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Inside week

Make Xmas extra-magical with a tour of Hogwarts in the Snow

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Thanks to new film Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, based on J K Rowling’s novel, we’re all fondly reminiscing about the wizarding world of Harry Potter again this Christmas. So, to remind myself just how spellbinding it was, I took my daughter on the new tour of ‘Hogwarts in the Snow’ at the Warner Brothers Studio in Hertfordshire (until 29 Jan). Christmas trees lined the Great Hall and snow fell on Privet Drive as we boarded the Hogwarts Express for a stroll down Diagon Alley. What a perfect start to Christmas – don’t miss out! Tickets cost £35 for adults and £27 for children, but must be pre-booked at wbstudiotour.co.uk, or via 0345 084 0900. O Let us know your thoughts on facebook. com/bestmagazine

Corrie’s Catherine and Shayne get Great Gatsby glam

ON THE COVER

REAL LIFE

9 Susanna’s festive romance! 11 Gatsby glam! Corrie stars Roar back to the 20s for Xmas 15 Coleen: ‘I long to find my missing half-sister’ 70 Mum’s miracles: ‘My two Christmas Day angels’ 88 Win! 10 M&S giftcards worth £100 each

22 Open letter to my darling daughter 38 ‘We had sex every day for a year’ 72 Our big festive fails

SHOWBIZ

8 Sheridan’s heartache: tragedy strikes again 20 Paul O’Grady: ‘A toast to absent friends…’ 29 Strictly laid bare with Bruno 37 Jamie Oliver shares his Christmas plans 64 Mary & Paul’s final fling 76 Laura Tobin: ‘Piers pushes everyone’s buttons!’ 82 Season of joy? EXECUTIVE EDITOR Soap SIOBHAN WYKES special

REGULARS 4 Start your week with a smile 16 Your time to shine: Christmas party style 24 Champagne testing 25 Homes: Cushions 26 Health: Tend to your hangover! 28 Non-alcoholic drinks 30 We’re all talking about 32 Celebrate your shape 34 Fashion Fix 35 Style: Sparkly shoes 40 Merry mani-mas! 42 Santa, baby! Luxury lingerie 43 Your photo-finish face 54 Get the party started! 56 Lose weight by the weekend! 58 The Cashback Queen 60 The 12 scents of Christmas

62 Your Christmas wish list 66 Your 2017 stars 74 Claire crafts Christmas 78 Girls’ night in… and out 84 Cowell confidential 86 Travel: winter hotspots 89 Crossword 90 Treat yourself for under a tenner

FOOD & DRINK 45 Season’s eatings: our nine-page guide to food over the festive period Hearst Magazines UK is a trading name of The National Magazine Company Limited (Registered in England number 112955) whose registered offices are at 72 Broadwick Street, London W1F 9EP. Terms and conditions: Entrants must be 18 or over. Employees of The National Magazine Company trading as Hearst Magazines UK, Spoke and associated companies are excluded from taking part. Hearst Magazines UK retains the right to not award prizes to claimants or consortiums who in the opinion of Hearst Magazines UK have not entered into the spirit of the promotion. Should more prizes be claimed than are available in any prize category for any reason or claimed as a result of a technical error, a simple draw may take place for the prize. The editor’s decision is final. Suppliers cannot be held responsible for breakdown in communication systems or networks. Images are for representational purposes only. SP: Spoke, www.Spoke-Interactive. com. Data Protection: We will use the information you supply to process your competition entry. For our privacy policy visit hearst.co.uk/dp

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COVER PICTURES: ALYSON BLANCHARD, BIGSTOCK, GETTY, NICKY JOHNSTON, WIREIMAGE THIS PAGE: TIM ANDERSON

A very Harry Christmas

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OPEN YOUR HEART...

We were delighted when Madonna, 58, offered to remarry Sean Penn, 56, at a gala for her charity, Raising Malawi. But it was on the condition that he bid $150,000 for a necklace – which he did. Although he was outbid, that didn’t stop the pair getting cosy on stage later. We’d love to see this 80s couple back together!

The former lovebirds in 1987

4 Victoria’s baffling bag People complain that Posh, 42, never smiles, but she definitely made us laugh last week. Because when some of you pointed out that her bag looked more like a dog than anything else, she reposted a similar picture on her Instagram, giving it eyes and adding cartoon canines. She said, ‘Contrary to this picture, I’m not carrying a Pomeranian, but my favourite new #VBPreAW17 tissue bag in teddy bear faux fur! X’ What a ‘carry-on’...

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Mrs B’s sense of humour is through the woof!

Who wowed the crowd?

We never expected to see celebs basing their outﬁts on a box of chocolates – but a few of them manage to pull it off perfectly!

BES… THE NEW ROYAL RO We best girls donned our Christmas jumpers last week, and it looks like we’re in good company – because the Queen and co have got theirs on, too. Well, kind of. The Royal Family have given permission to Madame Tussauds to dress their waxworks in the festive garments for Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day.

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Looking for a beauty gift set with a little something extra to give to someone special this Christmas? As well as a host of luxury bath and body treats, inside each Sanctuary Make A Wish gift set, £45 at Boots, there is a special golden ticket where lucky recipients will be in with a chance to have their cleaning done for a whole year! Who needs Willy Wonka?

WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH, SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: AKM-GSIXPOSURE, AP/PA IMAGES, GETTY, INSTAGRAM/XPOSURE

It looks like the la te unlikely fashion ic st box of Quality Str on is a ee Liz Hurley, 51, an t. While dM Keegan, 29, stunn ichelle ed Vanilla Fudge and in pink jew Coconut Eclair, ‘Q el blue u Shops’ Mary Port een of as’ G Triangle outﬁt m reen issed the mark entirely .

best this WEEK

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Fairy 6 fashion Looking like a Christmas ornament is a difficult (and rarely attempted) trend to get right, but while singer Gwen Stefani, 47, appeared as the perfect angel for the top of our tree, presenter Vanessa Feltz, 54, deﬁnitely looked a little bit more scary than fairy! But, credit where credit is due, she did pull off some killer moves on that red carpet...

WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH, LOUISE BULGIN PICTURES: AJAY ARORA, FILMMAGIC, GETTY, INSTAGRAMSOLO SYNDICATION, YOUTUBE

SANTA PAWS!

Brings a new meaning to Puss in Boots, doesn’t it? Jennifer Stewart dresses up her tabbies, Joey and Morrison, in adorable outfits, and they even have their own Instagram and Facebook pages! Morrison is certainly in the Christmas spirit here – he looks purr-fect!

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Fairy-tale fab for Gwen – but a fashion fail for Vanessa!

best this WEEK

Christmas is always a busy time of year for elves, and these two look extremely exhausted! But if you look closely, you may recognise them as Loose Women’s Kaye Adams and Nadia Sawalha. Despite an elf’s work never being done, they were at least rewarded with taste-testing a banana and bacon triﬂe. Sounds a little ‘un-elfy’ to us!

Instagram/@nadiaandkaye

SANTA’S SHATT ERED HELPERS…

THAT’S MINT!

Mariah has swiftly moved on from her former fiancé

Cosy up this winter with some festive spirit! Smirnoff’s Limited Edition Peppermint Twist, £10 at Asda, is a perfect tipple, and you can use it to make this delicious hot chocolate...

Ingredients 50ml Smirnoff Peppermint Twist Liqueur 200ml hot chocolate 1 dollop whipped cream 1 peppermint stick

Mariah’s mended heart Two months after breaking up with fiancé James Packer, Mariah Carey is back on the dating scene, and it looks like her new beau is sweeping her off her feet – literally! The 46-year-old confirmed she is seeing choreographer Bryan Tanaka, 33, and judging by this pic, he’s all she wants for Christmas…

Method 1. Mix your favourite hot chocolate or cocoa powder with milk and heat up. 2. Pour a shot of Smirnoff Peppermint Twist into the drink. 3. Garnish with some whipped cream and a festive peppermint stick 2 units alcohol per serving

best for showbiz Sheridan’s mourning the loss of her number-one fan, dad Colin

Sheridan’s heartache It’s been a tough year for actress Sheridan Smith, now tragedy strikes again as her dad passes away

In happier times with Colin, mum Marilyn and brother Damian

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ollowing the death of Sheridan Smith’s beloved father, Colin, 80, from cancer, the actress took the decision to bow out of The Royal Variety Performance last Tuesday. His passing has brought a heartbreaking conclusion to the year for the theatre star. Sheridan, 35, who has previously described her tight-knit family as being ‘a bit like The Waltons’, was devastated when her dad was diagnosed with the terminal disease in March of this year – resulting in her temporarily pulling out of her leading role in West End show Funny Girl. When one unsympathetic Twitter user criticised the former Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps and

Gavin & Stacey actress for not performing, she wrote, ‘If you just found out your dad had cancer, you wouldn’t be such a heartless human. Take care, love.’ In April, there were claims that Sheridan appeared to be drunk on stage. The following month, she took two months off for stress and exhaustion. During that time, she was also rushed to hospital after collapsing at a spa. When the star eventually returned to her role of Fanny Brice in July, she was proudly sporting a pendant with the words that read poignantly, ‘My dad, my hero’. It was Colin, with Sheridan’s mum, Marilyn, who ﬁrst introduced her to the world of showbiz. As they performed as country and western duo The Daltons, a young Sheridan would sometimes perform alongside them doing ‘little dance routines’. Colin had always been his daughter’s number-one fan. He even accompanied her arm-in-arm to the 2011 Olivier Awards, where she won Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Tragically, Sheridan had already lost one member of her tight-knit family to cancer. The actress, who played a breast cancer sufferer in BBC One drama The C Word, lost her 18-year-old brother, Julian, to the ‘hideous illness’ when she was just eight. Speaking of that loss, she said, ‘[Julian’s death] makes me value life, cherish my loved ones and be grateful for every day I have with them.’ It’s all just horribly sad. We can but hope that Sheridan ﬁnds some peace and happiness next year – and perhaps lasting love, too. She deserves it.

PICTURES: REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

WORDS: SHELLEY MARSDEN

The mum-ofthree has been single for two years now

Is it a case of New Year, new man, for Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid?

Susanna’s secret romance? She comes across as bright, bubbly and carefree, but TV presenter Susanna Reid has been a single lady since splitting from her hubby, journalist Dominic Cotton, in 2014, after 16 years together. While the gorgeous 46-year-old has never publicly admitted to looking for love again, she may be hoping that next year will bring her romance, particularly since her ex has moved on (with mum-of-two Adela Straughan). So, could it be a case of New Year, new man for the brunette beauty? We certainly hope so! Astrologerto-the-stars Russell Grant, 65, thinks it might be, too. He’s predicted her horoscope for 2017, and it looks like

Astrologer Russell says romance is on the cards

love could be on the cards… Lucky Susanna! ‘A secret romance could develop,’ he explains. ‘But it won’t be until next Christmas that any rumours of it would be confirmed.’ As a working mum to three young children, it’s not surprising that Russell says ‘Susanna is fiercely protective of her private life’, and ‘would be thinking seriously about her future and new contracts’. But what do the stars reveal about her relationship with cohost (and Arien) Piers Morgan, after two years on air together? ‘Fire signs are usually compatible and, on the surface, at least, these two will politely tolerate each other. But a Jupiter/Mercury link between their charts suggests competitiveness can be a real problem,’ says Russell. ‘Occasional flare-ups are

Fire signs Piers and Susanna can expect flare-ups!

likely, but when Jupiter’s involved – as it will be in 2017 – this could build into a volcanic catastrophe.’ We certainly hope not! Although, on their current form, it seems Sagittarian Susanna’s (her birthday was on 10 December) patience with Piers may be wearing thin. Asked recently what she would like to give him for Christmas, she replied, ‘A roll of Sellotape for his mouth! Or maybe a ventriloquist’s dummy and he could present with that! He sees me opening my mouth as an opportunity to speak.’ Don’t mess with this lady,

we say, because, as Russell explains, ‘She has the fearless, disciplined energy of both Capricorn and Scorpio in her chart!’ So, with a possible new romance, ﬂare-ups and maybe even new work opportunities, it looks like an exciting 2017 for one of our favourite breakfast TV presenters. And Russell agrees. He says, ‘Astrologically, every 29 years, everyone has to face Saturn getting close to our Natal Sun. Over the year ahead, Susanna’s likely to ﬁnd herself seriously considering her future, as Pluto suggests it’s time for a change.’

Susanna and Piers? Russell predicts the relationship could become ‘a problem’ – even ‘a volcanic catastrophe’! FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 9

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, GETTY, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

WORDS: LYNN CARRATT, RUSSELL GRANT

best for showbiz Welcome to the Roaring 20s!

‘We’ve had an incredible year’ Coronation Street’s Aidan & Eva – aka Catherine Tyldesley and Shayne Ward – ooze Gatsby glamour…

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he Great Gatsby is an iconic love story in which a beautiful girl called Daisy falls in love with Jay Gatsby, an elusive figure who throws party after party in an effort to impress her. Yet, ultimately, their heady love affair ends in disaster. Is that the fate awaiting Corrie’s most glamorous couple, Aidan Connor and Eva Price (Shayne Ward and Catherine Tyldesley)? We hope not – but things aren’t looking good as we watch to see if Street heartthrob Aidan will break Eva’s heart and leave her for Maria, while she fights to avoid spending this Christmas behind bars. It sounds to us – just like in The Great Gatsby – that there will be fireworks and tears ahead… Thankfully, real life is much rosier for the popular pair! Shayne, 32, has just become a dad for the first time with former Hollyoaks star Sophie Austin, also 32, while Cath, 33, who is mum to son Alfie, 19 months, released her debut album Rise. In our Christmas special, we take the couple back in time to the prohibition

era of The Great Gatsby as they fill us in on their incredible past 12 months… You both look amazing dressed as Jay and Daisy! Are you fans of the film? Shayne: I can’t remember seeing it – but I reckon I look good in this outfit! Catherine: Babe, you must have done! It’s the one with Leonardo DiCaprio in the remake, and Robert Redford was in the 1974 version. S: Leonardo and Robert are both good-looking men, I wouldn’t mind being a Leo, actually. C: It’s one of my favourite films. I’m a girlie girl and I love all the glitz and glamour of that era. I’d dream of playing [the role], next to Leo as my leading man. Can you imagine? Cath, do you think there are any similarities between you and Daisy? C: Well, I love the 20s and I would have loved to have been a flapper. I can sing and dance, too – to play Daisy would be amazing. In Gatsby, there’s a love triangle between Jay, Daisy and her husband.

