Innholdsfortegnelse for January 6, 2025 i Woman's Own

Where do you stand on age-gap relationships? Everyone seems to have an opinion and it’s a tough one, because often our default is to judge, but more often than not we have no idea, really. Only the two people in the relationship can decide whether the gap is simply too big. On p28 Trish and Byron, who have a 20-year difference between their ages, and are very happily married, share why it works for them. I think love usually wins – and it looks like it has for them! On that note, as we enter the first week of 2025, I hope this year is full of love, good health and happiness for you all – and a good dose of wealth for us all too, because, let’s face it,…

She’s graced our screens since she was just 12 years old, so it’s easy to see why Linda Robson is hailed as something of a national treasure. However, life hasn’t always been plain sailing for the actor, 66, who has bravely battled anxiety and addiction issues in the past. Thankfully, she’s been sober since 2020, but in 2023 she faced further heartache when she separated from her husband of 33 years, Mark Dunford. Since then, the mum of three has been embracing single life, though she tells us she hasn’t any desire to date again, admitting ‘my children and grandchildren are enough for me’. Here, the much-loved Loose Women star tells Woman’s Own why she’s closer to the ‘older’ panellists on the show, why she’ll never give up working and…

WHAT’S IN A NUMBER? Did you know 2025 is one of the most powerful numbers? Its square root is 45 which means it’s a perfect power (a square) and therefore considered incredibly lucky. Plus, according to the Chinese calendar, 2025 will slither its way into the spotlight as the year of the snake. Representing wisdom, elegance and mystery, the snake is often seen as a symbol of transformation and adaptability. Meanwhile according to the Bible, the Holy Father decided that 2025 will be a year of jubilee, something which happens every 25 years. And finally French astrologer Nostradamus’ predictions suggest 2025 holds immense financial potential for several zodiac signs. Aries will see wishes fulfilled, Taurus’ stability attracts growth, and Leos’ leadership and creativity bring financial milestones. HEATING UP THE SMALL…

Natural colour I tend to apply my make-up with my fingers instead of brushes, which is why I favour a cream blush like Barry M Hazy Sunset Cream Blush in Sundown Dream, £5.99, barrym.com. I dot it on to the apples of my cheeks and blend out with my fingertips. It provides a natural-looking finish that’s perfect for a daytime look. Rhiannon Cheery cheeks I love a high-impact blusher for evening and look out for highly pigmented formulas to give me the most colour. E.l.f Cosmetics Camo Liquid Blush in Pinky Promise, £7, Boots, is great as you only need the smallest amount to give cheeks a bright flush. I blend in with a brush or damp sponge to ensure it remains natural-looking. Annie Long-lasting liquid A little goes a…

Set healthy goals for the new year, only to ‘throw in the towel’ within a matter of weeks? You’re not alone – 43%* of Brits give up their resolutions by February, with common reasons including high expectations, lack of motivation and there not being enough hours in the day. Determined to make positive changes? Small, manageable tweaks could be the solution to staying consistent. These simple bite-size tricks require minimum effort but have big results – so, what are you waiting for? 1 Sniff yourself well Boost health and wellbeing by discovering the power of essential oils. ‘Orange aromatherapy oil is proven to be uplifting and tranquillising. It alters our mood and boosts motivation, relaxation and clarity,’ says certified health coach Suzy Glaskie of Peppermint Wellness. ‘Put a drop…

Dancing along to the music, I felt like a superstar. I’d got tickets to a Nile Rodgers and Chic concert because my cousin, Audrey, was one of the singers. They were about to play their final number, when Nile said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage… Miss Beverley Knight!’ I whooped with excitement. Beverley was a friend of the family, and she looked absolutely stunning in a black leather minidress as she belted out Chic’s Good Times. Once upon a time, a small part of me would have felt envious, but after losing 2½st, I was feeling pretty good for a woman who’d just turned 60! Later, we went backstage and caught up with Beverley. ‘You look fantastic, Vel,’ she said, giving me a hug. ‘Come on, get…

Pornography is nothing new and there is still a booming market for it. Half of adults in the UK consume porn* - that’s more than have a Netflix account**. But recently the industry has faced criticism. For decades, ‘barely legal’ has been a category used in porn to denote girls just over the age of 18 filmed with older men. But 25-year-old female content creator Bonnie Blue, real name Tia Billinger, has caused a storm after using the term to describe intimate footage she films with teen boys (over 18) and posts on OnlyFans. Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, Bonnie said she stands outside universities holding up a sign inviting people to have sex with her for free in return for letting her film it. As she’s not charging for…

