Innholdsfortegnelse for 8th Dec 2025 (Double Issue) i Woman's Own

Christmas is in the air! I’ve been poring over our Taste Test on p54 where our brilliant food team has tested hundreds of products for the big day and beyond. Plus, on p16, if you’re stuck for outfit ideas you’ve come to the right place! This issue is also packed with exclusive showbiz interviews and all about Harry and Meghan’s Californian Christmas (p8; c’mon, we’re all curious, aren’t we?!). Still, as much as the season can be full of joy, for those who don’t have loved ones around, or if you’ve experienced a loss, this time of year can be tough. But as our always-insightful agony aunt Anita says (p38) the important thing is to be compassionate – not just to others but yourself too. So I hope during this…

30-YEAR ITCH It’s not surprising that this time of year is stressful and puts a strain on all relationships – especially marriage. The number of people contacting divorce lawyers soars every January, purely because being locked at home together all Christmas exposes every niggle. What I didn’t know, though, is that rather than the infamous seven-year itch, we now have a 30-year itch. Over the past decade, 183,411 married couples (16%) split after being together for five to seven years. But divorces after 30 years are, in fact, more common, according to Office for National Statistics figures. One reason is thought to be that by this time, kids are off our hands, we’re looking forward to retirement and wondering if our spouse is really the one we want to spend…

Short & sweet If you have naturally curly or coily hair, then showcase your ringlets in all their glory by using some curl-enhancing products and finishing with a glitzy clip. 1 Apply a generous amount of Only Curls Hydrating Curl Creme, £18, onlycurls.com, when your hair is soaking wet after washing. 2 Work from root to tip by scrunching into curls then dry as you wish. The hydrating formula smooths curls, minimises frizz and adds bounce without weighing your curls down. 3 Next, once your hair is fully air-dried or blow-dried, style into your preferred parting. Use a fine-tooth comb such as Basicare Pocket Comb, £1.55, ocado.com, which glides through hair without tugging, leaving hair sleek, smooth and styled. 4 No party look is complete without a bit of sparkle,…

Christmas is the time of year when we do everything to excess – except sleep. It can feel as if there aren’t enough hours in the day for shopping, socialising, eating or drinking, let alone eight hours of slumber. ‘What we can experience at this time of year impacts on our night-time sleep in the same way that our night-time sleep impacts on our outlook on the day,’ explains Dr Kat Lederle, a sleep expert. And the good news? You can still have fun while avoiding festive fatigue – here’s how. SNACK SMART Feeling peckish? Forget huge tubs of chocolate and choose turkey, milk, walnuts and pumpkin seeds. These are sources of tryptophan, an amino acid that boosts the hormone melatonin, which can help you sleep. DITCH BEDROOM DECS While…

Asian-spiced sausage rolls MAKES 22 Nothing beats a freshly-baked sausage roll at a family buffet table. YOU WILL NEED 400g minced pork3tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)1tbsp sesame oil4 spring onions, finely sliced¼tsp Chinese five-spice½tsp dried chilli flakes320g pack puff pastry1 medium egg, beaten2tbsp sesame seedsSriracha/chilli sauce or tomato ketchup, to serveGreen olives, sweet red pepper drops, herb sprigs, to serve (optional) HOW TO DO IT 1 In a bowl, mix together the mince, kecap manis, sesame oil, spring onions, five spice and chilli flakes, and season well. Heat the oven to 200C Fan. 2 Roll out the pastry to 25x35cm. Cut lengthwise in half, and spread half the meat down each length as a sausage. Brush the pastry edge with egg, and fold over to encase the filling. Press with a…

25 November-8 December 2025 ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr Keep charging ahead with all of your plans. Before you know it, something wonderful will be created and will be worth all the hard work you have been putting in. TAURUS 21 Apr – 20 May An Earth sign, ruled by Venus, it’s important for you to feel at peace. Spend time in meditation to calm your mind and, from this point of clarity, move forward. GEMINI 21 May – 20 Jun The Full Moon in Gemini helps you to educate yourself in a new area. Where would you like to deepen your knowledge and share with others what you’ve learned? CANCER 21 Jun – 22 Jul If you’re facing a decision and are wondering which direction to take, ask…

