Innholdsfortegnelse for July 7, 2025 i Woman's Own

Celebrities aren’t usually thought of as pioneers but I love that a handful of them (with Sir David leading the charge!) are helping save the bees. Given that one out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators like bees, it’s lucky that big names are raising awareness. On p7, stars, including the Duchess of Sussex, share their un-bee-lievable hobby! On p22, take the quiz to see if eating al fresco is ruining your waistline (I’m a sucker for a cocktail sausage, so I already know my answer!) but that’s not going to stop me enjoying the baked treats on p32. Just looking at the vanilla sprinkle cake whisks me right back to the best bit of school dinners – ooft! Enjoy, and have a great week! The…

For more than 20 years she established herself as one of the most outspoken - and divisive - members of the Loose Women panel before abruptly leaving the show in 2023. Now, in an explosive interview with Dan Wootton, Carol McGiffin has laid into her former colleagues, just weeks after they were left devastated and shocked by the recent sweeping cuts to the show that will see many lose their jobs. In the blistering attack, Carol, 65, appeared to brand the Loose Women show ‘rubbish’ and attacked ITV bosses amid reports they are seeking to draft in younger ‘influencers’ in a bid to win back viewers. ‘They can stand there and say the reason we’re suffering is because of online TV,’ said Carol. ‘Maybe it’s just because it’s rubbish and…

COOL IT Long hot summers, or even short heatwaves, evidently make a difference to how you store stuff in your kitchen. Including items you may not have even thought of. So, Alliance Online has come up with a handy guide for items to move from store cupboard to fridge when the temperatures rise: ✣ Condiments (ketchup, mustard, jam)✣ Peanut butter✣ Chocolate✣ Bread✣ Berries and stone fruits✣ Open sauces and spreads✣ Cakes and pastries with cream or icing Better make some room! NEIGHBOURS FROM HELL? Summer really can bring out the best and worst in people Summertime and the living is easy… unless you happen to have the neighbour from hell. Because while you can pretend they don’t exist during the long, cold, dark winter days (or September to May as…

Buy of the week Avoid spreading bugs at home with Zoflora Linen Fresh Disinfectant Spray (£2.40 for 800ml, Tesco). It kills 99.9% of viruses, including Covid-19. HEALTH MATHS 3 steps to store your toothbrush correctly If you do one thing Have an afternoon nap Is the warm summer weather making you feel sleepy? 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. You need to be comfortable, but not too comfortable, so avoid getting into bed. ‘You can nap on a couch, in a car, even on the floor. The key is finding somewhere to relax without being disturbed,’ says sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan. The power nap is typically 10-20 minutes,…

Other women make me jealous Q After six years alone, I’m now in a relationship. He’s loving and the sex is like nothing I’ve experienced before. The problem is that I can’t bear to think of him with anyone else and I constantly question him about his friends, old girlfriends and the women he works with. He tells me I’m ruining things but I can’t help it! A After six years alone, this relationship will feel precious – thus doubling the fear of losing it. You’re hyper-focused on threats to protect what you now have. But repeat questioning isn’t good for any relationship, so when you feel the urge, ask yourself: ‘Will this help me, or just feed my anxiety?’. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can help rewire thought patterns, so…

For many women who go on to be diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s usually feeling a lump or a change in their breast that sets alarm bells ringing and encourages them to get checked out. But, in the UK alone, 22 women a day are being diagnosed with a lesser known type of breast cancer - invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) - which makes up 15 per cent of breast cancer cases, yet rarely forms a lump. Unlike the more common ductal breast cancer, ILC develops in the milk-producing glands known as lobules and cells often grow in lines or as single cells, making it harder to detect, even in mammograms and ultrasound scans. This means it is often not diagnosed until it’s already well advanced. There is no specific treatment…

