably oily – and if…

Grow and recycle. Clean your old tin cans and use them to grow seeds on a windowsill – tomatoes, sweet peas and sunflowers are sure-fire winners. Plant bulbs. As gentle sunshine warms up the soil in our gardens, now is the time to plant summer-flowering bulbs such as gladioli, dahlias, lilies and galtonia. Tackle weeds. They multiply in beds and borders during spring. Keep on top of them by running a hoe between rows of plants on a dry day.…

The following are some of the 118 women killed as a result of male violence since 8 March 2020: Vanita Nowell • Tracey Kidd • Nelly Mustafa • Zahida Bi • Josephine Kaye • Maureen Kidd • Wendy Morse • Nageeba Alariqy • Elsie Smith • Kelly Stewart • Ruth Williams • Victoria Woodhall • Kelly Fitzgibbons and her two daughters • Caroline Walker • Katie Walker • Zobaidah Salangy • Betty Dobbin • Sonia Calvi • Maryan Ismail • Ruth Brown • Louise Aitchison • Hyacinth Morris • Louise Smith • Claire Parry • Aya Hachem • Melissa Belshaw • Yvonne ‘Vonnie’ Lawson McCann • Lyndsey Alcock • Aneta Zdun • Nicoleta Zdun • Mandy Houghton • Amy-Leanne Stringfellow • Bibaa Henry • Nicole Smallman • Dawn Bennett…

Indulgent choc-nut pud Serves 8* Pull out all the stops with this impressive sweet showstopper! There’s never been a better time! You will need ✽ 50g butter, melted, plus extra for buttering tin ✽ 75g toasted hazelnuts ✽ 150g choc-chip shortbread biscuits, crushed ✽ 200g dark chocolate, about 70% cocoa solids ✽ 400ml double cream ✽ 3 organic free-range eggs, separated ✽ 50g caster sugar ✽ 4tbsp Frangelico liqueur or Amaretto ✽ 75g Nutella ✽ 50g Maltesers, lightly crushed How to do it 1 Lightly butter a 20cm spring-clip tin. In a food processor, chop 50g hazelnuts, transfer to a mixing bowl, then add the shortbread biscuits, whizz to crumbs and add to the bowl. Stir in the melted butter, then press mixture into the base of tin. Smooth over…

When we first met Faith Howells (Eve Myles) in Keeping Faith, the lawyer, wife and mother was in turmoil over the disappearance of her husband Evan (Bradley Freegard). Now, in the third and final series of the BBC1 drama, it’s 18 months since Faith learned the truth about Evan and the dark underworld that he was running away from. ‘A new character shakes Faith’s world’ ‘We left Faith at the end of series two asking Evan to leave,’ says Eve. ‘She had come to learn of all his dark secrets and a divorce was imminent.’ As discussions about their divorce and custody of their three kids go from bad to worse, Faith tries to remain positive, but it’s not easy with her 14-year-old daughter Alys (Demi Letherby) going slightly off…

Kate ‘I was told Derek might have DIED’ ‘I’ve been in a continual survival mode’ Her husband has been in hospital for more than a year after contracting COVID-19, and now Kate Garraway has revealed that during the first few months while Derek battled for his life, she was mistakenly given the worst news possible. ‘I was just sitting on the phone, waiting to know if he’d died or not,’ Kate said, and added she was told, ‘He may have died. Somebody will call you back.’ What followed was an agonising 24-hour wait for Kate, 53, before she was told there had actually been a mix-up with names and that her husband was still alive. Despite this, Kate revealed she was told many times to prepare for the…

How do you feel about the term ‘one-hit wonder’? I have to own it, because if I shy away from it, I don’t think it would be a good look. I understand how people put that label on me, because the majority of people will only know me for that song and I haven’t had any successes that were quite as big as that one. But I don’t have any regrets – and it pays my bills! However, I do write lots of songs for other people and have been working on new music in lockdown.…

When I was a kid and going through that awful I-hate-the-world teenage stuff I started having panic attacks. If you’ve ever had them you’ll know just how awful and scary they can be, especially as you feel totally alone and think you’ll never be ‘normal’ again. Thanks to the love of a brilliant mum and dad, the care of a very understanding doctor and the end of school exams, they did go away. ‘You can feel utterly alone and terrified’ But I vividly remember to this day sitting with my GP and wishing I had a broken leg or something visible rather than anxiety. Because when you’ve got a physical problem everyone can see what’s wrong and understands. With a mental health issue, it’s not so obvious and you can…