Fab fakeaways It’s tempting to order a takeaway, but instead try making these tasty ideas for less ££ at home… 1 PIZZA You can get well-known brands like Pizza Express and Franco Manca in most supermarkets now, so avoiding a takeaway has never been easier! Or buy ready-rolled pizza bases, great topped with a simple tomato sauce and cheese. 2 THAI CURRY Meat, veg, coconut milk, Thai curry paste and fish sauce is all you need to recreate this Asian favourite. Start by frying your meat in a little oil, stir in curry paste and coconut milk, and season with fish sauce. Simmer for a few mins then add your veg. 3 BURGER Keep a pack of beef mince in your freezer along with some burger buns and you’ll always…

We all know how important it is to stay fit and healthy, so it’s no surprise that the internet is awash with a vast array of fitness trends ranging from the sublime to the outright ridiculous! Just the other day I was scrolling on social media when I came across ‘exercise snacking’, the ‘hanging trend’, a rather terrifying sounding ‘battle ropes’ and a very appealing ‘lazy girl workout’. It made me wonder if any of these exercises actually work. So I challenged myself to give them a try to see if they make any difference to my 44-year-old mum-bod! This is how it went… Hanging Otherwise known as ‘dead hanging’ it basically involves hanging from a bar and letting gravity work its magic by decompressing the spine. One of the…

SUSANNA REID Good Morning Britain’s Susanna, 54, had the same long, dark locks for years before she decided to go for the chop and add golden highlights. Her new, chic ’do is very on-trend. STACEY SOLOMON For a few years, Sort Your Life Out’s Stacey sported vibrant red hair but ahead of her 2022 nuptials to husband Joe Swash, she decided to switch it up for something more natural. Now Stace, 35, rocks stunning long honey-blonde locks. RUTH LANGSFORD After splitting from Eamonn Holmes, Loose Women’s Ruth underwent a glam transformation – and she looks amazing! In recent months the star, 64, has sported blonder, longer locks thanks to highlights and extensions. CHARLENE WHITE Loose Women’s Charlene, 44, enjoys switching up her hair and has sported everything from sleek bobs…

Flicking through the old vinyl LPs, I smiled. ‘Do you remember listening to these?’ I asked my sister Jane, 59. We were emptying my mother’s flat in Harrogate after her death in September 2020. My mum, Terry, had loved music – the soundtrack to my childhood was Elton John and Roxy Music. ‘THAT WAS IT – MY GOTH ERA WAS OVER’ ‘Why don’t you take the LPs? You have a record player,’ said Jane. So, I loaded Mum’s albums into my car without much thought. But that night, as I leafed through the records, playing each one in turn, I was transported back to different moments in time, and I realised just what a profound role music has played in my life. As Rocket Man by Elton John filled my…

Big bust-ups The ladies are known for their fiery debates, but 2024 saw things become more heated, with rumours of off-air tension. Panellists including Coleen Nolan, Denise Welch, Frankie Bridge and Christine Lampard often butted heads, and it was reported that ‘crisis talks’ were happening, with Stacey Solomon reportedly even refusing to come back to the show if she had to appear with Denise. But Denise later clarified, ‘We’re encouraged to disagree about things, it’s a talk show!’ Andrea and Stacey returned! In May, ahead of the show’s milestone 25th anniversary and four years after she left, Andrea McLean made a surprise appearance, teasing that she would be back briefly to mark the celebration. But that wasn’t all. Stacey Solomon also made an appearance this year after having been on…

WHIPSTITCH PIECE This supermarket steal won’t hang around for long. Shacket, £40, sizes xs-xxl, Studio Edit at George at Asda KEEP IT HOT Comes with a matching lid. Mug, £6.24, sostrenegrene.com WASTE LESS Refill an existing soap bottle. Restore handwash refill, £9.50, M&S SCENT-SATIONAL We love this great-value buy and its lovely fragrance. Candle, £3.15, Aldi STYLISH DESIGN This table lamp looks much more expensive than it is. £34.99, H&M WINTER WARMERS This Borg jacket will keep you warm and cosy and goes with everything. Coat, £69, sizes 8-24, jumper, £42, sizes 8-22, and trousers, £36, sizes 8-22, all Cotton Traders; boots, stylist’s own LOOK AHEAD It’s time to get planning for the new year. Diary, £25, papier.com STAY SNUG A cold-weather essential. Hot-water bottle, £10, Dunelm HIGH SHINE Gives…

Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. ‘Here she is,’ he said proudly. ‘This is our beautiful baby girl.’ I stared at the photo and shook my head. ‘No, that’s not my baby,’ I said. ‘There must be a mistake.’ It was August 2010 and I’d not long before had an emergency caesarean. I’d not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she’d been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature. I’d told Michael to go with her and while he was gone, and after I’d been brought back to the recovery ward, a social worker had come to see me. ‘I’ve been sent to speak…

