Innholdsfortegnelse for 01-Mar-2021 i Woman

We hit a big milestone in the Fernando household and have reached half-term, hurrah! A few more grey hairs (me), a few more interrupted meetings (my husband, he is bald already!) and the kids, well… They are just relieved not to have us policing their online lessons. If you are like me and have a bit of respite to enjoy, then indulge yourself, because the Woman team have created a mag packed with great reads. I’ll be taking note of how to brighten my tired eyes (p22), while those winter pies look delicious (p36) and comforting, just what’s needed on these cold days.…

Celebrity agents are usually the only thing standing between their clients and the media, quietly cleaning up any messes and keeping unwanted stories out of the press – all the while remaining discreet. Which is why it’s so rare for a publicist to break ranks and share jaw-dropping stories about the not-so-glamorous life of TV stars. But that’s exactly what Melanie Blake has done, telling her stories through her latest novel. For more than two decades she’s worked with some of the biggest names from EastEnders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale – including Gillian Taylforth and Beverley Callard. From having to get involved with messy love lives to witnessing her clients involved in public romps, here Melanie lifts the lid on what really happens when the cameras are switched off. Not…

A SPLASH OF COLOUR The Silent Witness star’s use of colour really brought this look to life. The rainbow detail and pink shoes ensured Emilia stood out from the crowd. VINTAGE-ESQUE Emilia nailed vintage chic by pairing this bold patterned midi skirt with a plain navy top. The matching belt and shoe combo added a final flair. GOING DOTTY Not one to shy away from print and patterns, Emilia rocked this midi-length polka-dot dress. The conservative neckline and long sleeves exuded sophistication. FRESH AS A DAISY Emilia looked red-carpet ready when she nailed Hollywood glamour in this stunning floral, floor-length gown – not forgetting those incredible jewels! MIXING IT UP Clearly a fan of florals, Emilia donned them again here – but ensured things weren’t too feminine by pairing the…

BE BRONZE Woken up exhausted? Apply a little more bronzer than you would normally, and blend in really well. In the same way that a suntan makes you look healthier, this trick will make you look like you’ve just come back from a restful sunshine holiday, without the jetlag. WE RATE: Essence Sun Club Natural Glow Bronzing Powder, £2.99, feelunique.com EMPHASISE YOUR EYES Your eyes are the first place to show fatigue, so perk them up with a brightening champagne-coloured eyeshadow (or a deeper gold shade if you’re darker skinned) swept across the lids, and a good squeeze of some lash curlers and you’ll look bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. WE RATE: Kiko Milano Water Eyeshadow in Champagne, £8.99, kikocosmetics.com / Lilly Lashes Eyelash Curler, £16, lookfantastic.com ILLUMINATE LIQUID Using a creamy highlighter…

‘HER EARLY YEARS WERE A BLANK’ To most people, this photograph of my mother and grandmother is simply a black-and-white image of a pretty young woman holding a baby. She has a half smile on her face as the child tries to wriggle free. But to me, it’s both heartbreaking and incredible. The baby, Evelyn, is my mum, and the woman, Dora, my grandma. Mum never had the chance to see the photo, never even knew it existed. She died, aged 69, believing her mother had perished in a  concentration camp. Mum couldn’t have dreamt that, across the Atlantic, Dora lived to be 71 years old, desperately searching for her lost baby all her life. But with one DNA test, in March 2020, I accidentally uncovered the truth. Without a…

STORECUPBOARD STAR Say goodbye to peeling, chopping and slow-frying onions with M&S Cook With Easy Cooked Onions. Deliciously sweet and meltingly tender, simply open the jar and scoop into soups, sauces, stews, curries, veggie bakes, quiches, toasties and hot dogs – the list is endless, £1.50, 230g. YOGURT UPGRADE Back away from the biscuit tin when hunger strikes and dip into a new Yeo Valley Organic Corner Yogurt with Organic Almond Butter instead. Natural, Black Cherry and Banana flavours each come with a portion of smooth almond butter on the side to make a delicious and healthy anytime-of-day snack, £1.50, 130g, Sainsbury’s. BREAKFAST BAKING If you fancy a warm, straight-from-the-oven muffin for breakfast, you can whip some up in next to no time with Asda’s new Vegan Breakfast Muffin Mixes.…