As my daughter Emma, then two, happily played with her new doll’s house, I snapped a photo and smiled. ‘It was all worth it,’ I said to my husband Mark, then 45, as he yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was Christmas Day 2019 and Mark had been up until the early hours building the huge doll’s house after underestimating how long the task would take. ‘Thank you Father Christmas!’ Emma sang to herself and I felt myself bristle. Emma had been too young to grasp the concept of Santa the previous two years. We’d taken her to see the big man for the first time in December 2018 and she had been less than impressed, while our dog Boris had been far more excited. So, this year, we’d excitedly…

Susanna ‘GET A NOTEBOOK’ Juggling a busy work schedule with being a single mum, getting organised for Christmas can be a challenge for Susanna Reid. So the Good Morning Britain presenter, 54, has had to take extra measures to ensure everything is sorted for the big day. ‘Two years ago, I started a notebook to jot down gift ideas and details like how much wrapping paper and boxes of cards are left from the previous year, plus the Christmas lunch plan,’ she says. We’ll be doing the same. Ruth ‘USE THE IRONING BOARD TO WRAP’ Loose Women’s Ruth Langsford can help you wrap your presents. ‘Use your ironing board… This is so that you don’t get a bad back, crouched down on the floor, or hunched over the table,’ Ruth,…

It’s only a few weeks until Loose Women feels the full force of the ITV cuts. The sweeping changes come into effect at the beginning of 2026. More than 200 staff are being lost from ITV Daytime, with Loose Women moving to a new home in Covent Garden and the show losing its studio audience. It will also only run for 30 weeks of the year, going off-air during the school holidays. Gloria Hunniford, 85, who has been a panellist on the show since 2014, admits she has been troubled by some of what is happening. Speaking at the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards, she told Woman’s Own, ‘I just feel terrible for the production staff because sadly some of them will not have a job after Christmas. That’s sad. But they’re…

Party tops From pretty embellishments to luxurious lace, these delights are sure to dazzle. Wear with your go-to jeans for a more low-key look or give them an edgier finish with some leather-look trousers. Slinky skirts A party season staple, a sleek skirt is endlessly versatile. Offset its figure-hugging shape with an oversized top half – a boxy tee or a slouchy knit will do just the trick to create a cosy luxe look. Colour-pop earrings Boost your mood and your outfit with a pair of vibrant, statement earrings. Perfect for giving a simple dress a subtle hint of colour, scoop your hair back to really show them off and keep the rest of your jewellery minimal. Sparkly sequins Whether you opt for a hint of shimmer or go head-to-toe…

Fetching the pot of felt-tip pens and some paper, I laid everything out on the kitchen table. ‘Who wants to write a letter to Santa?’ I called across the room to my girls, Charlotte, then 10, and Matilda, nine. ‘I want a baby brother!’ Charlotte announced in reply. ‘A little sister please!’ Matilda said. It was December 2021 and my partner James, then 41, and I exchanged glances and laughed. That Christmas, we bought the girls baby dolls and to make them giggle, James propped one in each arm and posed for a photo. We laugh at that picture now because if only we’d known then that it was a sign of things to come. EXCITING NEWS James and I had met online in January 2019 and our relationship progressed…

WILL I STILL BE CONTAGIOUS? Q Our daughter has been through a bad divorce this year, which has left me run down. I seem to have caught one cold after another. We’re all due to gather for Christmas, but I’ve got shingles on my face. My granddaughter is only six months old. Am I safe to go? I wouldn’t want to give her chickenpox. A If your granddaughter hasn’t had chickenpox, she could get it from a person who has shingles. However, you’re infectious from when the first blister grows until the last one has scabbed over. This will usually be about seven to 10 days, so you should be fine to go. Help! My partner is allergic to the dog Q My son and his wife are coming for…