What a gent… but Jay Gatsby wasn’t who he appeared to be

Can you tell us more about the on-screen love triangle that’s developing between Aidan, Eva and Maria? S: Aidan’s supporting Maria through a difficult time [she’s facing prison over her fake marriage] and they grow close. They’ve known each other for years, so he feels protective towards her. He still loves Eva, and I actually laughed with Cath and Samia [Longchambon], who plays Maria, about this. He feels like he can have a conversation with Maria, whereas he can’t with Eva.

Cath with hubby Tom and son Alfie

Shayne with partner Sophie

C: Eva’s a bit naive, isn’t she, babe? I think she looks at Maria as a person who needs help and wants to give it to her. She’s unaware that Aidan has already cheated on her with that woman! Eva believes Aidan is her Prince Charming, I think when Eva finds out the truth, she’s going to be devastated. Away from the Street, you’ve both had a big year. Shayne, you’ve become a father to baby daughter Willow May… S: I’m completely besotted with her. This Christmas is going to be so exciting. It’s wicked joining the family club. I love being a dad and I’m a pro at changing nappies. I’ve taken my paternity leave from work, which is five weeks, so I’m getting under Sophie’s feet. It’s topped off an amazing year. C: I’ve bought Willow some really cute outfits. Shayne’s fantastic with kids – my Alfie loves him. Every time we’re in the car, he says, ‘Shayne, Shayne,’ so I have to play his album. When he first met him, he was

best for showbiz … and neither is Corrie’s Aidan Connor

awestruck. Shayne held his hand and sang to him, and Alfie just stared back, mesmerised. Cath, you got married in the summer, to personal trainer Tom Pitfield… C: The day was perfect, I couldn’t have asked for anything more – it was like a dream come true. Tom and I are both traditional and it just cemented everything we have together. Shayne sang on my wedding day, too… S: I did. I sang Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle. I think it went down well with the guests. I got a standing ovation. Cath, you’ve just released your debut album Rise. Which do you prefer, singing or acting? C: I love both. I used to gig before I started on Corrie – I sang jazz – and it’s always been my ambition to one day release an album. I promised my late grandfather I would do it. And everyone has been so supportive of me on Twitter, too – the comedian Paddy McGuinness sent me the loveliest tweet. It’s also great working with Shayne, because he’s given me loads of tips on how to look after my voice. We also recorded a duet on the album. S: I was honoured she asked me. I jumped at the chance to duet with her. The track is called Get Here, and it was nice to be back in the studio recording. I won The X Factor back in 2005, so obviously my first love was singing. It was an amazing time for me. And people still come up to me and say stuff like, ‘I was seven years

‘Eva really believes Aidan is her Prince Charming. When she finds out the truth, she’ll be devastated’ FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 13

best for showbiz Cheers! Here’s to the most exciting Christmas ever

‘I love the glitz and glamour of that era. To play the role of Daisy would be amazing…’ old when you won The X Factor and I’m 18 now!’ That’s just crazy. I love my job on Corrie, but I’d love to record again one day. How are you both spending Christmas Day this year? C: I’ll be having a rest! My last gig is in London on 23 December, and Corrie stops ﬁlming for two weeks, so it’s a good time to completely stop and relax. My family lives close by, so on Christmas Day we’ll go there for dinner. I’ve bought Alﬁe a Little Tikes kitchen. I’m so excited to see his little face. I think Tom and I are getting old, because we just said to each other, ‘Let’s buy something for the house.’ S: Sophie and I have to split the time between my family in Manchester

and her family in Essex. We haven’t decided whose house we’ll go to ﬁrst yet. But one thing I do know is I won’t be cooking! Although, I’ll be happy to eat food and drink a Guinness or two. I’m also pretty good at choosing gifts. I’ve bought Sophie something really nice this year, but I can’t tell you what it is, because she’ll read this and it will spoil the surprise. That seems fair! So, after overindulging at Christmas, will it be back to the gym for you both come the new year? C: I genuinely really enjoy working out – I’ve got a personal trainer and I’ve recently started boxing as well. Both help me to stay in shape – which is just as well with some of

the outﬁts Eva has to wear on the show… [Corrie bosses] dressed me in a sexy Santa outﬁt for one of the Christmas episodes – there was hardly anything to it! I had to send a picture to Tom just to show him. S: I’ve stopped working out and have put on a few pounds since I started my role on Corrie, but I’ve got an excuse: I was pregnant, so I was allowed to eat! But Cath has started getting me into boxing, too. I really enjoy it so, in the new year, I’d like to do a bit more of that. Cheers, guys, we think you make a perfect Corrie couple – we hope things will end more happily for you than for Gatsby’s Jay and Daisy…

WORDS: LYNN CARRATT PICTURES: XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM, ZENPIX LTD/PAUL COUSANS PHOTOGRAPHY: NICKY JOHNSTON STYLIST: FIONA PARKHOUSE MAKE-UP: ANNA AT POUT HAIR: VINCENT ALLENBY SHAYNE’S TUXEDO, SHIRTS AND ACCESSORIES BY M&S, CATHERINE’S DRESS BY DYNASTY UK; JEWELLERY AND HAIR ACCESSORIES BY NEW LOOK

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best for STRAIGHT TALK

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CO AN NOL

‘FINDING MY SISTER WOULD BE THE BEST XMAS PRESSIE EVER!’

PICTURES: GETTY, XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM

t Christmas, we all want to see loved ones. But one family member I won’t see – as much as I’d love to – is my half-sister. I was in my mid-twenties when I found out she existed, during one of those chats about life with Mum and my sisters, Linda and Maureen. We were talking, and Mum suddenly came out with, ‘Something you don’t know is, you have a half-sister…’ And then she told us the story. That’s the problem with family secrets. The truth will always come out in the end. It was when my parents were living in Ireland, and Mum was eight months pregnant with her second eldest, Denise. She must have had an inkling that my dad, Tommy, had another woman, and knew where she lived. She was looking for Dad one day, and went to this woman’s house, only to be greeted by her, and she was about eight months pregnant. MY FAMILY Can you

imagine the shock? We think the woman may have given her baby up for adoption. Or perhaps she’s out there, and has no idea about us. Worse, maybe she’s died. As for Dad, he never spoke about it to me – and I never mentioned it to him. I wasn’t angry about what had happened. I just felt so sorry for my mum, who stuck with her husband despite his betrayal, and for the half-sister we never knew. I’d love to ﬁnd her, but I don’t know where to start – it’s so frustrating. If fresh information led me to her, it would be the best Christmas present ever! Instead, I’m left with so many unanswered questions: What’s she like? Does she look like us Nolan sisters? Is she happy? I hope so.

‘I’d love to find her, but I don’t know where to start – it’s so frustrating. I have many unanswered questions’

and another thing... SISTER BONDS

DANNII & KYLIE

Dannii Minogue has called Kylie a ‘tower of strength’ – I feel the same about my sisters. They’ve all helped me through rough patches. Maureen was a wonderful listener and never judged. I hope I can do the same for her now that her marriage is over.

MAUREEN & ME

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YOUR TIME TO SHINE £14 £35 16 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

It’s Christmas! Time to break out the sequins, ﬂoat into frills and bring back the velvet

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‘A toast to

absent friends…’ aul O’Grady cuddling up to a cute puppy – or 20 (as seen in For The Love Of Dogs At Christmas) – has become a staple of our festive viewing. And this year Paul, 61, is also bringing his warmth and humour to a oneoff special, a magical adventure delving into the history of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales with Paul O’Grady’s Favourite Fairy Tales. On top of that, he’ll be channelling his inner wicked stepmum at the London Palladium. But, as Paul reveals exclusively to best, Christmas is both a chance to kick back WORDS: SHELLEY MARSDEN PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES

Paul O’Grady will be raising a glass to the good friends he’s lost throughout the years this Christmas… with old friends, and a bittersweet reminder of the ones that he’s lost… Hi, Paul! Tell us about your new show, Favourite Fairy Tales… Oh, it was magical to ﬁlm. The German countryside is stunning – there was a castle on every corner. It reminded me of Ireland, it was drizzling every day! I spent all my summers in Galway as a kid, and my cousins would go, ‘Isn’t this lovely soft weather?’ and I’d go, ‘Erm, no. It’s pissing it down with rain!’

The big bad wolf returns to our screens in Fairy Tales

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Playing fairy-tale roles must’ve been fun... I was the wolf, the wicked stepmother, the witch... The original fairy tales were very dark, you know. The wicked stepmother cut off her daughters’ toes to get the slippers on, and Red Riding Hood was raped, then eaten by the wolf. Imagine telling kids those versions of events! Do you recall your first encounter with a fairy tale? Me dad took me to the cinema to see Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, when I was six. As soon as the wicked queen appeared, I legged it. He took me back to see Sleeping Beauty the next year, and it was the same thing. Gone. I was so used to a tiny black-and-white telly at home, that when I suddenly got this massive screen with a wicked witch brandishing a poisoned apple, I was petriﬁed. We also have Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas to look forward to… Yes! We try and keep it light – we don’t want a terrible tragedy at Christmas! We have sad

best for showbiz Paul helps out at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home

‘A SAD TIME OF YEAR’ Thinking

Dressed up to the nines, Paul as the wicked stepmother in Cinderella

of the frien he’s lost, Paul sa ds ys, ‘Christmas can br ing up mixed emotion s,’ particularly when he thinks of the touc hing gifts that absent friends used to send to his dressing room. ‘It will be sad, in a Cilla [Black] used way. to send me a single orch id when I was doing theatre . She’d always leave a no te saying, “Let’s see how lo ng this survives!” But th ere are no orchids there wa The star will be iting for remembering me any more,’ he reveals. his old pal Cilla ‘These are the lit tle things I find terri bly poignant. And ou r Ja they’ve gone, bo [Collins] would alw ckie th of them. ays I’ll be raising a gl send me a bottle ass or of two to them this Champagne! An year, d now that’s for sure.’

stories, but they have happy endings. There’s a lovely Collie I was so tempted to take home, an old boy whose owner had died – those stories really get to me. And there was a whole litter of gorgeous black pug puppies, which they shoved me in the middle of. If I’d have died in that moment, I’d have died happy. How are all the animals at home, on your Kent farm? I always said if I got a bit of land, I’d get a cow – and I did. My mates were like, ‘How are you going to milk a cow?’ and I said, ‘I was milking cows aged six!’ I haven’t got Dot the cow any more, but I’ve got sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, barn owls and dogs. Crikey! Do they get special treats this time of year? They get spoilt rotten at the best of times. My sheep were all hand-raised as lambs – they lived in the kitchen with me and the dogs. They’re fearless. If the dogs go up to them, they just head-butt the canines. It’s one of the joys of living in the countryside – I can ﬁll the place with animals. Are you excited for panto? Can’t wait! I’ve had a couple of heavy TV projects, including one with the Salvation Army [Paul O’Grady: The Sally Army and Me]. In the panto, I’m the wicked stepmother, and I relish being evil – fab! What are your plans over the Christmas holidays? I only get Christmas Day off. So, I’ll have a lie-in, cook the dinner, and spend the rest of the day in a state of collapse. I have seven pals round – no family, because I’m working. It’s only a bloody roast dinner, though, what’s the fuss? Everyone goes into a blind panic. Enjoy yourselves, for goodness’ sake! ● Paul O’Grady’s Favourite Fairy Tales is on Tuesday 20 Dec, 9pm, ITV, and Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs at Christmas on ITV, Christmas Day, 6.45pm

Abbie has bonded with baby brother Dawson

Open letter to m Mum Wendy Willcock, 40, tells her daughter, Abbie, 10, why having autism makes her special and why she wouldn’t swap her for the world…

ear Abbie, You were just seven years old when the shop assistant approached us, wearing ﬂashing snowman earrings and a festive hat. She knelt down and cheerily asked what you hoped Santa might bring you for Christmas. You froze, your face horriﬁed. Because, to you, this was a nightmare. You like order and routine. You want the staff at our local supermarket to wear the uniform they wear all year. So you can’t bear it when Christmas breaks all the rules. That’s just who you are, Abbie. You’re perceptive and observant to the point that all the colours and excitement of Christmas can feel too much. Some kids queue for hours to visit Santa in his grotto, excitedly chatting away to his elves. For them, it’s all part of the magic of Christmas. But to you, Christmas is chaotic. The crowds, lights and noise are just too overwhelming… I know you don’t like feeling this way. You’ll often ask me why you can’t be ‘normal’, like other children. I know you long to see the world how other kids see it, but every time you question me, I have to reply that being ‘normal’ is boring. The way you see the world is a gift. You were only six when your special take on life started to shine through. You

22 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’

, ‘Be the person you are and appreciate your differences. The world ce if would be a boring pla .’ me sa the we were all

Grandma helps make Abbie feel secure

best

for real life

my darling daughter

Last Christmas, she’s all smiles

vary but, in your case, it meant you were extremely intelligent but would always struggle with sensory overload. You were just seven years old. As time went on, we learned that you didn’t know how to make friends, even though you longed for them. Also, busy places, large crowds and sudden noises scared you. Heaving shops would cause you to run and hide in clothing rails, anything to escape whatever was overwhelming you. Frustrated by the world around you, you’d have outbursts, shout and cry. At Christmas, when we’d go to your grandparents’ home for lunch, you’d seek sanctuary under the table when the hustle and bustle became too much. You try to join in as much as you can, but we know that it can hurt your eyes and ears when there is too much stimulation. After a few moments in your special hiding place, Grandma will usually take your hand and lead you out. You’ll go off together and ﬁnd a peaceful corner to sit. We’re all here to protect you. I know that you love Christmas, because you love your family. You’re so clever – you try to understand the things that frighten you. Every year, you’ve developed more tools to help you enjoy the festive period more.