NOT SURE I REALLY HAVE DIABETES Q At my recent NHS health check, I was asked to go back for a further blood test, which has confirmed that I have type 2 diabetes. I thought this was associated with being overweight, but my BMI is only 20. I have been doing quite a lot of reading and I wonder whether I should get my antibodies checked. Is this something my GP can arrange? A Type 2 diabetes is often associated with being overweight, but not always. Bristol University is doing a trial looking into the risk of type 1 diabetes in older people. Email them on t1dra_study@bristol.ac.uk and, if you are eligible for the study, they will send a pinprick test to your home to check your antibodies. Breast cancer…

Chocolate self-saucing pudding SERVES 6 This easy pud magically makes its own sauce. YOU WILL NEED 90g self-raising flour2tbsp cocoa powder 2tbsp caster sugar 3 large eggs100ml skimmed milk1tsp vanilla extractFresh cherries, halved, or raspberries, to serve For the sauce: 300ml boiling water2tbsp cocoa powder4tsp caster sugar You will need: Slow cooker HOW TO DO IT 1 To make the pudding, sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar. 2 Mix together the eggs, milk and vanilla, then pour into the dry mixture. Using an electric mixer, beat for 1 min until smooth, then pour the mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker. 3 For the sauce, pour 300ml boiling water into a measuring jug and mix in the remaining cocoa and…

CLUES & ARROWS Fill in the clues in the direction of the arrows. Sudoku To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each column and each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Wordsearch Which of these Harry Potter characters shares a name with a member of K-pop group f(x)? The answer is the one missing from the grid. CEDRICDOBBYDRACOGINNYHAGRIDHARRYHERMIONELUNALUPINMINERVANEVILLERONSIRIUSSNAPEVOLDEMORT CROSSWORD ACROSS 6 Earthy pigment (5) 7 Rural dwellings (8) 10 Frank _, TV detective played by Peter Falk (7) 11 Sequoia (7) 12 Repeat contest (7) 13 _ Ferguson, star of TV series The White Queen and film Doctor Sleep (7) 14 Medieval torture instrument (11) 19 Star of film Malcolm & Marie and TV series Euphoria, known by her first name (7) 21 Person in charge…

Film SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 In cinemas now Sonic, Knuckles and Tails reunite to battle Shadow, a mysterious new enemy with powers unlike anything they’ve faced before. With their abilities outmatched they’re forced to seek out an unlikely alliance to take down Shadow and protect the planet. Idris Elba, Keanu Reeves and Jim Carrey lend their voices. Show BAT OUT OF HELL: THE MUSICAL 6 January until 20 September 2025, multiple locations including Edinburgh, Manchester, Plymouth and Bristol, tickets from £15 The hit musical based on the classic Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf album of the same name returns to the UK with a bang. A must-see for all rock and roll fans. Tour BILL BAILEY – THOUGHTIFIER TOUR 2 January until 15 February 2025, Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, tickets…

£12 MILLION DUBAI APARTMENT AND VILLA Playground to the rich and famous, it’ll come as no surprise that the Beckhams have not one, but two places in Dubai. They are thought to have an apartment in the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building (right) – plus a luxury Italian-style villa located on the famous Palm Jumeirah. However, it seems they don’t spend much time out there, with the couple reportedly gifting the villa to Vic’s parents Tony and Jackie in 2008. £78 MILLION MIAMI MANSION AND PENTHOUSE In 2024, David and Victoria splashed out £60m on their most expensive property to date. And just to rub their fortune in our faces even more, the couple, who are worth a combined £455 million, are said to have paid for the…

Sitting on the floor, my son Jack*, then eight, looked up from his Lego. ‘This is Mummy’s friend,’ I told him. ‘Nice to meet you,’ Ashley, then 31, said, as my boy smiled back. I’d felt nervous about introducing Jack to the new man in my life but, before long, the two of them had their heads together building a tower. It was summer 2014, and I’d been seeing Ashley for around three months. We’d matched on a dating app but it turned out that we went to the same gym. Ashley was gorgeous, with rippling biceps, but, despite his strength, he was a sweetheart, whisking me out for romantic meals and now happily playing with Jack. It was still early days in our relationship, but Ashley was fitting neatly…

Forcing a smile, I stifled a yawn as my date on the bar stool opposite droned on about his job. ‘Keeping you up?’ he frowned, spotting my disinterest. ‘It’s getting late, I’d better head home,’ I said, grabbing my bag and saying my goodbyes. It was summer 2008 and, as a recently divorced working mum with three boys, then six, four and two, I should have been making the most of my rare night out. But the truth was, I just hadn’t fancied my date. ‘He was too old,’ I told my friend. ‘Didn’t you say he was 30? That’s only a year older than you,’ she replied. ‘He seemed ancient,’ I insisted. Ever since I’d started dating again, I’d realised that while my single friends were happy with men…