READER QUESTION Q I find it so hard to sleep on hot nights. Do you have any low-cost solutions? A I haven’t tried this but I’ve heard some people swear by filling up a hot-water bottle halfway with cold water then leaving it in their bed to cool it down. Some people may go one step further and freeze their bottle – but beware as this risks damaging it and it could cause it to leak. Go green for less Volume-wise, travel-sized beauty products are not cost-effective when you do the sums. So why not decant your own? You can buy reusable travel bottles and then transfer your usual products into them. Or if you already have any small bottles – perhaps from mini shampoos you’ve got from hotels –…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr If you’re trying to decide on a different direction for your career, try considering which path will bring you closer to creating a deeper sense of purpose. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May You’re flying high, so find new ways of sharing your skills and knowledge with other people. There are many out there who will benefit from your wisdom. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun With Venus in your sign it’s time to reflect on who and what are most important to you in your closest relationships. Find new ways of expressing your creativity. CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul With the Sun in Cancer it’s easier to reach your most important goals. Think about what you want to achieve by the end…

Cici Coleman and Merlin Griffiths ‘THE NEW SERIES IS FULL OF SURPRISES!’ More singletons arrive in search of a soulmate as First Dates returns… Britain’s most romantic restaurant is reopening its doors for another series, but will its mix of cocktails and fancy food lead the diners to take things further? As usual, maître d’ Fred Sirieix will welcome the hopefuls to the posh eatery in Bath, while the rest of the staff, including waitress Cici Coleman and barman Merlin Griffiths, make sure they are fed and watered. ‘Opening the doors to our restaurant is always a joy, as it means love is in the air,’ says Merlin, 50. ‘Dating in a modern world can be really hard, so to be part of something that allows kindness and honesty and…

Whether it’s a thumbs-up, a smiley face or even a simple letter ‘K’ (which means ‘OK’ if you don’t have teens!) I’ve realised over the past few years that most of my communication has boiled down into a collection of never-ending WhatsApp threads. But with recent research showing that a simple phone call can improve mental health, reduce anxiety and boost social connections, I made a plan to spend the week spreading some joy in the form of a phone chat instead of a rushed text. ‘A LAUGHTER-FILLED CHAT GIVES ME A LIFT’ SOWING THE SEEDS My week starts off well when I receive a WhatsApp message from my good friend, Suzanne, who is trying to organise a time to help me in my garden (she’s a pro-gardener and I…

Sir Becks’ BIG FALL-OUT Becoming a sir in the King’s Birthday Honours List was no doubt a life highlight for David Beckham, but it has come at a difficult time for the family. Becks has had to fight battles on multiple fronts since the news was revealed. Tension with son Brooklyn, 26, and his wife Nicola, 30, has been brought to the world’s attention, in addition to alleged emails resurfacing from the time Becks missed out on getting an honour in 2014. He was reportedly blocked for being part of a tax avoidance scheme by the Honours Committee, and while no misdeed was implied, Sir David, 50, was said to have been furious that he had been passed up. In the leaked emails said to be from David afterwards, he…

FLOWER POWER Make a statement. Earrings, £9.99, parfois.com FOLLOW YOUR NOSE The joy of golden sunsets. Sun-Kissed Caramel EDT, £9.99 for 30ml, H&M FRESH-FACED Everyday energiser. Q&A Salicylic Acid Cleanser, £7.50, qandaskin.com RATTAN REFRESHER Sip on something chic in the great outdoors. Picnic tumbler, £6, John Lewis SPECS APPEAL Keep your lenses clean. Glasses case, £5.99, New Look BRIGHTEN UP Add a splash of colour to your bathroom – or beach trip. Striped and Checkerboard towels, £7 each, Lemon and Wiggle Print towels, £5 each, all George at Asda HOOKED Bring the fisherman aesthetic into your home. Serving plate, £9.99, H&M IMPRESS GUESTS A rustic-feel weave. Napkins, £9.99 for four, H&M PRETTY PRINT Tie in your hair or around a bag. Scarf, £7.99, New Look LUXURIOUS LIVING Elegant, timeless design.…