A kiss for Wendy at her wedding

Wendy and her family make sure Christmas is low-key, the way Abbie prefers it

‘You ask me what “normal” is like, but you’re so much more’ One of your favourite parts is decorating the tree. You love the fairy lights, but you’re very particular! They have to be white, not multicoloured, and they have to twinkle gently, not ﬂash intensely. You notice if one light isn’t as bright as the others. I tell you not all lights burn brightly and that’s OK; that’s life. Over the years, you’ve always said all you wanted for Christmas is friends… well, this year, you have proudly declared you now have eight. Your wishes have come true and I’m

thrilled. You’re also excited that your brother, Dawson, is now one year old and can join in the fun. You’re going to help him unwrap his presents, and I know that focusing on his enjoyment helps you, too. This year, I’m sure, is going to be our best Christmas yet. Please don’t spend any more time longing to be something you’re not. I tell you that us ‘normal’ people can see, but we don’t see. You have eyes that actually see, hands that actually feel and ears that actually listen. You notice everything. Things the rest of us don’t even notice – from the colour of someone’s eyes, to a button they’ve missed on their cardigan, to the subtle ting of a triangle in a Christmas jingle. You still ask me what it’s like to be normal. And my special gift to you, my precious Abbie, is the same as it’s always been. To continue helping you see you’re so much more. Happy Christmas. Love, Mum x

WORDS: KIM WILLIS

were incredibly bright, but found it hard to make friends and play make-believe. Your attention to detail, though, was incredible. When you got a doll’s house one Christmas, you put all the furniture perfectly in the right places. You loved Fireman Sam and lined up all the toy trucks in a neat and tidy row. Oh, and the intricate questions you would ask me about Santa’s journey across the world! ‘How does he get down the chimney, Mummy?’ ‘How can he visit every house in just one night?’ Your understanding of what’s possible is literal and practical, so the idea of a man riding a reindeer sleigh through the sky was too much to take. I realised there was no fooling you… We decided to approach our doctor, who set you some ‘special’ games to test your reactions. He put together a pretend kitchen with toy food and sat back to see what you’d do. But you didn’t go near them. You wouldn’t have known what to do if you did. You knew they weren’t real, and you found it impossible to pretend they were. You were soon diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum. It can

best on test Co-op Les Pionniers Champagne, £16.99 Crispy, dry and fruity, there is nothing to dislike about this pale pop. An understated logo means the grand bottle can speak for itself.

Budget bubbles

Aldi Veuve Monsigny Champagne, £9.99 Zesty, with a great fizz factor and notes of apricot. Bargain booze at its best.

+++++

Best Test ON

++++

Lidl Comte de Senneval Champagne, £9.99 Slightly sweet for some tastes, but perfectly drinkable – and the bottle makes it look high-end! ++++

TOP OF THE POPS Champagne worthy of a special occasion Top tipples

Morrisons Wm Champagne Rosé, £20 The pretty pink shade means it’s great for a party, but this weaker bubbly falls a little flat. +++

TOP TIP A stopper keeps the fizz just as much as putting a silver spoon into the neck of a Champagne bottle.

M&S Oudinot Champagne, £26 Fruity and perfectly peachy, this sweet fizz held its bubbles well.

Sainsbury’s Blanc de Blancs Champagne, £20 The bottle does little justice for the quality of the taste. Fruity and buttery with delicious hints of honey, and a lovely golden colour. ++++

++++

Laurent-Perrier Champagne, £38.99 Fine and delicate with added white fruit. Dangerously easy to drink, but with the hefty price tag, it’s probably best sipped slowly! +++++

+++++

FO R E S BL BUB

Lanson Black Label Champagne, with stopper at moonpig.com, £36 Pricey but worth the extra. A lovely, easy-to-drink bubbly! Dry but fairly fruity, with lots of fizz that lasts. An ideal gift for any host over the festive period. ++++

Best rated: Excellent +++++ Very good ++++ OK +++ Almost there ++ Bad +

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WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

Fancy fizz

Waitrose Duval-Leroy Premier Cru Champagne, £26.99 Sophisticated, with a floral aroma and long-lasting fizz. Refined and moreish.

best for HOMES Tree, from £40 Decorations, from £2 Cushion, £10, all Homebase

£19.99

£8

Dobbies Sainsbury’s

£14.99

£1 Dobbies Poundland

Get the

Look

COSY UP FOR CHRISTMAS Your living room will be all the more inviting by adding a touch of festive fun to your sofa Crown light, £29.99 Cushions, from £14.99 Rug, £39.99 Sack, £14.99 Stocking, £7.99 Tables, £139 Toy, £9.99 Tree, £59.99 Wreath, £9.99, all Dobbies

£10

FEATURE: LARA NUGENT

M&Co

£5

£12

£15 George at Asda

M&S

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 25

Tend to your hangover! IT’S THE MOST SOCIABLE TIME OF THE YEAR, AND WITH IT, COMES THE DANGER OF DRINKING TO EXCESS – WITH ITS PAINFUL AFTERMATH. READ DR ELLIE CANNON’S PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MINIMISING THE EFFECTS…

t this time of year, we all enjoy a party, and the seasonal drinking that goes with it. Unfortunately, this can mean December days are ruined by hangovers for most people. You can’t avoid them totally – other than by being teetotal, of course – but there may be some tricks to help you feel a little better the morning after…

KEEP HYDRATED Many of the symptoms of a hangover, particularly the headache and the dizziness, actually come from dehydration. Alcohol is something called a diuretic: although it’s a liquid itself, it makes your body pass fluids. So trying to rehydrate will help. Drink plenty of water before you go out, and leave a bottle of water by your bed for later.

WATER IT DOWN Much of the drinking at parties is mindless: sipping on a beverage while you’re chatting and having fun. Before you know it, you’ve drunk far more than you intended to. If you consciously alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks, you will drink less, and keep yourself rehydrated, which will lessen the hangover. Also, avoid fizzy drinks, which speed up how quickly your body absorbs alcohol.

GET SOME SHUT-EYE Alcohol doesn’t help you sleep. In fact, it is very disruptive to sleep patterns, and lack of sleep can contribute to nausea and the dizzy feeling that comes with a hangover. Have a pre-party nap. Ensure the best sleep possible after drinking with an eye mask and ear plugs, and aim for parties on a night when you don’t need to be up early the very next day.

EMBRACE THE CARBS Eating while drinking can certainly help avoid a hangover. Having a proper meal before going to a party can slow down your body’s uptake of alcohol, and reduce the effects: eating a carbohydrate-rich meal is best, so something like pasta or rice. If you have a hangover, plain, clear vegetable soups are good: your tummy is left quite fragile from drinking, as alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach.

26 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

KILL THE PAIN Despite your best efforts, you may still wake up with a hangover. That typical feeling of headache, nausea and dizziness will eventally pass, as long as you rest, eat and rehydrate. An isotonic (sports) drink may help replace sugar, as well as fluid. If you need painkillers, take paracetamol, as it’s gentle on the stomach. Avoid ibuprofen or aspirin, as both can worsen nausea and irritate a sensitive tum.

best for HEALTH

Ask me anything…

A RECENT SURVEY REVEALED THAT THE AVERAGE HANGOVER LASTS NEARLY 10 HOURS

GOT A PRESSING HEALTH QUESTION? ASK DR ELLIE CANNON

What exactly is Raynaud’s? Q Can you tell me about Raynaud’s? I get very cold hands, and a friend of mine suggested that I may have it. A Raynaud’s is a condition where your fingers get very cold and change colour when the temperature drops. Sufferers notice their fingers change from normal to very white, then often to blue, before going back to normal. It is due to a spasm in the blood vessels, making them shut down, that reduces blood flow. It can be painful, and may happen in response to anxiety as well as the cold. Wearing gloves and using hand warmers can help.

Will my daughter be safe?

HAVE A BREAK The worst thing you can do for a hangover is drink more alcohol. Hair of the dog just delays the symptoms of the hangover until later, and is a bad habit to adopt, in terms of your mental relationship with alcohol. Requiring a drink in the morning to avoid symptoms can be a sign of alcohol dependence. Always try and keep two to three days alcohol-free between parties to protect your body.

in 20-30 per cent of pregnant women, but it’s not dangerous to the mum. However, it can have potentially devastating effects if it’s passed to the baby during birth. It’s great that your daughter is aware of it, as now she can have antibiotics in labour to prevent transferring GBS to protect her baby.

Abnormal blood results... Q What is fatty liver? I have abnormal blood tests, and my GP says this may be the cause. A Fatty liver is when areas of fat are found in the liver. It’s a condition we see more often now, due to the growing problem with obesity and high cholesterol. An ultrasound scan is needed to diagnose it: if blood tests are abnormal, it means your liver is under strain. Losing weight and a good diet will help.

NEWSFLASH If you’ve been off work for fewer than seven days, and your employer asks for a note, your GP may charge you, as it’s not legally necessary. Ask your employer about ‘selfcertifying’ instead.

best’s GP Ellie Cannon works in a busy inner-city practice. The mumof-two specialises in family health and appears on Sky TV.

Want Dr Ellie to solve your problem? Email danielle.southwood@hearst.co.uk with ‘Dr Ellie’ in the subject line.

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, GETTY, MARIA JEFFERIS

IT’S ALL SO CLEAR TO ME NOW You may find some drinks give you less of a hangover than others. This is a real effect due to substances called congeners – a product from the alcohol fermentation process (basically impurities found in any drink). The darker the alcohol, the higher its concentration – red wine is an example of this. Gin and vodka, on the other hand, have very little. If you’ve found you’re sensitive towards congeners, your hangovers will be much worse with darker booze – best to stick to the clear spirits if that’s the case!

Q My daughter is pregnant, and has been told she has GBS infection. Is this serious? A GBS is Group B strep. It’s the UK’s most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborns, and of meningitis in babies under three months old. It’s found naturally

best for entertaining BELVOIR SHIRAZ WITHOUT THE HANGOVER £2.99, supermarkets nationwide

IRRESISTIBLE SPARKLING NON-ALCOHOLIC WHITE MUSCAT £2, The Co-op ALCOHOLFREE RED WINE £2.50, Sainsbury's

BECK'S BLUE LEMON £3.50 for six, Sainsbury's

GOLDEN GINGERBREAD CHAI LATTE £3.49, twinings.co.uk

EISBERG ALCOHOL-FREE SAUVIGNON BLANC £3.50, The Co-op

BELVOIR FRUIT FARMS MULLED WINTER PUNCH & SPICED GINGER PUNCH, both £3

CRANBERRY, POMEGRANATE & RASPBERRY PRESSÉ £1.50, Asda

GREAT UNCLE CORNELIUS’ FAMOUS SPICED GINGER £3.60, jameswhite.co.uk

Avoid the holiday hangover with these alcohol-free alternatives

EISBERG ALCOHOLFREE WINE ROSÉ £3.50, Tesco

SATURNUS GOD JUL GLÖGG ALCOHOLFREE MULLED WINE £3.75, scandikitchen. co.uk

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BOTTLE GREEN SPARKLING ELDERFLOWER & ELDERBERRY £2.39, Waitrose

CHRISTMAS HOT CHOCOLAT £9, hotel chocolat.com

SCAVI & RAY ALCOHOL-FREE PROSECCO £7.99, amazon. co.uk

WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

A BREAK FROM THE BOOZE

STRICTLY LAID BARE

With

BRUNO

Bruno Tonioli has the hot news on this week’s movers and shakers… DON’T BET ON DANNY!

WHEN IT’S ALL OVER…

Lots of people think Danny Mac taking the Glitterball is a foregone conclusion, but it really isn’t! What lets Claudia down is her acting skills – so I’d say it’s between Danny, Louise and Ore. They’ll be neck and neck up until the freestyle dance – which makes or breaks it with viewers. DANNY & OTI How exciting!

I’ve said before that Victoria would be brilliant, but I would just love to see David Beckham shaking his tail feather on Strictly next year. He wears clothes very well, after all, and he’d have all those tattoos on display. He’d never do it, but a man can dream, can’t he?!

‘The freestyle dance makes or breaks it with the viewers at home!’

A BOXING DAY TREAT West Side Story, about rival teen gangs in 50s Manhattan, is my favourite musical. The original Broadway production is 60 years old next year, and to celebrate, I’m presenting a documentary on BBC Two on Boxing Day (West Side Stories: The Making Of A Classic). I’m very proud of it, watch it if you can!

My Strictly highlight

AWESOME ORE

There were so many spectacular moments, like Ore’s jive and Danny’s samba. Yet one stands head and shoulders above them all – the explosion that was Ed Balls! I will never get that crazy Gangnam Style routine out of my head, no matter how hard I try. Nobody in their wildest dreams thought he’d be quite that funny.

ED THE EXPLOSION

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 29 29 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

PICTURES: BBC/JAY BROOKS/MATT BURLEM/GUY LEVY, BIGSTOCK, GETTY

The man on my wish-list

The ﬁrst thing I look forward to after Strictly is going somewhere sunny for two weeks. This year, I’m going to the Maldives with some friends. I can’t wait to lie under a coconut tree and relax. It’s my Christmas present to myself, before the madness starts again next year!