Finest Salted Banoffee Cascading Star, 760g, £14, Tesco For an alternative to a classic pud, judges loved this seasonal riff on sticky toffee. It comes with a rich caramel sauce, but we recommend serving with plenty of cream or custard, too. Showstopping desserts Sweet sensations for a memorable finish to your festive meal. Exceptional By Asda 12-Month Matured Christmas Pudding, 800g, £8.16, Asda This figgy pudding was a stand-out winner, loaded with jammy fruits and nuts, plus a generous splash of brandy. Judges loved the rich, molassesey flavour and classic look. Simply warm, then flame it at the table for a wow-factor finish! Exceptional By Asda Showstopping Profiterole Tower, 380g £15.98, Asda Melt the chocolate dome with a warm butterscotch sauce to reveal a pile of cream-filled profiteroles. Taste the…

£5 AND UNDER £10 AND UNDER £20 AND UNDER…

There are certain times when it is perfectly acceptable to take shortcuts or cheat to get ahead and save time. And for me, Christmas is certainly one of those times. If there’s a quicker way to roast a turkey, I want the intel. Wrap presents in seconds? Hello! Decorate the house with minimal effort? Count me in! And, of course, social media is swimming with festive hacks to make life easier for all of us, from homemade decs and cooking cheats, to top time-saving tips so that you have more to spend actually enjoying the holiday! But are any of them actually any good? Along with my husband Jonathan, 45, and son Freddy, 11, I decided to put them to the test to take some of the stress out of…

Aries 21 Mar – 20 April BEST BITS Saturn returns to your sign at the end of April, bringing the chance to chase bold new goals. This is a peak period for growth and travel. March’s eclipsed Full Moon highlights the need for balance between independence and partnership. By the end of the year, you are aligned with a vision for close relationships. WATCH OUT FOR Be aware of burnout from taking on too much too quickly. When Jupiter moves into the fellow fire sign of Leo in June, this expansive energy can bring great opportunities, but it may also tempt you to leap without considering the consequences. Saturn asks you to build with discipline, so impatience could lead to frustration. Careful planning and steady focus will ensure you thrive…

CHRISTMAS AT THE RANCH by Julia McKay (£9.99, PB, Penguin) Ten years after her heart was broken, journalist Emory Oakes has sworn off love. But when her father’s financial scandal lands him in prison, she knows it is time to flee. She heads to snowy Evergreen, the sleepy town where she once spent a magical Christmas falling for horse rancher Tate Wilder, before everything went wrong. Fate, however, has a sense of humour. Stranded and snowbound, Emory must confront both her past and the man she never forgot. As old feelings reignite and secrets emerge, Emory learns that sometimes redemption, forgiveness, and love are waiting right where you left them. CHRISTMAS ON FIFTH AVENUE by Julie Caplin (£9.99, PB, HarperCollins) In the shimmering glow of New York’s Christmas lights, the…

For Cat Deeley, 2025 is unlikely to be a year she remembers with unbridled joy. While her career move to presenting This Morning four days a week in term time has been largely smooth so far, she’s also been dealing with the fallout of her split from her husband of more than 12 years, Northern Irish presenter Patrick Kielty. However, she has been able to lean on one friend in particular through the tricky times, her This Morning co-host Ben Shephard. While the pair didn’t know each other well before they began presenting the show together in March 2024, it appears they have forged a friendship that seems largely to have been kept away from the media but one that has been helping Cat deal with the pain of her…

As my daughters, Ellie, then 19, Layla, 16, and Mya, 13, placed baubles onto the Christmas tree, I watched as they all stood back to admire their handiwork. It was December 2022 and, just like every year, the girls loved helping me decorate the tree with tinsel and baubles. A single mum, I thought back to all of the Christmases we’d spent together - always with my mum Shirley, then 66, who the girls called Nanny Teabag. And soon, we’d have another member of the family to join us. Ellie was pregnant with my first grandchild, due in early January, and I couldn’t wait. ‘This Christmas will be so special,’ I told the girls. Then on 20 December I was home alone while the younger girls were with friends. I’d…