Vanessa Holburn, author of How To Pick A Puppy (£12.99, Robinson), says, ‘Brits have gone mad for puppies during the pandemic, with the trend for canine companions seeing members of the public shelling out thousands of pounds for a designer dog. Now demand has outstripped supply, pooch prices have rocketed, and selling dogs has become a lucrative business. ‘Perhaps it’s not surprising that there has also been a massive rise in dog theft. A stolen dog can be sold on, or if the dog isn’t neutered, used to breed litter after litter of puppies to make even more cash. ‘To have a dog stolen is like losing a family member. And the worry of not knowing if the dog you love is safe and properly cared for causes terrible pain.…

Confused over my hormone treatment Q About a decade ago I went through the menopause after treatment for cancer, where they removed my womb at the age of 32, and was put on oestrogen. Now my sister has started HRT but she’s been given oestrogen and progesterone – am I missing something? Do I need progesterone too? Philippa says A Hormone replacement therapy for the menopause always involves oestrogen, as most symptoms are related to oestrogen deficiency. The guidance is that, if you have a womb, oestrogen must always be given with progesterone, as the effect of oestrogen alone increases your risk of developing womb (uterine) cancer. However, you had your womb removed so you are safe to have oestrogen alone. If progesterone is required, it can be given via…

Help to find the male sweet spots Q Over time, I’m learning to find and touch my pleasure spots – some, such as my G-spot, on the ‘inside’ of my genitals, and some, such as my urethra, on the ‘outside’. Interestingly, my best climaxes happen when stimulating two points at once – one inside, one outside. And I’ve now read an article claiming the same is true for men, so touching inside/outside delivers great orgasms for him too. But have I understood this properly? Susan says A Yes. Both genders have pleasure spots outside and inside, and stimulating these can deliver amazing sensations. Urethra and vaginal G-spot is a good combination for her; try penis and anal prostate gland for him. To avoid infections, use different hands or toys for…

ATTENBOROUGH’S LIFE IN COLOUR BBC1 In this new three-part documentary, Sir David Attenborough explores how colour plays a vital role in the daily lives of animals, including birds-of-paradise in New Guinea. COMING 2 AMERICA Amazon Prime Video Eddie Murphy returns as Prince Akeem in the sequel to Coming to America. The African royal and Semmi (Arsenio Hall) head to the US to find Akeem’s long-lost son. NOSE Amazon Prime Video Find out how Christian Dior’s famous perfumes are made in this one-off documentary, which follows the brand’s perfume creator and ‘nose’ Francois Demachy.…

Sheridan ‘IT’S SCARY TO ASK FOR HELP’ Sheridan Smith has opened up about struggling to ask for help when it came to her own mental-health issues. The star – who welcomed son Billy in May last year, with fiancé Jamie Horn – confessed, ‘It’s scary to ask for help. I think people are much more aware of that now.’ Sheridan, 39, now brands herself an ‘advocate’ of mental health, having suffered a mental breakdown in 2016 following her dad’s cancer diagnosis. At the time, Sheridan was starring in Funny Girl in London’s West End. Juggling a sell-out show and confronting the fact that her father didn’t have long left to live caused her mental health to unravel. ‘I just fell apart,’ she admitted two years after her anxiety-induced hiatus from…

When you are a member of the Royal Family, there is a fine line between acting ‘for the people’ and actually being ‘of the people’. This was demonstrated by the Duchess of Cambridge this month when she joined a Zoom call for fellow parents at a London school. Kate said she was finding schooling her young children in lockdown ‘exhausting’. She hoped her words would resonate with other parents forced to keep their children at home at this difficult time. After all, as a mum-of-three, 39-year-old Kate is more than qualified to air the frustrations felt by millions of parents up and down the country. Her admission seemed to go down well with the parents from Roe Green Junior School in London, who took part. However, within minutes of her…

COOLING CLEANSE Reinvigorate dull skin with a refreshing cleanser such as Q+A Peppermint Daily Cleanser, £7.50, qandaskin.com. The natural peppermint leaf oil cools and reduces puffiness, leaving your skin feeling more awake. DAILY VITAMIN Yes to Grapefruit Brightening Bubbling Paper Mask, £3.99, lookfantastic.com, is full of radiance-boosting vitamin C. Leave it to bubble for 10 minutes and see your skin renewed. LIGHT SPRITZ A facial mist such as Revolution Skincare Hyaluronic Hydrating Essence Spray, £6, Boots, adds an extra layer of hydration to your skincare routine, and boosts tired skin, leaving it dewy and glowing. GO FOR CAFFEINE An eye product such as The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Serum, £8.99, lookfantastic. com, will get to work on reducing puffiness, leaving you looking well-rested.…