She’s turned to booze after break up Q I’m so worried about my daughter. She and her partner of several years separated over Christmas, which she took very badly. I call her regularly on video and more often than not, I am sure she has been drinking. In normal times, I”d just get in the car and go to see her. What can I do to help her? A You may find it useful to contact Drinkline in the first instance, on 0300 123 1110. This is a free and confidential helpline for anyone worried about their own, or someone else’s drinking. It is open from 9am to 8pm weekdays, and 11am to 4pm at weekends and will be able to offer you advice. Dealing with excess skin from weight…

● Have at least one smoke alarm for every level in your home and test it weekly. Install a carbon monoxide detector in every room that has a fuel-burning appliance. ● Remove clutter on the floor, like trailing cables, to reduce the risk of a fall. And clear up any spills immediately. ● Never cut something towards you, always point away. Don’t carry a sharp item facing you or run with it. ● While you are cooking, turn the saucepan handles in. Ensure plastic handles aren’t placed above another hot burner and handle metal ones with care, as they can get extremely hot. ● Turn your hot water thermostat down, so the water is only hand hot.…

Have you heard about? Being overweight may make Alzheimer’s worse While being overweight doesn’t cause dementia, it puts an additional burden on brain health and may exacerbate Alzheimer’s new research* has found. Rosehip can help menopausal pain Joints stiff due to the menopause? ‘Diet and exercise can help, as can herbal medicine and supplements backed by scientific evidence,’ says consultant gynaecologist Dr Anne Henderson. ‘Rose-hip extracts have been studied in multiple scientific trials, mostly for their cartilage-protecting properties.’ Drinking a glass of water when you wake is key ‘While we’re sleeping, our bodies use water, so we may wake up dehydrated,’ says hydration expert Nick Hird, from ViDrate. ‘Having a glass of water as soon as you wake up helps replace your water loss immediately and kick starts your hydration…

Dry skin will love the extra nourishment of  a cream cleanser like Burt’s Bees Soap Bark & Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream, £11.49, burtsbees.co.uk. Massage straight onto the skin and rinse off well with a damp flannel for a gentle exfoliation. Oily skin types will prefer the consistency of gel cleansers – they’re great for removing excess oil and preventing blackheads forming. Try Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Cleanser, £7.99, Boots, to feel clean without stripping the skin or using harsh scrubs. Sensitive skin tends to react to things such as essential oils, fragrance and foaming agents. Avoid these and use a product that’s kind to skin, like CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, £9.50, Boots. Combination skin will benefit from the effects of a milky cleanser – the best parts of both a…

On the night she went missing, Sarah Everard did everything ‘right’. As women, we all know the unofficial rules when it comes to keeping ourselves safe. Sarah wore bright clothing, she called her boyfriend to let him know where she was, she took a familiar route along a main road. How many of us have done the same? But sometimes, even with all those precautions, it’s not enough. Sarah, 33, a marketing executive from London, went missing on 3 March at around 9.30pm, while walking the 50-minute journey home from a friend’s house. But while many were concerned only with her safe return, others began ‘victim blaming’ – saying that Sarah’s actions were the reason for her disappearance. ‘She shouldn’t have been walking alone at night’, was one comment. ‘She…

THE OPEN HAND STRIKE Use both hands held up in front of you in a push action forward. You can use the heel of your hands to strike or your fingers to jab to the eyes or the throat. HAMMER STRIKE Contact is made with the fleshy part of the bottom of the fist. Fast and powerful. THE GROIN STRIKE A swift knee to the groin can be delivered once or twice. You can also extend your leg and kick using your foot. USE YOUR ELBOW If approached from behind, a horizontal elbow sent backwards in a swift, jabbing action towards the assailant’s face can create space, giving you time to escape. londonkravmaga.com…

THE BEST CHOCOLATE EASTER EGGS Whether you’re treating a loved one or in need of something sweet yourself, these are our top picks BEST MILK Hand Decorated Spring Flowers Milk Chocolate Egg, 350g £28, Betty’s A thing of beauty. The chocolate is so delicious and the hand-decoration of spring flowers is truly special. Anyone would love to receive this egg and will appreciate the care and attention that’s gone into its making. Orloff Milk Chocolate Hen with Dark and White Chocolate Flecks, 200g, £9.50,  montezumas.co.uk Exceptional chocolate, as you’d expect from Montezuma’s, and the packaging is 100% recyclable – so you feel better about eating the WHOLE hen in one sitting. BEST DARK Prestat Sea Salt Caramel Truffle Easter Egg, 170g, £17.50, Ocado This exquisite egg comes cushioned inside an…