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

If you haven’t had time to keep up with Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, we’ve done it for you…

Chanel No 6? It’s the most iconic perfume in the beauty biz, so, when we heard that Chanel No 5 could change for ever, there was panic in the best office. Why alter perfection? After all, Marilyn Monroe famously said, ‘What do I wear in bed? Why, Chanel No 5, of course!’ The decision has nothing to do with the fashion house itself. French rail network SNCF plans to create a £5.5 billion high-speed railway line that will cut down travel times along the French Riviera from Marseille to Nice, but the proposed route would pass through Chanel’s ﬁelds of jasmine and May roses in Provence, which they describe as ‘indispensable to the creation of Chanel perfumes’. If the railway line goes ahead, it’s likely that the legendary fragrance would smell different, or production might stop altogether. Time to start stockpiling that heavenly scent?

e r ’ e W t u o ab KING L A T L L A

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Tell us at facebook.com/ bestmagazine

The Christmas cactus craze There’s been a spike in sales! Christmas trees? They’re so last year! This season, take your festive decoration inspiration from the Wild West and invest in a Christmas cactus. Pinterest has got plenty of ideas to pretty-up your plant, and those spiky branches are great for covering in tinsel ( just be careful where you put your baubles!) Plus, once the festive season’s over, you can ditch the fairy lights and keep this ‘tree’ up all year round. Find it at pinterest.com

30 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

PICK of the best L G O IN G V IR A

A spellbinding performance!

Facebook/stevenshields

This little lad has certainly got a set of pipes on him! Five-year-old Alfie Shields, clad in a dressing gown and bright red wig, imitates Bette Midler’s character, Winifred, in the 1993 Disney film Hocus Pocus. The two-minute video, posted on dad Steven Shields’ Facebook page, shows him belting out the spooky song I Put A Spell On You and even adding a few dance moves while the film plays in the background. What a show! The clip has been viewed more than 2.7 million times, including Bette Midler herself! The star, 71, tweeted, ‘This is a must-watch. Alfie nailed it!’ Find it by searching for ‘Alfie Shields I Put A Spell On You’

#ChristmasA HorrorMovie There’s nothing better than a festive ﬁlm, Christmas cheer… and, says Twitter, blood and gore! The latest hashtag mixes seasonal and scary ﬁlms in one. Anyone seen Night Of The Living Gingerbread yet?

FIND US AT… @bestmagofficial

OR WEIRDRFUL? E D WON

A five-minute festive feast Christmas dinner usually means hours of sweating and slaving in the kitchen – but not if you follow Theo Michaels’ recipe for a meal in a mug, @theocooks. You can have all the traditional trimmings, made in ﬁve minutes and with half the calories, all cooked

inside a cup. The former MasterChef semi-ﬁnalist said the mini meal is perfect for those spending the day alone.

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM AT… @bestmagofficial

Santa who? This could be, officially, the saddest advert of the year. In a bleak world, Father Christmas has stopped delivering presents because, after developing dementia, he can’t remember which child should get which present. Sob! But never fear – the advert, launched by Alzheimer’s Research UK to show the effects of the cruel condition, and narrated by Stephen Fry, thankfully has a happy(ish) ending, so you can put your tissues away.

NE’S E VE RYO G… WATCHIN

Office Christmas Party People photocopying their bums, illmatched colleagues frantically snogging under the mistletoe and inappropriate Secret Santa gifts… it’s office Christmas party season and everyone’s really going for it! None more so than the cast of the hilarious new ﬁlm of the same name, starring Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston in the tale of a tech company on its last legs. The ﬁrm throws one almighty bash to try to secure the account which could save them from closing down. Things get out of hand, and you’ll enjoy comparing it to your own office frolics… Office Christmas Party is out now, nationwide

WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH, DANIELLE SOUTHWOOD, LAURA MILLAR PICTURES: ARUK, COLLECTION CHRIST0PHEL/RNB, FACEBOOK, GETTY, GLEN WILSON, PINTEREST, THEO MICHAELS, TWITTER

Trending on Twitter

Festive meal in a mug

best for style 2

Main image: Jumpsuit, £59, M&Co Accessories, stylist’s own

Maximum impact

Below: 1 Bag, £29, Accessorize 2 Ring, £36.99, Gemporia 3 Sandals, £75, Dune 4 Fur collar, £35, Hobbs 5 Jumpsuit, £75, Littlewoods

If you’re wondering whether a maxi might be ‘too much’, a simple style is the way to go.

TOP TIP Metallics, velvets and glitter are all perfect for bringing a basic buy to life and turning it into a show-stopper.

best

RE FIGU FORT TERING A FL

Jump for joy This all-in-one is great for tall frames and giving extra coverage for your arms.

! Y FA R BE ST B Main image: Dress, £55, Wallis Heels & necklace, stylist’s own

2 1

Above: 1 Dress, £39.99, New Look 2 Belts, £5 for pack of two, Peacocks 3 Earrings, £7.99, H&M 4 Heels, £49, Miss Selfridge 5 Bag, £17.99, Zara

4 5

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Main image: Dress, £45, Matalan Earrings, stylist’s own

Main image: Dress, £99, Coast Accessories, stylist’s own

Right: 1 Dress, £10, Primark 2 Fur collar, £14.99, New Look 3 Bag, £18, prettylittle thing.com 4 Ring, £12, Accessorize 5 Heels, £39, Wallis

Simple shift Pretty up a smart shift with lace and eye-catching accessories.

CELEBRATE YOUR SHAPE

Go back to black and jzush it up with sparkles

Empire state A dress that nips in under the bust will show off your best bits.

Left: 1 Dress, £50, Dorothy Perkins 2 Heels, £22.99 3 Bag, £24.99, both New Look 4 Earrings, £3.50, Peacocks 5 Belt, £4.99, H&M

FEATURE: MILLIE GOOCH

Fashion Fix BEST LIFESTYLE EDITOR LARA NUGENT

Our pick of the latest looks and how to wear them

Give it the cold shoulder

Blouse, £28, M&Co

We’ve been urging you try this trend for a while. However, if you’ve yet to embrace the look, now’s the ideal time. If the build-up to Christmas has left you feeling less than partyperfect, the cold-shoulder style is a subtle way to flash a little flesh and look instantly glam. O For the easiest-to-wear option, go for an open-shoulder top with threequarter or long sleeves. It’s a great way to show off your shoulders to perfection. Remember, when wearing this style, your bra strap should not be seen, so wear a strapless or multi-way style. O Off-the-shoulder Bardot styles show off your décolletage while covering the tops of your arms. Go for a bold shade teamed with plain black trousers for a relaxed party look, which could work well on New Year’s Eve. O For classic Hollywood glam, go for a one-shoulder dress, like actress Gemma Arterton (left). If you’re endowed with a generous bust, you can still copy this look. Just go for some draping detail across the top which won’t cling to your curves. Keep accessories simple – a pair of statement earrings is all you need.

Floral dress, £38, Dorothy Perkins

Bardot top, £33, Wallis

Oneshoulder dress, £60, very.co.uk

Luxe for less

This trend is going to be big for spring/summer 2017. If you want to stay one step ahead, go for embellished detailing or a bold print

Give your feet a treat with these fab gold trainers. £14, Primark

A TO U C H O F S PA R K L E

34 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

PICTURES: GETTY

£8, Accessorize

£10, River Island

£8, Next

£12.50, M&S

£12, M&Co

These little beauties work brilliantly with any cold-shoulder style

best for style £69

best

£29.99

LUX B U YE

Mo ns oo n

£39.99

£37

H &

Silk F red

zi oz T o rc

£25

M&S

POINT TO THE PARTY

£32

very.co.uk

£39

Miss Selfridge

£68

£35.99 yz ne Ho

FEATURE: MILLIE GOOCH

TOP TIP Applying deodorant to the inside of your heels will lubricate them to help you avoid blisters.

bAeLsUtE

New Look

£22.99

ris ma Ta

£45.99

Lotus

Za ra

Of fic e

£39.99 £65

Step up your festive outfit with statement court shoes that sparkle FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 35

best for showbiz For Jamie, nothing beats turkey and all the trimmings

WORDS: VICKI POWER

And then there were seven… Instagram/@joolsoliver

PICTURES: CHANNEL 4, GC IMAGES, INSTAGRAM

Chef Jamie Oliver shares his family plans – and perfect dinner menu – for the big day

The Oliver clan

Jools is busy party-prepping the house

t’s been a busy year for Jamie Oliver. Not only has he written his first-ever Christmas cookbook, but he and wife Jools, 42, welcomed baby River Rocket in August. He’s brother to Poppy, 14, Daisy, 13, Petal, seven, and six-year-old Buddy. Here, Jamie tells best why Christmas is his favourite time of year…

How are you celebrating River’s first Christmas? We’re all so excited, and it’s one reason we wanted to keep Christmas Day small and at home, just the seven of us. It’ll be a special moment when River’s stocking goes up alongside everyone else’s. I’ll do Boxing Day at ours, which is looking like 40 people. I’ll be busy cooking for everyone.

The children must be getting excited. Is it tempting to spoil them? Buddy and Petal are at the optimal age, and it’s beautiful to see. But Jools and I agree to try to be sensible with the kids and not go overboard. What are you giving Jools? I don’t know yet! I’m a lastminute merchant. About three days before Christmas, I go late-night shopping to try to find some inspiration. I just go with the flow and get her some nice candles, something to wear, something chocolatey, and something slouchy and loungey for hanging out in the house, and that’s her done. What will Jools buy for the man who has everything? I told her, honestly, I don’t want anything this year, just a kiss and a cuddle from the kids and a little pass to go to the pub and see my old schoolmates for a few beers. I’m easily pleased. What family traditions do the Olivers have? After Christmas dinner, we still play old-school games like charades, and also a name game – you use a phone app that comes up with the name of a famous person, and you hold it up to your forehead and ask questions to figure out who you are. We just like silly, fun games. What do you cook on Christmas Day? For the past seven years we’ve had turkey and goose with gorgeous gravy and cranberry sauce, spuds and veg – one of the tastiest meals of the year. ● Jamie Oliver’s Christmas Cookbook is out now (Michael Joseph, £26). Jamie’s Ultimate Christmas is on Monday, 8pm, Channel 4

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‘We had sex ev When Brittany Gibbons, 35, set herself a challenge, hubby Andy probably thought all his Christmases had come at once…

know that a lot of women – and men – will be wondering exactly what my husband did to convince me to make love to him for 365 days straight. But the truth is, it was my idea. And before you ask, no, I’m not some kind of sex addict. Quite the opposite, in fact. I used to dread the rare occasions Andy and I would ‘do it’. That’s why I came up with my provocative plan. Childhood sweethearts, engineer Andy, 35, and I met at school in our hometown of Ohio, USA, when we were 15, and even then, I was self-conscious about my size 16-18 shape. I’d grown up in a houseful of non-huggers, and wasn’t a touchy-feely type. Thankfully, Andy wasn’t big on affectionate displays either, and he put me at ease when it was time to take our relationship further. With his calm logic balancing my creative streak, we were the perfect match, and got married in 2004. But even then, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him how much I disliked my body. Instead, I cut the labels out of my jeans so he couldn’t see what size they were, and banned him from coming to the doctors with me in case they weighed me. The only time I did like

Brittany’s ambitious plan met with no complaints from Andy

‘If there’s one thing I’ve learnt’

rk ‘Marriages are hard wo e tim the in t but if you pu n, tio en att m the e giv d an your relationship can it remain as exciting as rt.’ sta the was at

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Ideal partners: Brittany and Andy wed in 2004

The pair met as teenagers…

best

for real life

very day for a year’

… and have been together ever since

changed in front of him. I’d thought Andy hadn’t noticed, but now I realised I was on borrowed time, relationship-wise. I decided to conﬁde in a friend, and my mouth fell open when she told me that she tried to have sex with her husband every day. ‘It doesn’t always happen,’ she assured me. ‘But we try.’ And as I thought about the way I’d see them laugh, hug and kiss and seem so in tune, I realised it might be the drastic step Andy and I needed. Before I could lose my nerve, I told Andy my idea – and obviously got no complaints from him! But almost immediately, I found myself regretting it. I’d have done the washing, made dinner and be stacking the dishwasher, while daydreaming about falling into bed for a good sleep, then it would hit me. I had to have sex! It was yet another thing on my endless to-do list. But as the days passed and we stuck to our new sexy schedule, there was one thing I enjoyed about our blooming bedroom life: the bit after sex, where we’d talk. How work was, jokes we’d heard, news we’d picked up. It had been years since we’d had those types of conversations and I was seeing, rather than remembering, just how well Andy and I got on. And as we grew emotionally closer, my physical inhibitions relaxed, too. I would forget to worry about whether Andy could see my stretch marks as I found myself enjoying sex again. Slowly, our whole way of being with each other changed. He would kiss my lips, rather than my cheek, as he headed off to work, holding my hand that second

After the challenge, Brit’s bodyconfident again

‘I’d cut the labels out of my jeans so he couldn’t see the size’ longer before we parted. And we laughed more than we had in years. Obviously, 365 days of nookie without a break was ambitious, especially as I sometimes had to work away from home for my body-image blog. But that didn’t put Andy off and, on two occasions, he turned up at my hotel to spend the night with me. ‘This is just like the movies,’ I laughed when, after a particularly exhausting day, I found him sitting in reception. And I gave myself a couple of days off when I got a really nasty stomach bug.

But apart from that, we stuck to it. And when the year was up, instead of the great relief I thought I’d feel, I was actually really proud of how far we’d, er, come! My conﬁdence had soared, our relationship was stronger than ever and I was pleased at the example we were setting our children: that marriages can be fun and loving. And the next time I asked Andy to describe his favourite parts of me, I got a far more satisfying answer: ‘The curve of your waist between your boobs and your butt, the spot on your wrist where you dab perfume, your hair when you take it down in the morning, the really soft skin between your boobs, and all the freckles on your arms and shoulders.’ That sums up how much has changed. These days, we’re not as strict with our schedule, but we still try to have sex a couple of times a week. Andy will be lucky to get another present as good as that this Christmas!