✱ NEVER KEEP POTATOES IN THE FRIDGE It could lead to the formation of more free sugars (known as ‘cold sweetening’), which can increase levels of acrylamide, a chemical believed to cause cancer. ‘These harmful chemicals are typically formed when foods with high sugar or starch content are cooked at high temperatures,’ says cancer expert Professor Robert Thomas, consultant oncologist at Addenbrooke’s and Bedford Hospital. ‘This is especially true if the potatoes are fried, roasted or baked. If you want to fry or roast potatoes, do so only until they are golden, not browned or blackened.’ ✱ EAT POMEGRANATE TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER ‘Pomegranate extract, rich in ellagic acid, has been shown to directly inhibit cell growth and induce apoptosis – the process of bad cells killing themselves,’ says Professor…

1 LATTE PORRIDGE Get your breakfast and caffeine fix all in one go with The Great British Porridge Co. Caffe Latte Instant Porridge. Just add water and cook for 1 min for a deliciously warming start to the day, £3.99, 7 servings, Waitrose and Ocado. 2 MOCHA HOT CROSS BUNS Made from rich brioche dough flavoured with coffee, studded with dates, sultanas and chocolate chunks, Heston from Waitrose Mocha Coffee Hot Cross Buns are a weekend winner, £1.70, 2-pack, Waitrose. 3 FLAT WHITE CANS Jimmy’s Flat White Iced Coffee cans in Extra Shot, Oat and Skinny options are the perfect instant pick-you-up. All made with arabica coffee, Skinny is fat-free and just 75 cals and Oat is dairy-free, £1.85, 250ml, Tesco and Waitrose.…

1 When you’re out, always ensure your dog is kept within sight. Be cautious of people without a dog who seem to be taking an interest in yours, and never leave your dog tied up outside a shop or alone in a car. 2 Make it harder for thieves to target your dog at home. Secure your house and garden – use lights, motion sensors and cameras, and bolt gates at top and bottom. 3 By law, your dog should be microchipped and wear an ID tag. You can be quickly reunited with your pet if your details are current, so don’t forget to update them if you move. As neutered dogs aren’t any use to puppy farmers, add this detail to your dog’s tag. AND IF YOU DO LOSE…

Beat heartburn For 25% of UK adults affected, heartburn has a huge impact. ‘Medicine that reduces the acid your stomach produces, will bring longer-lasting relief,’ says Dr Sarah Jarvis. Try Pyrocalm Control 20mg Gastro-Resistant Tablets (£6.99 for 7 tablets, pyrocalmcontrol.co.uk). Boost brain health New research* shows the more exercise you do in midlife, the healthier your brain will be as you age. They found those who exercised more had less damage to the small blood vessels in the brain, and less damage to the brain overall. Dairy-free snacking If you’ve recently adopted a plant-based diet, but are struggling to find tasty dairy-free alternatives, try this new range of plant-based Greek-style yogurts from The Collective. Available in four different flavours including fudge and raspberry (£2.20 for 400g tub, Sainsbury’s).…

Reading Relate suggests a list of specially written books and quizzes about love and sex, including ones on how to find a partner, how to improve your relationship, how to navigate a partnership crisis and how to survive a break-up. Counselling There are a range of different kinds of support – telephone, live chat and webcam counselling. Talking to a Relate counsellor is private, confidential and supportive. Some services are free. Learning Relate offers a variety of workshops to help you develop personally and professionally, build your confidence and skills, and improve relationships in all areas of your life. Log on to relate.org.uk to find out more about all these resources.…

FIND YOU FIRST BY LINWOOD BARCLAY (£20, HQ, HB) Another pacy rollercoaster of a ride from the bestselling author of No Time For Goodbye and Elevator Pitch. Tech billionaire Miles has a terminal illness and decides to track down the children who aren’t aware he exists. But there’s someone a step ahead of him – a killer – and now it’s a race against time. This book has everything! Everything Is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray (£12.99, Little, Brown, HB) Like the objects Amy collects, this novel is a treasure all of its own. When Amy’s world fell apart, she began to collect little things, but her collection grew until it seemed there was no room left for her. But when a chance discovery by the new family next door sheds…

In six-part comedy Hapless, the Upstart Crow and Outlander actor stars as journalist Paul Green, who gets himself into all sorts of awkward, but hilarious, situations while reporting on stories for fictional newspaper The Jewish Enquirer. Here, Tim tells us more… How would you describe Hapless? It’s been described as the British Curb Your Enthusiasm, but I think it leans more towards classic British comedies, like Rising Damp, which was a big influence to both me and writer Gary Sinyor. I watched it constantly. Tell us a little bit about Paul… The way his brain works is that if he sees something he doesn’t understand, he will vocalise it rather than take a moment to figure it out or sit quietly and not say anything. He has rather bizarre thoughts…

BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY AppleTV Get a glimpse into the life of the Grammy-winning singer in this documentary, which follows Billie in the year following the release of her debut album. ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA Amazon Prime Video Daniel Radcliffe stars in this thriller, based on a real-life prison break in South Africa. Set in 1979, it follows three prisoners as they plot to escape from their brutal jail. THE VACCINE: CONQUERING COVID Discovery+ This documentary tells the story of how scientists raced to find the vaccine to conquer COVID-19 and looks at some of the obstacles they faced.…

A 19-year-old relationship guidebook that urges women to be ‘bitches’ has become a bestseller, after going viral among young women on the social media app TikTok. Why Men Love Bitches advises women to transform themselves ‘from doormat to dream girl’. Teens and 20-somethings are lapping up the advice, posting their favourite tips from author Sherry Argov online. Surely, four decades after Joan Collins starred in the film The Bitch, and four years after the Me Too movement shone a light on the demeaning of women in the workplace, there’s no room for such hackneyed old advice… Or is there? Survey after survey shows British women lack self-esteem in relationships and at work. That means we are not living the life we would like. Our lack of confidence is holding…

The Duchess of Sussex is braced for a backlash after being branded ‘mean and controlling’ in a new book penned by her half-sister, Samantha Markle. Samantha’s memoir, The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister, has hit bookshelves four years after the 56-year-old revealed it was in the works. ‘YOU CAN’T CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY’ The timing could be a bitter blow because of Meghan’s announcement that she and Harry are expecting their second child this summer. Harry and Meghan made the announcement on Valentine’s Day by issuing a photo – exactly 37 years after Princess Diana revealed she was expecting Harry. The happy news comes as Meghan faces fresh accusations that she neglected her father in the run-up to the 2018 royal wedding, and the book itself is a deeply personal broadside…

Jake Quickenden Seasoned reality TV star Jake has appeared on The X Factor, I’m a Celebrity and Dancing on Ice. But the 32-year-old is using his initiative while work is perhaps quiet during the pandemic, and is charging £15 for video messages. H from Steps Ian Watkins, AKA H from Steps, has been busy releasing music with the pop group recently, but the 44-year-old is picking up some extra cash while the band are unable to tour, and is charging £45 per video. Shirley Ballas As head judge on Strictly, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Shirley, 60, was quids in. But she did miss out on a £100k pay cheque due to the Cinderella panto being cancelled last year, so perhaps that’s why she signed up to personalised celebrity…

Bathe in bubbles Start your cosy evening off with a warm bath. Dove’s bath range is incredibly kind to skin, and creates a tub full of bubbles. This delicious scent is one of our favourites. Dove Caring Bath Shea Butter with Warm Vanilla, £3.99, Boots Skin-softening shower Hot showers can make your skin dry, so using a shower oil that froths into a lather is a fantastic alternative to stripping shower gels. The beautiful scent will linger on your skin. Nuxe Prodigieux Huile De Douche Shower Oil, £13, feelunique.com A helping hand Hard-working hands need extra care during winter months to stop cracks and soreness. This shea-butter-based cream nourishes and prevents dryness for soft, soothed skin. ESPA Neroli & Green Mandarin Hand Balm, £15, espaskincare.com Clean and comforted Keep dry…

Thumbing through the pages of the True Taste recipe book, I’m drawn back to the front cover. No matter how many copies I look at, the excitement of seeing my face and name on my very own cookbook will never subside. Having spent two decades working in events, retraining as a health coach at the age of 40 was terrifying. But now, with a book and a successful coaching business to my name, it’s proved to be one of the most worthwhile things I’ve ever done. ‘I’M NOW IN A POSITION TO HELP’ I haven’t always had the healthiest relationship with food. When I was 14, some kids at school referred to me as ‘thunder thighs’. At around 9st, I wasn’t overweight for my age – but, as I examined…

This week’s top tipples include a reduced-calorie lager, a cocktail with a passion fruit twist and some gin essence to pep up desserts as well as drinks. LOWER-CAL LAGER With just 89 cals a bottle, Skinny Brands Lager may be light on calories but is still full of flavour and it’s gluten-free, £5.75 (4x330ml), £14 (12x330ml), most supermarkets. FEELING PEACHY M&S new Peach & Passion Fruit Bellini is a tasty twist on a classic peach Bellini. This blend of sparkling wine, peach and passion fruit juice is perfect for breakfast in bed, £5, 750ml. DRY GIN ESSENCE Just a few drops of Cotswold Dry Gin Essence gives a wonderful botanical gin flavour, with less alcohol, to tonic, cocktails, cake icings, sauces and desserts, £14.95, 100ml (20 servings) cotswolds distillery.com…