Matt Lucas In C4 documentary 50 Years of the Mr Men, the Little Britain star charts the history of the books written and illustrated by Roger Hargreaves. It will also follow Roger’s illustrator son Adam as he creates five potential new characters to celebrate the milestone. Kate Winslet The Hollywood actress plays detective Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown on Sky Atlantic. Set in a small Pennsylvanian town, the seven-part drama follows the cop as she investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.…

Aries 21 Mar – 20 Apr You always speak your mind, but your bluntness could easily rub someone up the wrong way. Choose your words carefully, as there could be a bonus in your account. Taurus 21 Apr – 20 May Your partner is enjoying your new, dynamic nature and it’s likely to serve you well. Cooking a delicious meal will show your partner how much you love and care. Gemini 21 May – 20 Jun Delve into soul-stirring books, films or conversations to release your creative juices and you’ll be writing in no time. Your subconscious mind is working Cancer 21 Jun – 22 Jul You’d benefit from taking yourself study something that’ll enhance your career. A job offer coming your way soon involves your new skills. Leo 23…

Linda Robson tells us what really happened with that Birds of a Feather reunion… Catching up with ITV’s ‘Nanny’ Linda at last – how’ve you been? I had my first jab a couple of weeks ago and my second one is in May. I can’t believe how efficient it is. It takes minutes and it doesn’t hurt. I didn’t have any side effects at all. I’m a tough old bird. It felt like, yes, this is the beginning of the end. My husband’s been working at the COVID centres volunteering and he’s talking about learning how to give the vaccine, so by the time you get round to yours, Rich, you might get him. I’d trust him! You’ve been married to Mark for years – how’s life been at home?…

‘The vast majority are fabulous but there’s the odd one…’ There’s drama everywhere you turn at ITV Daytime right now, and Loose Women star Coleen Nolan has added fuel to the fire by claiming she’s got experience of working with celebrities who ‘aren’t very nice’. With Piers Morgan’s dramatic resignation from Good Morning Britain and people being dropped or walking away left, right and centre on This Morning and Loose Women, we don’t envy the people behind the scenes. And it’s behind the scenes that Coleen, 55, claims the true personalities of some of her fellow stars are really revealed… DISAPPOINTING Coleen has been a panellist, on and off, since 2000 – so she’s definitely seen her fair share of Loose Women come and go. And, while careful to avoid…

Sienna Miller, 39 They call it mellow yellow, and Sienna shows how to make it oh-so chic. The pale striped midi dress by designer Rebecca Vallance is a modern take on the pastels trend and she adds glamour with Gucci platform heels, oversized coral bag and chunky hoop earrings. Amanda Holden, 50 TV judge Amanda proves that every street’s a catwalk as she opts for a coral Karen Millen midi dress. The belt gives the frock more shape, while the floaty pleats are extra flattering. Tonal heels and tortoiseshell sunglasses are the perfect finishing touches. Laura Tobin, 39 The Good Morning Britain presenter proves she’s in mint condition in this retro printed blouse and miniskirt outfit. The relaxed-fit blouse tucked into her A-line skirt highlights her waist and skims over…

Anew survey has found that little girls who play with dolls like Barbie start stressing out about their size before they even hit 10. Because with those endless legs, tiny waist and huge boobs, if Barbie ever tried to stand up she’d fall flat on her perfectly pert little nose. Always thought that Sindy (remember her?) was more ‘womanly’ but even she was of supermodel proportions. And why were they always blonde back in the day? Anyway, realistically shaped dolls are obviously the way forward. Though what this means for Action Man and his, er, non-existent bits is another conversation. (Aw, come on, don’t say you never looked!) What’s your opinion? Tell Dawn on Twitter @DawnNeesom…

Scared of needles Q I’ve always been needle phobic – I can’t even watch an injection on TV. Now I am having sleepless nights worrying about being asked for the coronavirus vaccination but, having lost a good friend to the disease, I know I must have it. What can I do? A Needle phobia is actually very common. Hypnotherapy is often helpful and many therapists now offer online consultations. Look for someone registered with the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (bsch.org.uk). You can also buy local anaesthetic cream over the counter at the pharmacy, so you don’t feel the injection and of course, please tell the clinic how fearful you are when you attend.…

I know she won’t be a good mother Q I’ve never got on with my daughter-in-law. I’ve never felt she was good enough for my son and have let her know this. She’s pregnant with their first child, and I worry she’ll stop me from seeing my grandchild. I know she won’t be a good mother, so I want to be there, but my son says I have to change first. Julie, 58, Dorset A By assuming your daughter-in-law will be a bad mother, you are already paving the way to being excluded. Listen to what your son is saying. If you want to be part of your grandchild’s life, you have to change the way you treat his wife. She is the mother of your grandchild and your son’s…