*SURVEY COMMISSIONED BY CONFIDENCE CLUB. IF YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH, SEE YOUR GP. CONSULT YOUR GP OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE TAKING NEW SUPPLEMENTS. Buy of the week Aid digestion with Hifas da Terra Hericium Digest powder (£26.80 for 100g, hifasdaterra.com). Containing fibre-rich lion’s mane mushroom for a healthy gut. Have the perfect nap Has the festive period left you feeling fatigued? A short snooze could be the solution. Naps have been scientifically proven to increase alertness, improve mood, boost creativity and problem solving and even rebalance the immune system. ‘The power nap is typically 10-20 minutes, but the “replacement” nap of around 30-40 minutes is powerful if you’re exhausted or feeling run-down,’ explains sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. ‘Set an alarm so that you don’t oversleep and feel…

Fear is taking over my life Q I’m 55, married, have two teenage kids and a job I like, but fear is taking over. I worry all the time that my husband or children will get ill or that I’ll lose my job and won’t be able to pay the mortgage. The worry keeps me up at night. My GP offered me antidepressants, but I don’t want that. A You’re describing what’s known as anticipatory anxiety, which represents fear around things that could happen and focuses on things you can’t predict or control. While these worries are normal, overfocusing becomes a vicious cycle. When you feel yourself spiralling, try the ‘5-sense technique’. Stop and identify one thing you can see, one thing you can touch, one thing you can hear,…

Just as I was about to turn around and head back to the safety of my car, the door I was hovering uncertainly in front of opened and a woman with a beaming smile appeared. ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘Come on in!’ I’d bottled out of walking into my local Slimming World group twice before, only getting as far as the car park before reversing out and driving away. I was desperate to lose weight, but after a succession of punishing fad diets – which had left me hungry and also heavier than ever – I’d lost confidence in my ability to make changes and wasn’t sure I could face any more failure. There was no going back this time, though, and after such a warm welcome, I felt that perhaps…

Chorizo fried rice SERVES 4 The spicy sausage adds bags of flavour to this versatile one-dish-dinner. YOU WILL NEED 1tbsp olive oil280g cooking chorizo, half sliced, half crumbled1 onion, chopped1 garlic clove, chopped1 green chilli, chopped500g cooked basmati rice, cooled (or 2 x 250g microwave basmati rice)2 medium eggs, beaten3tbsp soy sauce2tbsp mirin300g frozen vegetable mixZest and juice 1 lime, plus wedges to serve (optional)Small bunch coriander or parsley, roughly chopped HOW TO DO IT 1 Add the oil to a large frying pan and fry the sausages for 6-7 mins until starting to crisp. Transfer to a bowl, reserving the oil in the pan. 2 Add the onion and fry for 2-3 mins, then add the garlic and chilli, and fry for a further 1 min. Add the rice,…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr In any situation that is troubling you right now, try to follow the path of least resistance and remember that it is often better to be peaceful than it is to be right. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May Is there something on your mind that you just can’t find the solution to? Spend some time in quiet meditation and you will find the answers come to you. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun Bear in mind that you have the power to change any situation for the better through focused intention, clear communication and positive expectation. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul Your health and wellbeing are what matter now, so eat well, get plenty of sleep and take exercise that you enjoy.…

MURDER FOR BUSY PEOPLE by Tony Parsons (£18.99, HB, Cornerstone) Sixteen years have passed since Emma Moon was locked away for an armed robbery that left two men dead. A woman of her word, she never gave up the killer or the men who made their fortune that day. Now she walks free – but her family and her share of the money have disappeared. Emma is hellbent on revenge, but one man stands in her way: Max Wolfe, the policeman who arrested her. A breakneck crime thriller. THE KILLING SENSE by Sam Blake (£14.99, PB, Atlantic Books) Single mum Kate Wilde is thrilled when she wins a holiday to Paris. She doesn’t remember entering the competition, but this trip is just the escape she needs, having recently fled her…

Joanna Page ‘WORKING ON GAVIN & STACEY WAS EASIER!’ The star of the hit sitcom pursues a life-long passion in a new daytime series… After watching Joanna Page in the final episode of BBC1’s Gavin & Stacey on Christmas Day, we get to see a different side to the actor as she trains to be an animal care assistant at a rescue centre in Joanna Page’s Wild Life. ‘There are wild animals all around us and ever since I was a child I’ve been fascinated by them,’ explains Joanna. ‘If I wasn’t an actor, the big dream for me would be to work with wildlife, so I’m pursuing my life-long passion.’ As she takes steps towards qualifying, Joanna is working at Wildlife Aid in Surrey, where more than 20,000 animals…