The co-ord A matching two-piece makes everyday dressing so much easier by creating endless outfits. This dusty pink hue is great for adding a pop of colour and will coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe. Swap the blouse for a simple white T-shirt or the skirt for jeans when you want to mix it up, and add suede boots for a boho vibe. Total outfit cost£48 TOP TIP Straight-leg trousers would also work well with this floaty top. The top A printed ruffle blouse is a great investment that you’ll be able to wear all year round. This paisley print can be easily dressed up for work, paired with neutral cigarette trousers and heels, or down with a denim skirt and trainers. Tuck (or half-tuck) in the top to…

Coffee cheesecake brownies SERVES 24 Two sweet treats become one in this mocha-inspired slice. PREP TIME: 25 MINS, PLUS CHILLING COOK TIME: 25 MINS CALS: 289 FAT: 17G SAT FAT: 10G CARBS: 30G YOU WILL NEED 260g salted butter, roughly chopped, plus extra for greasing475g dark chocolate, broken into pieces2tbsp instant coffee4 medium eggs, beaten330g soft light brown sugar70g self-raising flour1tsp flaky sea salt For the cheesecake: 1tbsp instant coffee½tbsp boiling water150g full-fat cream cheese50g caster sugar1 medium egg, beaten1tbsp plain flour You will need: 20x30cm cake tin, greased and lined with baking paper HOW TO DO IT 1 Heat the oven to 170C Fan. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Mix until smooth, then stir in…

A NOVEL MURDER by E. C. Nevin (£16.99, HB, Bonnier Books) At a literary festival in the sleepy town of Hoslewit, gruesome events are about to unfold. Writer Jane Hepburn is hoping to make it big at the Killer Lines Crime Festival by networking with all the right people in the industry. But her plans are unexpectedly derailed when her agent is killed. Surely as a writer of detective novels, Jane can prove her skills and solve the murder herself? It would be the perfect boost for her career – if only she can make it out alive. This delicious slice of cosy crime will keep you reading late into the night. THE PROTEST by Rob Rinder (£20, HB, Cornerstone) Everyone who is anyone is in attendance at the glitzy…

SIR DAVID BECKHAM It’s no secret that Becks loves the countryside and is regularly found getting his hands dirty in the garden at his abode in the Cotswolds. When lockdown hit in 2020 the former footballer, 50, decided to take up beekeeping and it’s a hobby that he’s kept up with. Sir David produces his own honey, which wife Lady Victoria hilariously calls his ‘sticky stuff’ (that has quite the ring to it!). JENNIFER GARNER She may be an A-lister but you’ll often find Jennifer, 53, in her garden, showing off her freshly harvested honey. ‘We had a book about beekeeping and then my daughter just got really into it,’ she explained. ‘I thought, “Why can’t we have bees?” Bees are in trouble,’ adding, ‘Everyone should have a hive of…

Walking into our local radio station, I felt so excited. It was October 1984 and my sister, Anthea Turner, then 24, was just starting out with her media career. Just 17, I was dazzled by it all, but I had my own passions. As a huge animal lover, I advocated for animal rights, and today, Anthea was joining me to go to a meeting about homeless cats. But as I approached Anthea’s desk, I could see she was busy. ‘David will go with you,’ she said apologetically, introducing me to her colleague. A manager at the station, David Donahue was tall, dark and, at 32, far too old for me, but I was instantly attracted to him and he told me he was passionate about animal rights, too. ‘Do you…

We’re having a girl!’ my husband Rick, then 29, shouted as he spun me around and pink confetti showered down around us. It was March 2016 and I was 14 weeks pregnant with our first baby. Rick had kept the sex a secret, so I could enjoy the surprise with friends and family at our gender reveal party. After celebrating, we agreed on the name Ellie for our girl. Then, at my 20-week scan, I was told I needed checks on the baby’s heart. It wasn’t unexpected; my twin brother Ashley had died aged 15, 12 years before. Running on the athletics pitch, his heart had stopped and he’d collapsed, dying instantly. It was explained as sudden adult death syndrome (SADS). The following months had been unbearable. We’d been so…