Our bodies are engines and food is the fuel that we need to help keep them running as smoothly as possible, especially when we exercise. Filling our tanks with the right foods and fluids will not only give us the energy to work out, but could also help us burn more fat, make us stronger and provide other benefits such as keeping our heart healthy. Here’s what’s on the training menu… Oats ‘Eat a bowl of porridge before a workout,’ says Registered Nutritional Therapist at Motion Nutrition, Phoebe Liebling. With their high content of complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre, oats release energy slowly into your bloodstream and don’t spike your blood sugar. ‘This keeps insulin levels steady, priming you properly with sustained fuel,’ says Phoebe. The soluble fibre also helps…

Buy of the week Set the scene for summer and make yourself comfy outdoors with these pretty and practical water-resistant cushions. Available from a range at celinadigby.com, £27.99 each, there are matching tablecloths, too. Hearts you win! Eye-catching in spring and early summer, ‘Bleeding Hearts’ have arching stems that dangle pretty heart-shaped flowers. Available in pink, red and white, the leaves are usually a mid-green. However, this striking ‘White Gold’ variety has a lime-coloured foliage – use it to brighten up a damp, lightly-shaded spot in the border, or to offset a dark-coloured container on the patio. It’s a perennial, so it will delight you year after year, growing to H120cmxW45cm. Available from thompson-morgan.com, from £8.99 for one jumbo plug plant or £11.98 for three. Patio perfect With lockdown easing…

A man rode his bike slowly to match my pace as I walked home, making sexual comments. My only escape was to beg a passing bus driver to let me board, though I didn’t have my purse and couldn’t pay. It was a sunny afternoon. Kate, 37, London A stranger walked up to me while I was waiting at a bus stop one evening and suddenly punched me several times, breaking my nose. Unfortunately, the guy was never caught. Nowadays, I always try to stay aware of who is around me. Aletia, 48, London After an evening with friends, a man sat opposite me on a train and asked if I’d had a nice night. I said I had, but then he asked if I was drunk, and if I…

Suggest these to your partner, your dad, your brother, your son, your friend... Keep your distance: If you see a woman walking ahead of you, stay a long way back or consider crossing the road. Don’t stare: Looking at your phone or even just glancing in another direction will show that you’re not a threat. No conversation: What you might think is a jokey comment can be intimidating. Call out others: Don’t stand by silently if you see another man exhibiting inappropriate behaviour. If it’s a friend, stop them. If it’s a stranger, can you intervene?…

In the midst of the pandemic, on 10 July, my partner Alexander* showed up at my door, tears spilling down his cheeks. Thinking the unspeakable had happened, I put my arms around him and asked what was wrong. ‘I have to break up with you,’ he sobbed. I was stunned. ‘But... Why?’ I managed to say. For two hours, we sat on my bed while he cried uncontrollably that his leaving had nothing to do with me. I was devastated and, for weeks, I was an emotional wreck, struggling to make sense of how our 18-month relationship had come to such an abrupt end. ‘He declared it had been the best year of his life’ My first thought was to run away, but due to the pandemic, I couldn’t go…

‘I could happily do it into my 70s’ Heidi Roper, 42, lives in Lancaster with her partner, Steve, and their children. In 2019, she turned her love of painting into a furniture business. I bought my first house at 18 and the mortgage left me no extra cash. Upcycling items of furniture that people gave me soon turned into a passion. I’ve always done DIY, and did an Interior Design course. When I had my children, Keon, now 12 and Marley, nine, I took a break from my civil-service job, and when I went back, I found it less rewarding. In my spare time, I’d been painting and selling upcycled furniture on Etsy, an e-commerce site focused on handmade items. The idea grew that I could do this as a…

SURF’S UP Denise Van Outen tells me taking part in reality show The Celebrity Circle (where contestants suss out who’s real and who isn’t via social media) has made her more wary of life online. ‘It’s made me not trust people on social media more than ever before,’ she says. ‘Betsy [Denise’s daughter] is coming up to 11 and she’s online more, so I’ve really had to sit down and explain to her to be careful not to give too much information away.’ TENOR SAYS HE WILL Russell Watson has high hopes for his anniversary tour going ahead this October. The best-selling singer is keeping everything crossed. ‘We’ve been in lockdown, most people have adhered to it [and now] we all just want to  get a semblance of normality,’ he…