WORDS: SARAH WHITELEY PICTURES: GETTY, MCGOWAN IMAGES

my body was when I was pregnant with our three children, Jude, now 10, Wyatt, nine, and Gigi, seven. Far from feeling that I had to hide my tummy, I could celebrate my shape. However, after we’d completed our family, I hated my body more than ever. No matter how gorgeous Andy insisted I looked, I just couldn’t believe him. As our sex life dwindled to once or twice a month, I convinced myself that, while Andy and I were both focusing on parenthood, our relationship would have to take a back seat for a while. Then, in May 2012, when I was feeling particularly low, I was desperate for a bit of a pick-me-up. So I emailed Andy and asked what his favourite parts of my body were. ‘Butt, hair, face, lips, cleavage,’ he replied. My stomach sank at his generic reply. Trying to joke, I answered: ‘Whoa, slow down, Casanova. Don’t get so descriptive.’ But his response wasn’t funny. ‘To be honest, I haven’t seen you totally naked in years,’ he wrote. The worst thing was, I couldn’t deny it. I would shut the bathroom door ﬁrmly whenever I showered, and even avoided getting

WORDS: CARLY HOBBS

Merry mani-mas! All hail the five-minute festive nail fixes t wouldn’t be Christmas without a whole lot of sparkle, metallic sheens and that little something extra in your beauty routine. And the easiest way to festive-up your look is some at-home mani-magic. From clever stick-ons to sophisticated shades and spray-on products, we’ve got the glittering lot. And the best bit? They all take less than ﬁve minutes to ﬁx up. Ready, set – festive nail it!

Fake it yourself

Supersleek hair No time for a trim? Minimise the appearance of dry hair and split ends with this clever technique. 1 First, ﬁnger-comb the hair, keeping its natural volume. The tousled look is all the rage right now! 2 Next, grab your favourite hand cream and rub a pea-sized amount between your palms, but don’t work it in. 3 With a little creamy residue on your hands, run them over the crown of your head and down to the ends of the hair, smoothing away any frizz as you go. 4 Give hair a gentle blast with the hairdryer to set it, and you’re good to go.

OLD-SCHOOL CLASSIC

If Christmas obviousness isn’t your thing, then go back to basics with a block colour that never fails to look stylish. Navy, that old-school hue, is so hot right now. It’s not as gothic as black and will go with all your festive outfits. Try Bourjois La Laque Gel in Blue Garou Gel Kit Duo, £10.99, which comes with a hardcore topcoat so a mani will last for 15 days.

MOVIE-STAR GLAMOUR

With its romantic and nostalgic shades, it’s hard not to fall head-overparty-heels for the OPI Breakfast At Tiffany’s Collection, £12.50 each. Paint all but the middle nail on each hand with rose gold Sunrise… Bedtime!, then colour the remaining nail £12.50 with I Believe In Manicures, a pretty light blue. Simple, but effective.

£10.99

best for beauty

The Laura Ashley Royal Bloom Manicure Set, £12. It’s ideal for home minimanis.

Forget the in-your-face golds and too-bright silvers of the past – the new breed of sophisticated shades are rich bronzes, coffees and golds. Our current faves are the Autograph All In One Nail Colours in Cappuccino, Hepworth and Lust, £6 each. They contain Argan oil to condition your nails, too. Try an alternative French, with one shade on the full nail and another on the tip.

33p

5 £11

MODERN METALLICS

£6

SIMPLE STICK-ONS

Try this for a super-quick nail fix! Blast nails with the Nails Inc Paint Can Best Friend 2 in 1 Mini Base & Top Coat, £8. Then spray – yes, we said spray! – with Nails Inc Paint Can in West End, £10, a traditional red, and rinse with soapy water. Add extra glam with Essence Jewellery Nail Stickers, 33p, cover with a top coat and go flash £10 your fab nail art!

GLITTERING PRIZE

The one nail trend where more is more! Invest in the Barry M Glitterati Gift Set in A Touch Of Glitter, £11. Prep with a clear base coat, then add three layers of your favourite glitter shade. Any chips will go unnoticed as you power through your Christmas to-do list.

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PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, SHUTTERSTOCK

WE LOVE…

best for style

BRA, 32A-42DD, £20, BOTTOMS, 8-22, £10, M&S

BRA, 32B-38DD, £10, BOTTOMS, 8-20, £5, F&F AT TESCO

, A T N SA ! Y B A B BRA, 34B-42E, £8, BOTTOMS, 10-20, £5, GEORGE AT ASDA

BRA, 28D-38H, £42, BOTTOMS, XS-XXL, £20, TUTTI ROUGE

BRA, 30A-38E, £16, BOTTOMS, 6-20, £8, M&S

BRA, 36C-50DD, £10, BOTTOMS, 12-26, £8, SIMPLY BE

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BRA, 32B-36DD, £12.99, BOTTOMS, 6-14, £5.99, NEW LOOK

Luxury lingerie for the festive season

BRA, 32B-36DD, £12.99, BOTTOMS, 6-14, £5.99, NEW LOOK

BRA, 32DD-40H, £26, BOTTOMS, 8-20, £10, GORGEOUS AT DEBENHAMS

BRA, 30A-38G, £22, BOTTOMS, 8-18, £10, FIGLEAVES

BRA, 30A-38G, £50, BOTTOMS, XS-XL, £24, FANTASIE AT FIGLEAVES

FEATURE: MILLIE GOOCH PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

BRA, 32A-38G, £49, BOTTOMS, S-L, £20, FANTASIE AT HOUSE OF FRASER

best for beauty Sleek Make-up Cream Contour Kit, £10.99 Extremely blendable creams with a natural finish; this lasts all day, with a helpful diagram included!

Collection Contour Kit, £4.19 A no-frills, basic buy makes this a great place to start with the trend.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Face Contour Palette, £36 These shades mean serious business, so this is definitely not for novices. An absolute must for those with more experience.

GOSH Contour & Strobe Kit, £12.99 Not only does this boast contour and highlight, it has added blusher, too. Perfect warm and rosy winter tones.

Rimmel London Sculpting Palette, £6.99 Petite packaging with powder shades that stay on well.

Barry M Flawless Chisel Cheeks Contour Cream Kit, £7.99 Clear, concise instructions and a bargain price tag make this ideal for newbies. The creamy shades are buttery soft.

YOUR PHOTO-FINISH FACE Zoeva Contour Spectrum Palette, £15 Great for lighter skin tones, and the highlight has added sparkle. Colours are highly pigmented, and the sleek design means it isn’t too bulky.

Too Faced Cocoa Contour, £32 The four shades allow you to be subtle in the day, and make more of a statement at night. A brush is included and, best of all, it smells like chocolate!

W7 Solar Glow, £9.95 A contour kit with added shimmer – perfect for the evening and even comes with a handy brush.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 43

WORDS: MILLIE GOOCH PICTURES: GETTY

Take your best party pics ever with slimming contour kits

best

COOKERY

Season’s

Crab cocktail A tasty new take on a classic starter

eatings From a comforting Christmas Eve warmer to delicious New Year’s Eve nibbles, our festive cookbook has it covered…

SERVES 8 PREP: 20 mins

1 x medium iceberg lettuce, shredded 3-4 x 170g cans of white crab meat Juice of 1 lemon 2 pink grapefruit, segmented 2 avocados, peeled, stoned, quartered & sliced into fans Pinch of paprika Brown bread and butter, to serve (optional) FOR THE MARIE ROSE SAUCE

1 To make Marie Rose sauce: in a bowl, mix ingredients together. Taste and add more seasoning as needed. Put to one side. 2 Divide lettuce between individual glass bowls, then top with the crab meat (toss first with a little lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and pinch of cayenne, if you wish). 3 Arrange a few grapefruit segments on top, add dollop of sauce, then top with avocado fans (squeeze lemon juice over them first to stop them browning). Garnish with a pinch of paprika and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with buttered brown bread. COOK’S TIP

£11.82 TOTAL COST

When making Marie Rose sauce, taste and adjust seasoning as much as you need – add lemon juice, if desired. It’s important to get the flavour right, as the sauce makes the dish.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: WILLIAM SHAW FEATURE, FOOD AND PROP STYLING: HEATHER WHINNEY PRICES MAY VARY

6tbsp mayonnaise 4tsp tomato ketchup Pinch of cayenne pepper Shake of Tabasco sauce

Beef and wild mushroom pot A satisfying stew, with chunks of beef simmering in red wine SERVES 8 PREP: 20 mins COOK: 4 hrs

2kg good-quality stewing steak (such as chuck steak), cut into chunky pieces 1tbsp flour 2tsp paprika 2tbsp olive oil ¾ bottle of red wine (you can have the rest – cook’s treat!) 2 knobs of butter 2 onions, finely chopped 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 500g carrots, peeled and chopped small on the diagonal 2 x 25g pack of dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in warm water for 30 mins (reserve soaking liquid) Few rosemary stalks 2 x 250g pack of chestnut mushrooms, halved, or small ones left whole

1 Preheat oven to 170ºC/150ºC fan/gas 3. Season meat, then toss it with flour and paprika. Heat half the oil in a large, heavybased casserole pot. Add the meat in batches and cook for 2-3 mins, turning so it browns all over. Remove and put to one side. 2 To de-glaze pot: add a glass of wine, raise heat, and scrape residue from bottom of pot.

Tip this over meat. Add remaining oil and a knob of butter. Add onions, celery and garlic, then season. Cook on a low heat for about 6 mins until soft, then stir in carrots and cook for a further 2-3 mins. Drain porcini mushrooms (reserve juice). Roughly chop and stir into pot. Return beef to pot. Strain reserved juice and add this, along with rest of wine. Throw in

rosemary, stir, put lid on and bake for 3-3½ hrs. 3 Add chestnut mushrooms for last hour of cooking. Heat remaining butter in a pan, add mushrooms, stir and cook until golden. Tip into pot (top up with a little boiling water if drying). Taste and season, if needed. Ladle onto plates or shallow bowls. Serve with potatoes dauphinoise (see right) and cabbage.

£13.37 TOTAL COST

Cosy and comforting on Christm 46 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

best

COOKERY

£5.07

TOTAL COST

Potatoes dauphinoise Garlic sets off a rich, tasty creaminess Serves 8 PREP: 20 mins COOK: 2 hrs 20 mins

1.4kg potatoes, such as Maris Piper 450ml milk 3-4 cloves of garlic, sliced 350ml carton of double cream Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Tequila sunrise triﬂe Try this make-ahead, naughty but nice finish to your meal! SERVES 8 PREP: 20 mins, plus setting time COOK: 10 mins

285g Madeira cake, sliced 430g can of pineapple chunks 4tbsp Grenadine 10tbsp Tequila 430g can of pineapple rings, drained and halved 135g pack of raspberry jelly, chopped into cubes About 6 oranges, 5 segmented (reserving juice, plus some segments for top), and 1 peeled and sliced into rings. 135g pack of orange jelly, chopped into cubes 400ml carton of custard

300ml double cream, lightly whipped 1 Layer the bottom of a large trifle dish with cake slices. Strain juice from can of pineapple chunks. Mix the juice with 2tbsp Grenadine and 1tbsp Tequila. Pour over the sponge to soften. 2 Heat a frying pan. Add pineapple chunks and 2tbsp Tequila. Cook for 2-4 mins until golden and alcohol has evaporated. Tip chunks on top of sponge. In the same pan, add pineapple rings with 2tbsp Tequila. Cook for 2-4 mins until caramelised and alcohol has evaporated. Arrange around edge of trifle. 3 Make up raspberry jelly to 500ml/1pt, including

as Eve

the boil, then simmer gently for about 15 mins or until tender. 2 Drain carefully, reserving milk, then layer potatoes and garlic into a gratin dish. Mix together milk and cream, season, then pour sauce over the potatoes. 3 Top with a pinch of nutmeg. Cover with foil and put in oven to bake for about 1-2 hrs, removing foil for final 15 mins to let it turn pale-golden.

1 Preheat oven to 170ºC/ 150ºC fan/gas 3. Put potatoes in a pan and pour over milk. Season and add garlic. Bring to

For tender potatoes, use floury varieties and cook them in milk first.

2tbsp Grenadine. Pour over trifle. Leave to set. 4 Put orange segments into a bowl with reserved juice and 4tbsp Tequila. Mix orange jelly with a little hot water to dissolve, then add to oranges (it should make 500ml). Stir and put to one side. 5 Slice orange rings into half-moon shapes.

Arrange around edge of set red jelly. Pour in orange jelly mix and leave to set. 6 When set, top with custard and cream. Add reserved orange segments to frying pan with final 1tbsp of Tequila. Cook until caramelised, then use them to top the trifle. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

COOK’S TIP

£10.05 TOTAL COST

No-fuss Boxing Winter Waldorf salad Rich Roquefort cheese adds piquancy to this yummy salad SERVES 8 PREP: 15 mins

£18.30 TOTAL COST

Glazed baked ham Whisky and marmalade glaze transform a classic ham into a star act! SERVES 20 PREP: 20 mins COOK: 3 hrs

About 3kg unsmoked boneless gammon 2 x 500ml cans or bottles of cider Few bay leaves (optional) Handful of cloves 4tbsp whisky 2tbsp marmalade 1 Sit the gammon in a large pan (a preserving pan, preferably, if you

have one). Pour in cider and add bay leaves, if using. Top up with water, so meat is just immersed. Bring to the boil, then reduce to steady simmer. Put lid on slightly ajar or loosely cover with foil. Cook for about 3 hrs (20 mins per 500g). Top up with water if needed. Poke meat with a sharp knife – it should give way easily. Turn off heat and leave it to cool in liquid, until cool enough to handle, or leave it overnight. 2 Remove gammon from pan, sit on a board, remove any string, then carefully remove skin,

48 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

leaving a layer of fat. Using a sharp knife, score a criss-cross pattern all over ham, then stud a clove into each diamond shape. Sit ham in a roasting tin. 3 When ready to cook, preheat oven to 200°C/ 180°C fan/gas 6. Pour half of whisky over gammon and mix other half with marmalade. Trickle this over or brush over. 4 Put in oven for about 20 mins or until golden all over. Baste halfway through, if needed. Remove, cover loosely with foil and leave to cool. Slice when ready to serve.