Kelly Green, 47, lives in Essex with her husband and their dogs, Missy and Boi Boi, both four. It was December 2019, and my husband and I had gone out to run an errand for just half an hour. But when we got home, we realised the door had been forced open. My first thought, as we ran inside, wasn’t for the TV, or my jewellery. No, instead, I was racing through the house screaming for my French bulldogs. ‘I TORTURED MYSELF WITH WORRY’ Before I’d even checked every room, I just knew they were gone. They usually came running to greet us, but the house was eerily silent. My instinct was right – they’d been stolen. My husband’s watch had gone, too, and some jewellery, but all I was…

WE FEEL LONELY IN OUR NEW HOME Q I moved a lot in my childhood as my parents were in the forces. When I went to university, the four years I stayed there was the longest I’d ever been in one place. I joined my parents for a year afterwards, then went back to what I felt was my home and met and married my husband. We had our children there and had a wide circle of friends. Two years ago, we both got big promotions that led both of us to move to a new city. It was exciting and we met a whole new group of friends. And then COVID-19 hit. We’ve both been working from home, and in and out of various restrictions. It feels like our…

HAS TRAVELLING WITH MY PUP CHANGED POST BREXIT? Now that Brexit has come into force, there are new rules for travelling internationally with our pets. As before, the country you are travelling to will have its own unique regulations, so it is important to check the government website to determine what exactly is needed. Always take a look at gov.uk/ taking-your-pet-abroad when planning a trip. Just like in 2020, there are a set number of things that need to be done to travel within the EU, like having your pet microchipped, having a valid Rabies vaccination and having an ‘Animal Health Certificate’. Some countries will also require your dog has been treated for tapeworm. A new Animal Health Certificate is needed for each trip and is required for travel from Great…

ARIES 21 Mar – 20 Apr You’re not quite your feisty best, so take it easy, especially over the weekend. The way a situation looks at the moment is not how it will be in a month’s time. For your reading ☎ 09058 172557 TAURUS 21 Apr – 21 May Aim to get signatures on contracts and people’s firm agreement on a date. What you set in motion now will take you far, both in terms of miles and experience. For your reading ☎ 09058 172558 GEMINI 22 May – 22 Jun Saturday’s full moon completes a process begun some six months ago. And regardless of how you feel about events, a lot of good is going to come out of them. For your reading ☎ 09058…

THEN Patsy’s career began at the age of four when she appeared in an ad for frozen peas and she’s been acting ever since. In the 1980s, she enjoyed pop success with her band Eighth Wonder and the top 10 hit I’m Not Scared. After playing scheming Sadie King in ITV soap Emmerdale (2004-06), she played ward sister Faye Morton, a woman with a mysterious past, in Holby City on BBC1 (2007-2010). NOW As ITV crime drama McDonald & Dodds returns for a second series, Patsy guest stars as murder suspect Barbara, who gets a grilling from detective duo DCI McDonald (Tala Gouveia) and DS Dodds (Jason Watkins) after a hot-air balloon trip in Bath ends in disaster. But, of course, she isn’t the only suspect. Also in the frame…

THE CELEBRITY CIRCLE C4 Kaye Adams and Nadia Sawalha are among the famous faces who are taking part in a celebrity version of the reality show where residents of an apartment block communicate and compete through a social media platform called The Circle. THE GREAT CELEBRITY BAKE OFF C4 James McAvoy is among the new batch of famous faces who will be entering the tent to impress judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their baking skills. Other celebs include Nadine Coyle. INVINCIBLE AMAZON PRIME VIDEO Sandra Oh and Mark Hamill are among the voice cast of this adult animation which follows 17-year-old Mark, who realises his superhero father might not be as heroic as he thought… THE IPCRESS FILE ITV Len Deighton’s 1962 espionage novel…

What a difference In 1970s sitcom The Good Life, Felicity Kendal’s character Barbara was a down-to-earth, nature-loving smallholder. I wonder what Barbara would make of Felicity’s ‘new’ face all these years later. New royal baby! Congrats to Princess Eugenie and hubby Jack Brooksbank on the birth of their baby boy. Luckily, Jack was present at the birth, but you’ve got to feel for all the dads who missed part of their partner’s birth experience last year due to coronavirus restrictions, which thankfully have changed.…