WILL I GET BREAST CANCER, TOO? Q My mum died of breast cancer in her 40s. Now that I’m a similar age, it’s playing on my mind. My sister, who’s older than me, paid to be tested for the breast cancer gene mutation. Could I get this test on the NHS? A Your GP may be able to refer you for genetic counselling and testing on the NHS. You’ll need to give a detailed family history, so find out as much as you can. A specialist will explain the implications if you test positive for the gene mutation. Some women, may, for example, want to think about a prophylactic double mastectomy if their genes show they are significantly at risk of breast cancer. Help! I keep getting cysts Q Quite…

Certain sunshine Whether you’re going abroad this summer or not, Next Summer Sun Perfume, £24, Next, guarantees every day is filled with sunshine. Bursting with all the best smells of summer, this perfume is packed with mandarin, coconut, exotic flowers and caramel. Pretty petals Stradivarius N.051 A Moment of Desire Eau de Toilette, £19.99, Stradivarius, is like a fresh bouquet of jasmine and rose stems. The fragrance opens with floral notes, but then plum and amber accords arrive for an elegant blend of wearable botanicals. Aquatic option Crisp and clean, H&M Modern Minimalist Eau de Toilette, £8.99, H&M, is perfect for everyday wear. The powdery scent is made from cotton flowers and eucalyptus layered among lily of the valley to create a fragrance reminiscent of the ocean. Peach perfection Smelling just…

Next PRAIRIE STYLE Inspired by the hit TV show Yellowstone, embrace this ranch look with classic cowboy accessories B&M SUMMER FRUITS Pick out these punchy prints and citrus shades to give your decor a seasonal update…

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 EastEnders families share their name with the highest peak in the US’ Appalachian Mountains? The answer is the one missing from the grid. BEALE BRANNING BUTCHER CARTER COTTON FOWLER FOX JACKSON MASOOD MITCHELL MOON SLATER TRUEMAN WATTS WICKS CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Tom __ and Huckleberry Finn, 2014 adventure film starring Joel Courtney and Jake T Austin, based on an 1876 Mark Twain novel (6) 4 Typically __, band that had a 1975 No 1 hit with Barbados (8) 10 Stolen (7) 11 Picture houses (7) 12 Andi __, comedian who was…

MOTSI, OTI AND PHEMELO MABUSE Strictly Come Dancing sisters Motsi and Oti are used to being in the spotlight, but they have a less-famous sibling, and according to them she’s the ‘best dancer’ out of them all. Unlike her sisters, who moved to the UK and starred on the BBC show, Phemelo, 39, lives in their native South Africa, where she works as a mechanical engineer. However, she does still dance and has even competed at the World Dance Championships. KELLY AND AIMEE OSBOURNE Before we met the Kardashians, there were the Osbournes, who kept us entertained with their reality show. But there was one family member who viewers didn’t get to know. Unlike mum Sharon, dad Ozzy and siblings Jack and Kelly, eldest daughter Aimee, now 41, chose not…

NO ENDER DRAMA Zoe Slater’s recent return to Albert Square was a bombshell twist fans had been waiting for for 20 years, so it was great to catch up with Michelle Ryan, who has finally been tempted to head back to EastEnders permanently this summer. ‘The scripts are incredible,’ the actor confides, promising more chaos in the coming months. Jessie Wallace, who plays Zoe’s on-screen mum, was thrilled when Michelle signed up again. ‘She actually screamed,’ the star reveals. Not that there’s any danger of the ‘Kat’ getting her tongue… I THINK HE SAURUS! As movie blockbuster Jurassic World: Rebirth wows fans at the flicks, we welcomed a terrifying velociraptor into the GMB studio. I’ve interviewed Sooty and Sweep, Zippy from Rainbow, Miss Piggy, Kermit and Basil Brush over the…