3-4 red-skinned apples (such as Braeburn), cored and sliced 250g pack of chicory, trimmed and sliced lengthways Juice of 1 lemon Bunch of celery, trimmed and sliced on diagonal ½ large or small red cabbage or red chicory, shredded 200g bag of walnut halves Handful of fresh thyme stalks 200g pack of Roquefort cheese, crumbled (as much or little as you like)

£7.85

TOTAL COST

best

COOKERY

Day feast FOR THE DRESSING

6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 2tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar Pinch of sugar 1-2tsp Dijon mustard 1 Toss apple and chicory with lemon juice to stop it discolouring, then put to one side. 2 To make dressing, mix oil and vinegar, then season. Whisk in sugar and when dissolved, whisk in mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning. Put to one side for flavours to mingle. 3 Add apple and chicory mixture, celery, cabbage, walnuts and thyme to a serving dish. Add a trickle of dressing and toss to combine. When ready to serve, top with cheese and drizzle with more dressing.

£8.28 TOTAL COST

Roasted fruit cocktail A simple, delicious dessert that makes its own syrup SERVES 8 PREP: 15 mins COOK: 15 mins

3-4 sweet eating apples, cored and sliced Juice of 1 lemon 4 plums, stoned and quartered 4 figs, halved or quartered

3 oranges, peeled and sliced into rings 100g pack of pomegranates (or 1 fresh) 4tbsp golden caster sugar 200g pack of blackberries 1 Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºC fan/ gas 5. Toss apple pieces with lemon juice, so they don’t discolour. 2 Add all fruit, except the blackberries, to a large roasting tin (they need

plenty of room or the fruit will just stew). Sprinkle over caster sugar to cover and roast for about 15 mins. 3 Add blackberries for final 5 mins. Spoon into elegant glass dishes. Serve either hot or at room temperature. COOK’S TIP

Drizzle over your favourite fruit liqueur or throw in a few cinnamon sticks and star anise for added flavour.

Prawn skewers with wasabi mayo An easy way to make your own tasty dippers MAKES 16 PREP: 20 mins COOK: 10 mins FOR THE PRAWNS

2 x 200g packs of raw, shelled king prawns

parsley, leaves only, finely chopped Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil FOR THE WASABI MAYO DIP

250ml jar of mayonnaise Squeeze of wasabi (or use mustard sparingly – add and taste as you go) YOU WILL NEED

FOR THE MARINADE

Juice of 2 oranges (or use clementines or tangerines, if you like) 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Handful of flat-leaf

8 small wooden skewers, soaked in water for 20 mins 1 Thread three prawns on each skewer, then put to one side. To make the

marinade, mix orange juice, chilli, parsley and oil, then season well. Add prawns to the marinade, turning so that all are evenly coated. 2 To prepare the dip, mix mayo with wasabi or mustard, making sure it’s not too hot! Keep in fridge until needed. 3 Add the prawn skewers, a few at a time, to a hot griddle pan. Cook for a couple of mins on each side, until the prawns turn pink. Spoon over a little marinade as you cook. Serve with chilled dip.

£9.19

TOTAL COST

Extra-tasty mixed crostini Full of ﬂavour, with vibrant colours MAKES 30 PREP: 20 mins COOK: 10 mins FOR THE BASE

2 large French sticks, sliced Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle 1 or 2 cloves of garlic FOR THE TOPPINGS

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300g jar of readyroasted mixed peppers Handful of basil leaves Extra-virgin olive oil 70g pack of Parma ham Handful of sun-blushed tomatoes Handful of caper berries 150g dolcelatte cheese 3 figs, quartered

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COOKERY

£12.04 TOTAL COST

Chicken satay with peanut sauce This hot ’n’ sweet chicken is so succulent MAKES 16 PREP: 20 mins, plus marinating time COOK: 20 mins FOR THE CHICKEN

4-6 chicken breasts, sliced into strips FOR THE MARINADE

3tbsp dark soy sauce Juice and zest of 1 lime 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Pinch of sugar FOR THE PEANUT SAUCE

400ml coconut milk 175g peanut butter 1 Preheat grill to hot. Sit bread slices on a baking sheet (you’ll probably need to drizzle or brush the bread with olive oil and rub each one with garlic. Put under the grill until pale-golden, then turn and do other side (but don’t over-toast). 2 To assemble, top one third of the bread slices with peppers, basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, then season. 3 Top next third with ham, a sun-blushed tomato and a caper. 4 Then top the final third with cheese and put these slices back under grill until the cheese bubbles (or use a blowtorch). Top with the fig quarters. 5 Sit crostini all together on a large platter and serve.

1tbsp dark soy sauce 1tbsp demerara sugar Pinch of chilli flakes Splash of fish sauce Juice of 1 lime 1 First, make the peanut sauce. Add coconut milk to a pan and heat very gently. Stir in peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, chilli flakes and fish sauce. Continue cooking on a low heat, stirring continuously until it thickens. Then add the lime juice, just a little at a time, and season. Taste and add more lime juice or fish sauce as required. Transfer into bowls and put aside.

£10.14 TOTAL COST

party bites

2 Mix marinade ingredients together and season well. Thread chicken strips on to skewers and add to marinade. Put in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. 3 Heat a griddle pan until it’s hot, then add chicken skewers, a few at a time, along with some marinade. Cook for about 4-6 mins each side until cooked, golden and just starting to char a little. Continue until all are cooked, then serve on a platter with peanut sauce on the side.

Mix it up for Christmas! You don’t expect cocktails to be on the healthy list, but not only are these delicious, they’re good for you too! ’Tis the season to be shaking and stirring…

Pomegranate and vanilla cosmo Pomegranates are high in vitamin C and antioxidants. They are also said to curb your hunger and protect you from disease. Always use 100 per cent pomegranate juice with no added sugar. Or even better, blend seeds from two pomegranates with a little water and strain to get pure juice. The tangy taste makes it the perfect match for a cosmopolitan cocktail. SERVES 4

Ice cubes 75ml citron vodka 25ml Cointreau 200ml pomegranate juice 15ml agave nectar Seeds from ½ vanilla pod Curled orange rind, vanilla pods and pomegranate seeds, to garnish EQUIPMENT

Cocktail shaker, cocktail strainer and 2 Martini glasses 1 Half-fill a cocktail shaker with ice and pour in the vodka, Cointreau, pomegranate juice, agave nectar and vanilla seeds. 2 Pop the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously for 1 min. 3 Strain into chilled glasses. Garnish with curled orange rind, vanilla pods and pomegranate seeds.

Recipes taken from The Healthy Hedonist by Nicole Herft, published by Kyle Books, £9.99. Photography by Nassima Rothacker. 52 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

best

RECIPE BOOKS Juicy penicillin A number of the ingredients in this drink have great ﬂu-busting qualities and contain loads of vitamin C. Honey and apple cider vinegar soothe the throat, and echinacea strengthens your immune system. Just what the doctor ordered!

Ice cubes Curled orange rind, bee pollen, and natural honeycomb, to garnish EQUIPMENT

Cocktail shaker, cocktail stirrer and 2 short glasses

1 Pour the whisky into a cocktail shaker and stir in the honey until it has been SERVES 2 incorporated. Next, add the orange juice, lemon 80ml whisky juice, apple cider vinegar, 3tbsp clear honey Angostura bitters and 200ml orange juice echinacea. Stir well. 20ml lemon juice 2 Fill the glasses with ice 20ml organic apple cider cubes and pour in the vinegar ‘penicillin’. Garnish with 6 dashes Angostura bitters orange rind, a sprinkle of 12 drops echinacea bee pollen and a piece of tincture (liquid echinacea) natural honeycomb.

Pineapple and pink peppercorn mulled wine Who doesn’t love spiced mulled wine! Especially when there are chunks of spiced- and winesoaked fruit to enjoy, too. Experiment with your favourite fruit – stone fruit will also work really well. SERVES 4

750ml Rioja (red wine) 100g diced pineapple 4tbsp coconut palm sugar 4 star anise 2 large cinnamon sticks 10 black peppercorns 4 cardamom pods, crushed 10 Szechuan peppercorns ½tsp pink peppercorns 6 cloves 200ml orange or clementine juice Sliced orange/ clementine, cinnamon sticks, star anise and pink peppercorns, to garnish

EQUIPMENT

Medium saucepan, muslin, string, serving jug and 4 heatproof glasses 1 Pour the Rioja into a saucepan and add the pineapple, coconut sugar, star anise and cinnamon sticks. 2 Cut a small square of muslin and place the black peppercorns, cardamom pods, Szechuan peppercorns, pink peppercorns and cloves in the centre of the cloth. Tie up with a piece of string and add to the saucepan. Place on a medium-low heat and bring to a low simmer, then leave to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the orange or clementine juice. 3 Divide between glasses, adding a slice of orange or clementine to each. Add half a cinnamon stick and one star anise to each glass. Sprinkle with pink peppercorns and serve.

Party night set, Next

£30

£19.50 Serving dish, Wilko

£5

Decanter, Oliver Bonas

£4.99

Plate, H&M

Drinks trolley, Atkin and Thyme

£299

A drinks trolley adds a glam touch to any living room! For a similar style, visit furnish.co.uk for a version costing £357.

Cocktail set, M&S

FEATURE: LARA NUGENT

£25

GET THE PART Entertaining at home? Transform your living room into a pop-up bar

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best for homes Star lights, £25 and £30 Biba gold ice bucket and tong set, £45 Margarita glasses, £35 (set of four) Biba wine glass, £14 Bar tool set, £30 Metal tray, £48 Car decoration, £10 Pineapple cocktail shaker, £25 Martini glasses, £35 (set of four) Crackers, £15 (set of six) Gold and white decorations, £25 Nutcracker wrap, £5 Vintage car decoration, £10, all House of Fraser

Balloons (pack of five), Papermash

£4.30

£3.99

Martini glass, Dobbies

£5.99

£20 £2.99 Coasters (pack of four), H&M

The Little Book of Cocktails,, amazon.co.uk

£24

Cocktail shaker, Habitat

Champagne glasses (set of four), Next

TY STARTED! by creating a serving area, and decorating with fab accessories

TURN TO PAGE 74 FOR CLAIRE'S HOMEMADE PARTY DECORATION IDEAS k

best

PARTY DIET Our super-speedy slim-down can help you shed up to 3lb by the weekend. Ideal for wriggling into your party dress this Christmas…

HOW IT WORKS With the festivities nearly upon us, we’ve come up with a short, sharp, three-day plan to help you lose a few pounds by the weekend and reduce bloating. Each day, follow the menu on the page opposite, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. For one meal a day, substitute our savoury soup (recipe below). Warming winter soup (makes 2 bowls) ½ onion, 1 celery stick, 1 garlic clove, 3 carrots, ½cm fresh ginger, 2 cups vegetable stock To make, chop and parboil the carrots until soft. Chop and fry the celery, onion, ginger and garlic for 2 mins in low-cal spray oil. Add the stock and carrots and simmer until soft. Cool, then blend. Enjoy 1-2 bowls daily. As well as the soup, aim to drink 2 litres of ﬂuid daily, including water, herbal tea, diet drinks, and tea and coffee (black). Sorry, no booze! Don’t add salt to food, and stick to the plan for no longer than three days. This is a very low-calorie plan, so please see your GP before starting this or any weight-loss regime. Weight loss varies.

WORDS: CATHERINE MORTIMER PICTURES: ALAMY, BIGSTOCK, GETTY/WESTEND61, SHUTTERSTOCK

Lose weight by the weekend!

56 WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

DAY ONE Breakfast

Lunch

Poach 1 egg in water, then put aside, keeping it warm. Next, wilt some spinach in a non-stick pan. Add egg and spinach to 1 slice wholemeal toast and serve.

Warming winter soup.

Dinner Roast a handful of sweet potato chunks in a dish with a chicken breast sprayed with low-cal spray. When cooked, serve with broccoli.

DAY TWO Breakfast Make up a small bowl of porridge using oats and ⅓pt skimmed milk. Warm in a non-stick pan and serve with a slice of apple.

spread, filled with a slice of lean turkey and as much salad (lettuce leaves, tomatoes, cucumber, for example) as you like.

Lunch

Dinner

2 slices wholemeal bread with low-fat

Warming winter soup.

DAY THREE Breakfast

Dinner

Fill a bowl with 2 Weetabix topped with ⅓pt skimmed milk (add water for extra). Serve with a scatter of raisins on top, if liked.

Bake a cod fillet in foil in the oven. While it’s cooking, boil five new potatoes for 15 mins in a pan and cauliflower florets for 5-7 mins in a separate pan. When the fish is done, drain the veg and serve together.

Lunch Warming winter soup.

24 HOURS TO GO?

SNACKS

TRY THESE TOP CHEATS IF TIME HAS RUN OUT… Miraclesuit Sexy Sheer Waist Cincher (£44.50, S-XL, in black or nude, figleaves.com), could make you appear 10lb lighter. Proskins SLIM Leggings (£49.95, Sizes 6–22, various colours, proskins. co.uk). This is compression wear made from yarn that contains active slimming ingredients, and aims to streamline your bottom half.

WHAT TO EAT NEXT… Don’t go bonkers once you’ve finished our slim-down. Stick to three healthy meals a day and keep rich food and sweet treats to a minimum. When it’s Christmas party time, we all like a few glasses of fizz, don't we? But try to limit yourself to a couple of boozy drinks, then swap to diet soft drinks – or it’s always a wise idea to intersperse each round of alcoholic drinks with water.

1x pear

apple

low-fat yoghurt

Mini Babybel

COMIN NEXT ISSG UE! Weight Watchers me to fill you upals and slim you down!

EEN THE CASHBACK QUA M SARAH WILLINGH SAVES YOU £££s Fresh from Dragons’ Den Bargain booze When buying booze for the big day, don’t worry about choosing branded bottles. Morrisons’ Prosecco Spumante, £8.25, took the top spot in taste tests, but the runner-up, Lidl’s Allini Prosecco Spumante, is the real steal at £5.29. It’s also worth heading to Aldi for spirits, as they have a lot of non-branded items that are rated highly on ﬂavour, yet cost about half the price of brands.

ways to save at the supermarket this Christm You’ve seen the sumptuous ads and made your shopping lists – but how can you make your money go further this festive period?