Buy of the week Get into the holiday spirit with Twinings Christmas Tea (£3.75 for 20 bags, twinings.co.uk). It’s blended with cinnamon and clove, known to help balance blood sugar. HEALTH MATHS 3 steps to avoid festive injuries If you do one thing Wash hands regularly ’Tis the season to party, but all of that mingling can be a surefire way to get a cold or the flu. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself – you just need to keep the germs at bay. People with a cold can be contagious for around a fortnight, according to the NHS, but regular handwashing is an effective way to stop bugs in their tracks. Even touching a door handle can raise your risk, as some viruses survive for 24-48 hours…

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW LEAVES ME CLOSE TO TEARS Q I’m dreading Christmas. Nothing is ever good enough for my mother-in-law – the food is too cold, the decorations are tacky, and my house is untidy. Last year, she made comments about my weight and parenting choices, leaving me close to tears. My husband tries to defend me, but this usually ends in an argument. A This isn’t your failure – some people are determined to be difficult. You can’t change her, but you can control how you and your husband deal with this. Boundaries need to be set beforehand, rather than in the moment. If she challenges them, the situation has to change. Would meeting at a neutral location or on a different day be better for your family? 3 ways…

Sitting down for Christmas dinner in glorious sunshine and pulling crackers on a balcony under a blue sky might sound like a pipe dream for many. Yet for my husband Rob and me, this is exactly what Christmas Day can look like. But it can also look like roaring fires and bracing British walks – because, for the past eight years, we haven’t spent the festive season at home. As house sitters and pet sitters, adventure and exploration is where the magic of Christmas lies. Rob and I, both 60, began our relationship later in life, having gone to secondary school together then losing touch. Rob had a career in policing, and raised a son and daughter. Meanwhile, I enjoyed the single life, a career in complementary therapy and a…

Traditional tones Frosted white Winter blues…

READER QUESTION Q I’d like to help others this Christmas but my budget is limited. Do you have any tips? A There are lots of ways to help others that don’t involve money. Are there any local charities near you looking for extra volunteers this Christmas? Also, if you have any food items you know you won’t use, you could give them away with the local sharing app Olio. You can also give away items like clothes, kitchenware or even furniture. Find more info at olioapp.com. Go green for less Common bathroom items like shampoo bottles and loo rolls are some of the most binned packaging items, according to environmental action nongovernmental organisation WRAP. So don’t forget to recycle them! I collect mine in a tote bag hanging on my…

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 In 2011 TV series Simple Cooking, chef Nigel Slater suggested a savoury version of what sweet food, with the inclusion of Parmesan? The answer is the one missing from the grid. CAKECANDYCRUMBLEECLAIRFLANFOOLGELATOMOUSSEMUFFINPIEPUDDINGSCONESORBETTARTTRIFLE Wordwise You have 15 minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the grid. Each word must contain four or more letters, one of which must be the central square. No proper nouns, plurals or foreign words. There is one nine-letter word, for which the clue is: sporting boundary. 20 = average. More than 40 = well done…

Film MERRY LITTLE EX-MAS Available to stream on Netflix now Kate (Alicia Silverstone) is recently divorced, and wants one final, perfect Christmas Day before she sells the family home. But, what happens when her ex arrives with his new, younger and more successful girlfriend? Event LAPLAND UK Open now until 24 December Give your kids a truly special Christmas this year with this immersive experience like no other. Each child will receive a personalised letter from Santa, inviting them to Lapland for a magical day full of fun and live performances before they get to meet the big man himself. Event HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND Hyde Park, London, open until 1 January 2026 Arguably the UK’s biggest winter attraction, what’s more festive than a trip to Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland?…

MARATHON MAN Like its author, Boys Don’t Cry is a breath of fresh air, written by BBC Radio 1 host and reality star Jamie Laing. ‘It’s an A-Z of everything we should be talking about,’ Jamie says. ‘When I was doing my ultra marathon, I wanted to do it for people who have struggled in silence with their mental health and so many people said that my openness was incredible, so I thought I’d try and write it down. Hopefully someone will pick it up, read it and connect with it.’ GREAT SCOT! Here’s me ‘fangirling’ over Shetland star Ashley Jensen when she popped in to chat about the new series. I told the Scots-born actor I was brought up in Aberdeenshire, when my father worked on helicopters servicing oil…