Mums: go to Iceland! If you think freezer supermarket food is a no-go, think again. In a blind taste test by our sister mag Good Housekeeping, Iceland’s Luxury Mince Pies beat 24 brands to the title of Britain’s Best Mince Pie, and at £1.50 for six, they’re a bargain. Their £6 Luxury 12-Month Matured Christmas Pudding came second only to M&S, whose pud is double the price! Also, try Iceland’s Luxury British Whole Brined Turkey with Orange & Thyme Butter – it won the mag’s coveted Best Turkey award.

Avoid wasting cash on Christmas dinner

It’s all too easy to over-cater for the main festive lunch. Remember, it’s just one meal, with some extra salad stuff needed for later in the day, so there’s no need to cook enough for your whole street! To avoid waste, why not use the portion calculator at lovefoodhatewaste.com? Rather than guessing how many potatoes to peel, this allows you to be more scientific – and saves you time and money! 58 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

DO IT FO R F R E E

Want to slim in the Ne down January is w Year? th time to take e perfect adva of the free d ntage booklets yo iet u’ll find in best .

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Check your bill at the till

If you’re brave enough to wait, you can pick up some great deals for food on Christmas Eve, as the stores will want to shift their perishables before they close for Christmas Day. Going towards the end of the day or just before the store closes can be a good time to get cut-price meat, fish and baked goods. If you do buy reduced items, check the ‘use by’ dates. You don’t want to get stuck with three meals that need to be eaten on the same day.

Own-brand bonuses As well as having ‘luxury’ ranges, supermarkets sell own-brand products, which are excellent across the board (Waitrose, in particular, is rated highly). Although the stripped-back packaging and names such as ‘value’ and ‘basic’ might not be very appealing, they’re usually half the price of brands and often taste just as good.

Heading to the January sales and want to find a way to park for free? Parkopedia.co.uk lists ve the places you can lea your car without paying a penny.

Try a little festive DIY The huge arrays of pre-packaged festive foods ﬁlling the supermarket shelves may be tempting, but you do pay more for items this way than if you made them yourself. It may be a busy time of year, but if you have a spare afternoon,

making your own canapés can save you money. If you don’t have the time, mySupermarket.co.uk compares prices across the different supermarkets. It will also alert you to any special offers and vouchers that come up.

FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE 59

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, GETTY

Although the checkouts are busy at Christmas, take the time to look over your receipts. Sometimes, not all the festive three-for-two or BOGOF offers have been uploaded to the tills, which means you can miss out on the discounts you’re entitled to. Always check your bill immediately, so you can highlight any mistakes before you leave the store. Once you’re home, any discrepancies are much harder to prove. If you use the selfscan machine, it should remind you about any special offers as you put items through.

The 12 scents Chris Fill your home with wonderful fragrance and calming candlelight

3 5

WORDS: LARA NUGENT PICTURE: STUDIO 33

Spicy cinnamon, cloves and zesty orange are combined to create a traditional festive smell – Winter Spice, £15, John Lewis. The calming aromas in Rituals Holy Basil, £29.50, are the perfect way to soothe away the stress of preparing for Christmas.

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3 4

For a 24-hour burst of festive fragrance, you can’t beat M&S Joyeux Noel, £15. If you prefer something sweet, then Heyland & Whittle Sweet Clementine and Prosecco, £12.50, ticks all the right boxes.

For a slightly more subtle and soothing aroma, perfect for relaxing after the busy Christmas period, consider Baylis & Harding Jojoba, Silk & Almond Oil Candle, £10. Elevate your senses with this beautiful and luxurious spa scent – Clarins Tonic, £55.

best

for homes

of tmas 7 11 10

9 8

Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, with this Winter Berries Five Wick Candle, £50, House of Fraser, you can enjoy the smell of the festive season for at least another three months. Thanks to the freshness of pine, the Yankee Candle Festive

Cocktail, £10, brings the outdoors in. A few drops of The White Company Winter Oil, £8, will help freshen-up old winter potpourri. Make your kitchen smell warm and inviting by placing Yankee Candle Black Cherry Diffuser, £18.99, in the window.

9 10

Looking for a fragrance that will last into spring? Go for Baylis & Harding Sweet Mandarin & Grapefruit, £15, as an alternative to traditional scents. The White Company Mulled Wine Diffuser, £16, has bottled the ultimate winter warmer perfectly.

YOUR We’ve put together the perfect presents to spoil you for a change. Leave this page out and tick what you really want to give the Santa in your life a subtle hint

TICK ME

ME TICK NE, £40,

SALTED CARAMEL COCOA VODK A, £35, Hotel Chocolat

CK O Calvin Klein

TICK ME BATHTIME COLLECTION, £48, Jo Malone

E KLEM TRIC T, ACE B e Eight £20, Phas

TICK ME

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TICK ME WATC H, £78, J by Jasper Conran at Debenhams

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WISH LIST E TICKS,M £35,

TICK ME RO BE, £25, M&S

FEATURE: LARA NUGENT PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, CAMERA PRESS

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Mary & Paul’s

final ﬂing ang out the bunting… and the baubles! Mary Berry, Paul Hollywood, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins reunite for a final, festive helping of icing and innuendo in the famous white tent before the nation’s favourite TV show moves to Channel 4. The Great Christmas Bake Off, a two-part seasonal special, sees old favourites from previous series return to compete with their cakes and canapés. Mary-Anne Boermans (runner-up, series two), Cathryn Dresser (series three), Ali Imdad (series four) and Norman Calder (series five) don their aprons in the first edition, while Janet Basu (series two), James

WORDS: KATHERINE HASKELL PICTURES: BBC/LOVE PRODUCTIONS/TOM GRAHAM, BIGSTOCK, GETTY IMAGES, REX FEATURES, WIREIMAGE

Christmas is all about celebrating, so join Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood as they reunite to talk food, family and the good times… Morton (runner-up, series three), Howard Middleton (series four) and Chetna Makan (series five) mix it up in the second. But who will be the Christmas Star Bakers? Mary, 81, and Paul, 50, remain tightlipped but reveal what ingredients really make their Joyeux Noël – and the ones that don’t! Tell us about The Great Christmas Bake Off… Mary: I can’t tell you how exciting this was for us. It was absolutely brilliant because we

’Twas the night before Christmas and the Bake Off seasonal special

64 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

had a say in who was coming back. We have eight people and we’ve got real characters. We also had a wonderful Salvation Army band playing carols, which made us all feel very Christmassy. Paul: It was so much fun to do. I loved the atmosphere and the challenges. The format is exactly the same: Signature, Technical, Showstopper. These guys know exactly what works. We had some great bakes, from cakes and pies to pastries and canapés. The standard is incredibly high. Bake Off’s a telly favourite at Christmas, but what are your own festive traditions? M: I love Christmas. It’s all about being with your loved ones and a time for celebration, family, laughter… and good food, of course! We all get together at our house. A tradition we keep is to have a ﬁsh pie big enough for everyone on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, it’s fairly classic. We’ve come back to turkey because everybody seems to like it. We also have a ham as well. I prepare a lot in advance to make life easier. I make the sausage stuffing and gravy from the giblet stock on

Star judges Paul and Mary love a festive jumper

best for showbiz Mary will be with her family this Christmas

Christmas Eve. I’ll have made and frozen the bread sauce. The veg will have been par-boiled and the sprouts prepared. I make the triﬂe the day before so the ﬂavours can steep. And I make a light Christmas cake because we don’t like a very rich one. We do royal icing, though, and I always bring out the same decorations that go on the top. What are your favourite festive memories? M: When our three children were younger and we were at my mother’s, they did the entertainment. They’d dress up and do songs and panto-type things. We’d have our coffee and the children would be centre stage. Lovely. I can’t wait for the grandchildren to entertain us after Christmas dinner.

Paul: ‘I dress up as Santa’ Silver

fox Paul gets into the Christm as spirit and dons a Santa outfit to gi ve the children in his fa mily their gifts. Aww! ‘On Christmas Eve, the adults sw ap presents at midnig ht so we can concen trate on the kids when they wake up in the morning. I’m norm ally dressed as Sant a and we give them their one!” I love watc stockings,’ reveals hing their faces as th Paul. ‘For me, th ey at’s see what’s insid Christmas. I get e.’ much And, after the more pleasure gi ving Ho llywoods have gifts than I do re ceiving en joyed their delic them. I always te ious ll Christmas lunch everyone to “Ope with n all the trimmings, that one! Open th at it’s time to pack for

a ski holiday abro ad. ‘On Boxing Day, we head off to the Al ps. We like to go aw ay skiing before my son Josh goes ba ck to school.’ Bon voyage, Paul – and Merry Chris tmas!

As judges, you have to try everything. Is there any food that you would refuse to eat? M: I don’t like hot or smoked oysters. If I was judging it, though, I would try it. I’d be absolutely fine as long as you don’t give it to me every day! Actually, I must be one of the few people who isn’t mad about sushi. I’m very careful where I eat sushi. Everything’s got to be so fresh. And I’m not keen on all imported fish. There’s a lot of fish we’ve never heard of appearing on fish counters. I like the sustainable fish I know. What’s the worst thing you’ve eaten? Have you had sheep’s eyeballs? P: I’ve had sheep’s brain. When I lived in Cyprus, it was the first thing I saw and tried. It’s part of a traditional meze. You get the sheep’s head. [Grimaces] It was a bit much for me! M: I don’t mind that. I love brain, but – of course – you can’t buy them now, can you? I love offal. P: Offally good! M: There’s going to be quite a revival. P: Have you tried sheep’s eyes, Mary? M: No, thank you. I love sweetbreads. P: Kangaroo’s testicles? M: Never had them. P: Have you seen I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!? M: No… Oh, that would hold no fear for Mary… M: [Smiling] The worst thing in the world you could do to me is make me go on that. Oh, the thought of it! Rats and things… No, I wouldn’t do that for anybody. Ever. Ewwww. You must be desperate to do that! O The Great Christmas Bake Off is on BBC One, Christmas Day, 4.45pm, and Boxing Day, 7pm

Your stars for 2017 ARIES

TAURUS

GEMINI

(21 Mar/20 Apr)

(21 Apr/21 May)

(22 May/21 June)

LOVE

Devote yourself to pleasure, romance and creativity as the year begins. Venus retrograde in your sign from early March to mid-April can intensify misunderstandings, but disagreements will be resolved, so don’t start thinking a relationship is over without giving it a fair chance. Your love life will heat up in August as Mars snuggles up with the Sun.

You have something special to celebrate as the year begins, and this will sow the seeds of a growing excitement within the family. A friendship could turn into romance in February – take a slow, steady approach to new relationships. Head for a beautiful getaway in July where you and your partner can connect. Your love life will get a shot in the arm in the winter as you slow down to enjoy life’s more simple pleasures.

Working as a team will be rewarding between January and March. In the summer, avoid allowing misunderstandings to fester or this could cause a rift. Plans your partner makes in September highlight the need to make changes to your own routine. You’ll be feeling optimistic where joint long-term prospects are concerned in the ﬁnal quarter of the year.

LIFE

A long-held wish will be granted in February, but there may be strings attached. Any outstanding problems in the spring should be overcome before making new starts. If you have responsibilities linked with a past partner or relative, remove them so you can fulﬁl personal plans in the summer. In June, you’ll be blown away by the energy and talents of those you’re mixing with. Some inspiring work news in November will centre on changing schedules – this may lead to a series of lucky coincidences.

LIFE There’s plenty to keep you entertained at home, but travel is highlighted as well. 28 March will be a great time for new starts. Strike out on your own, if need be, with courage and conﬁdence. You’ll need an outlet for your excess energy between April and August. Make the most of all opportunities to broaden your horizons. A series of short trips, for both business and pleasure, allows you to explore new vistas. August is the time to draw closer to the people who mean the most to you.

LIFE Trying out new ideas will lead to some great achievements early in the year. Consider choices carefully in May, and sleep on it before making a big decision. This will give you the conﬁdence to set a long-term target, and by mid-August, there’s every chance you’ll achieve your goal. But – be careful – distractions in September could stop you doing what you need to do. In November, an achievement or award will serve to increase your faith in yourself.

MONEY

The stars are beckoning you to develop your artistic talents between January and March. The summer will bring some lucrative opportunities to sell your creative work. Avoid ﬁnancial risks in July.

Although you love sharing your wealth, there should be a limit on your generosity in June – certain people will take advantage. You’ll be thinking about ways to earn extra money from home at the end of the year.

This is not the year to play fast and loose with your finances. You may make a start on some DIY work in September, and materials will be more expensive than you had budgeted for. A generous relative will give you cash.

66 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

best FOR YOUR HOROSCOPES

Celebrity astrologer Russell Grant reveals what’s in store for you over the next 12 months…

CANCER

LEO

VIRGO

(22 June/23 July)

(24 July/23 Aug)

(24 Aug/23 Sept)

LOVE

To gain from some exciting developments in your social life, you need to forgive and forget either yourself for your past ways, or your partner. Listen to your instincts regarding a romantic attraction in the summer. The talent and elusive quality of a newcomer in your circle will fascinate you. Be the pursuer if you want to get to know this person better.

Sharing interesting experiences between January and March will cement your relationship with a friend or neighbour. A mutual interest in art, cinema or music will enhance romance. The arrival of Venus, planet of attraction, and the Sun in your romantic zone in December suggests that if you aren’t wildly in love with someone already, you will be by next Christmas.

January could hardly be a better month for close relationships. Sharing time with people who love life will help you see the world through new eyes. If a relationship goes the way you hope, the rich emotional bond you share will lead to something lasting and special. August will be a good month for taking a romantic holiday off the beaten track.

LIFE

Between January and October there’ll be more focus on family and domestic concerns. Progress will be more erratic than expected in the spring, requiring patience and perseverance. Signing up for a short-term course could be fun. Alongside all you’ll learn, you’re likely to make some great new friends. In July, don’t just dream about what you want, make the effort to go out and get it. Your determined efforts won’t go unnoticed in the workplace in November. A promotion may be in order.

Your need for something different will inspire you to break away from normal routines in the spring. You’ll want to explore new scenes, and if anyone tries to get in your way, you’ll stand your ground. Getting a job that pays well and speaks to your heart in August will increase your independence. Others will see that you can be assertive and charmingly persuasive when you want to be. Anything connected with writing, media and advertising will be good for you in the autumn.

With the Sun and Mars at the top of your chart late in May, much of your focus will be on professional concerns and new business ventures. You will handle career and ﬁnancial responsibilities wisely. Friendships have never been so much fun, and there will be events this summer you’ll treasure in your memory forever. Happenings around November will revolve around family life and relationships. You’ll be quick to grasp ways of bringing beneﬁts into your life, and won’t miss out on new opportunities presented before you.

LIFE

MONEY

Making changes to your household will be expensive, but worth every penny. Make a bid on a property in the summer. There’s a good chance the seller will agree to your proposal. Keep tight control of ﬁnances as the year ends.

You’ll have the funds to take a far-flung journey in April. Taking a more conscientious approach to money will mean you can work less and play more. Your mind will be on a long-term ﬁnancial goal in the summer.

Proving to loved ones that you can be resourceful will help build their confidence in you. Jupiter is in your money zone until October, suggesting new budgets need to be made. You may receive great news in November.

Your stars for 2017

LIBRA

SCORPIO

SAGITTARIUS

(24 Sept/23 Oct)

(24 Oct/22 Nov)

(23 Nov/21 Dec)

LOVE

You’re extremely charismatic, thanks to Jupiter in your sign up to October. Singletons will have no trouble attracting admirers. Choose someone sensitive, creative and respectful. If you’re just starting to date, be yourself. Friendships will be fun in the summer, but merging with your loved one will be even better.

People will expect too much from you in February, so put your own needs first. Opportunities for advancement will come your way early in the year, but you won’t go far if you let a possessive partner hold you back. A close relationship will improve if you travel together in August. If you’re single, you’ll unexpectedly meet someone special through work.

With Jupiter in your social zone up until mid-October, your mainstay will be friends who give constant support and reassurance. Channel your restless energy into joint activities in July. In the autumn, you’ll be taking a more organised approach to your love life, ﬁnances and business affairs.

LIFE Give long-term aims careful thought as the year begins. Cosmic forces are working with you. Mid-January is a great time to launch a dream project. Some teething troubles in February and March can easily be overcome. There’s an atmosphere of action around you as the year progresses. Your actions in April and September will prove how motivated you really are. Expect the pace to be hectic as you start down new paths in October. There will be a lot of excitement along the way. Family business could mean travelling in December.

MONEY If you’re wondering where your money is going as the year begins, write down everything you buy to shed light on where wasteful spending occurs. A bonus or reward for loyalty to your employer will be received in April. You’ll get great opportunities between October and December to push your earning potential for all it’s worth. Jupiter’s arrival in your income zone is reason to be optimistic, as money is on its way.

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LIFE Let your inner inspiration flourish in January and September. You’ll feel the beneﬁt of psychological changes later in the year. Visit places and choose activities that provide spiritual fulﬁlment. Earning money and socialising are important, but so is connecting with your soul. Following up a lead which has some bearing on your career could bring a surprising turn of events in April. You might feel inspired to book a holiday or visit friends overseas in July. Lucky events mid-October, as Jupiter enters your sign, will boost your prestige and make you more buoyant about your future outlook.

MONEY A community spirit in January will make a charitable event successful. Your income will soon be on the rise, or you might beneﬁt through a partner’s good fortune. Wait until you’ve had the chance to digest what this might mean before splashing out on modern luxuries, such as a new car.

LIFE You’re eager to push ahead with new ventures, and will accomplish great things during the ﬁrst quarter of the year. You’ll need to switch gears quickly to meet unforeseen challenges in April. Between 5 April and 25 August, Saturn retrograde in your sign will place obstacles in your path. Be patient, though, as this is only temporary. Afterwards, everything will fall into place and achievements will be all the more signiﬁcant because of the effort it took to get there. A new cycle of experience will begin in October. December is the month you get to turn dreams into reality.

MONEY Tasks within the home could call for a lot of energy and expense in the spring. You might draw on past experiences to resolve ﬁnancial problems in July. Changes you feel inspired to make could be the type that will have farreaching consequences. The impression you make on others in September will give your promotion prospects a turn for the best, so remain professional and prepare to take on more responsibility.

best FOR YOUR HOROSCOPES

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

PISCES

(22 Dec/20 Jan)

(21 Jan/19 Feb)

(20 Feb/20 Mar)

LOVE

A romantic surprise awaits you as the year begins. If you’re single, you could meet someone you have a lot in common with in the spring. Be ready to take things slowly. Close relationships grow even more loving and fulﬁlling as the year progresses, and a new friend will encourage you to go for what you truly want in November.

A change of scene in the spring will have positive consequences for your love life. Schedule a fun romantic getaway with your sweetheart. Single? You could meet someone special in February during a workshop, seminar or training course. Your love life will be on ﬁre in May and June. Take this opportunity to connect with your sensual side and keep the passion alive.

If you’ve just begun a brand-new relationship, take each day as it comes. In April, instead of wasting energy on people who don’t understand you, spend time with those who love and accept you for who you are. The results of a joint project will be far better than you expected in the summer.

There’s a congenial mood of cooperation around you between January and March. This will get a difficult job completed easier than anyone expected. Stay focused on your work, meet deadlines and you’ll attract an exciting opportunity in January. You will come into contact with some important people in the summer. One person in particular could be the key to the future advancement of your career. If you’re going to a job interview, emphasise your organisational skills. The Sun and Mercury promise much in terms of travel, education and working towards your future aspirations mid-September. Be careful what you wish for at this time, as it may well come true.

LIFE There will be many spur-of-themoment opportunities for fun and laughter during the first quarter, and a welcome chance to get away from your usual work programme in April. This may be a one-off assignment, but it will last for a number of weeks. You and a friend or workmate will have fun times together in September. The bond between you will grow stronger. Creating a personal development plan in October will help you achieve your ambitions. Focusing on areas where you are most skilled will get you noticed by all the right people. Although you aren’t out to impress, people will like what they see.

MONEY MONEY If you have plans to travel later this year, start putting money aside. Encourage loved ones, too, to create a savings fund. You want to make your income stretch as far as possible. Downloading helpful ﬁnancial software will help keep track of your expenditure.

Exercising your creativity will be an exciting way to earn a little extra cash in February. A ﬁnancial gift in March will come as a pleasant surprise. Splash out on a new outﬁt or fragrance. By exercising some restraint in the summer, you’ll pave the way to a better economic situation in the autumn.

LIFE You could be in for an exciting and entertaining few months ahead. Accept any opportunities or offers as and when they arise. Success in career matters is likely in the summer when your intuition is keen, and some quick thinking will help you take advantage of a fantastic opening in a new location. Let nothing and no one stop you from being the happy, sunny soul you want to be. This side of you is more likely to attract luck and love your way. Remember, people are drawn to happy people. Tune in to your intuition in the autumn, and clear any issues that may be playing on your mind through daily meditation.

MONEY Make sure joint expenses are shared equally. Keep receipts for everything you buy at the start of the year, as you may need these in the spring. A missing item could turn up again in May. Hidden charges will knock a hole in your budget in the summer. Explore discounted travel packages if you want to get away from it all – you deserve a break, after all.

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, KEN MCKAY/ITV/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

LIFE

My two Christmas angels Cheryl Hutchins, 34, was crushed when she lost her first baby, but then a miracle happened… hristmas is my favourite time of year – decorating the tree, cosy nights in and wrapping presents. But what I love most of all about the festive period is spending it with family. Every year, my mum, Jackie, my partner, Marc, and his parents would have Christmas dinner together. And I just couldn’t wait to have another mouth around the table when Marc, now 38, and I started our own family.

Evie and Amie were Cheryl’s greatest gift

Pregnant! But it wasn’t plain sailing

When we’d met online, in October 2011, kids were one of the first things we talked about. As a little girl, I’d doted on my collection of dolls, and couldn’t wait for the real thing. Luckily, Marc felt the same way. So we bought a house with plenty of spare bedrooms and officially ‘started trying’. We were so excited, but our joy dimmed every month when nothing happened. After almost 18 months, in April 2013, I went to my GP, and we were sent for fertility tests. When they confirmed we were both healthy, we were referred for IVF treatment. It was impossible not to get our hopes up and, in bed at night, we’d talk about the family we longed for, laughing at the silly details we made up. But we were crushed when our first attempt, in February 2015, ended in failure. Three months later, we

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The tiny pair were in hospital for five weeks

went to a private clinic called CARE Fertility Northampton and paid for another round out of our savings. Just like the ﬁrst time, I had to inject myself with hormones to increase my egg production, then they were collected and fertilised with Marc’s sperm. Joy turned to panic This time, we had two embryos implanted in my uterus, to double our chances. Marc made sure I put my feet

Marc’s first days as a doting dad

up, and we held our breath for two weeks, until we could take a pregnancy test. I barely slept the night before and, by 4am, I couldn’t wait any longer. I went to the bathroom, then Marc and I stared at the pregnancy test, willing the lines to appear. But even when they did, we

best for real life

girls, I don’t think I’d ever felt happier, and I found myself lingering around the pink baby clothes in supermarkets, imagining what they’d look like on my babies. But then, in December 2015, when I was 27 weeks gone, I started bleeding. ‘This can’t be happening,’ I thought numbly, as Marc rushed me to Kettering General Hospital. I let out a breath I hadn’t realised I’d been holding when they ﬁnally found both heartbeats. But that relief was temporary, as I started bleeding again a week later. The babies were ﬁne, but this time, doctors gave me steroid injections to strengthen their lungs in case they arrived early.

had to wake my mum, who was staying over, to be sure. I was pregnant… and not just Emergency caesarean with one baby, the hospital At home, I threw myself into conﬁrmed. Both embryos had preparations for Christmas to taken, so we were having distract myself. By Christmas non-identical twins! Not even Eve, all the presents were the dizzy spells and constant wrapped, the nursery was exhaustion I was decorated and all I experiencing could had to do was dampen my make a triﬂe delight. for dessert. s ‘If there’ I genuinely I made the g one thin hadn’t cared jelly and set ’ nt I’ve lear what we were the custard the is ly ‘Family tru having but, but, by . most important thing when we then, I was les rac mi Oh, and found out we so tired, I do happen every now were having curled up on and again!’

Just look at the gorgeous twosome now

the sofa. ‘The cream will just have to wait,’ I thought before I drifted off. But just after midnight, I woke up soaking wet. Hazy with sleep, I didn’t understand what had happened. Then I realised that my waters had broken, so we raced back to the hospital, where doctors told me I’d need an emergency caesarean. I must have been in shock, because all I could think about was the trifle. ‘You’ll have to finish it!’ I told Marc. It wasn’t until I was being wheeled to theatre that it hit me. My babies were coming 10 weeks early – far too soon. But there was little else we could do and, at 3.01am on Christmas morning, Evie arrived, weighing just 2lb 14oz. A minute later, Amie was born, weighing 2lb 11oz. I only caught a glimpse of our precious miracles before they were taken to the special care baby unit. When we were finally allowed to see them, three hours later, nurses had placed tiny knitted Santa hats on our daughters’ heads as they lay

side by side in incubators. They were so small, and needed help breathing, but doctors reassured us they were doing well. We called our families to tell them the good news, and I made Mum promise to ﬁnish the triﬂe. It wasn’t the usual family Christmas I loved but, as I wolfed down my turkey and all the trimmings alongside the incubators, I couldn’t stop smiling. In February this year, Evie and Amie were discharged from hospital at last. Even by then, their personalities were starting to shine through. Evie was quiet and loved being cuddled, while Amie was a livewire who never sat still. We’re sure she’ll be a sprinter. This year, we can’t wait for Christmas. We’ve decided to celebrate their birthday on Boxing Day – we’ve waited so long for them, we can’t resist having two celebrations. We’re even talking about having a family day in June, too. We’re so grateful for our surprise Christmas miracles. They really are the best gift we could’ve hoped for.

WORDS: LUCY LAING AND LOUISE BULGIN PICTURES: ALYSON BLANCHARD

The twins turn one on 25 December

‘I must have been in shock, because all I could think about was the triﬂe!’

From broken baubles to broken bones, sometimes Christmas can be, well, just ho ho horrible...

We all work hard to make sure Christmas goes off without a hitch, but sometimes things just don’t go according to plan…

Our big festive f Christmas dinner disaster Samantha Brick was determined to serve her French in-laws a perfect English turkey lunch

few years ago, my in-laws were due to come round for Christmas lunch and I gamely offered to cook. Turkey, trimmings, the whole works. We live in the countryside in the Dordogne, France, and I wanted them to experience a traditional English Christmas. My hubby Pascal was rather shocked, as I’m not known for my culinary creations, but I had a secret weapon: my dad. He’s an expert chef, so in early December, we sat down and painstakingly went through everything I’d need to do. I noted down his top-secret recipe for homemade stuffing and, on

WORDS: LOUISE BULGIN PICTURES: BIGSTOCK

his advice, ordered a large farm-reared, 3kg turkey (that’s almost 7lb!). I picked it up two days before Christmas Day then left it in the freezer in our basement. But when I went down to get it out on Christmas morning, there was a putrid smell ﬁlling the air… and the fridge door was ajar. My heart sank and my stomach heaved as I looked inside and saw the huge bird had turned an off-green colour. I clearly hadn’t closed the door properly and, as the meat had warmed, it had begun to rot. There was nothing I could do. Nothing was open and the only other

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options in the freezer were fish fingers. Talk about the nightmare before Christmas… I confessed my mistake to Pascal, 55, who, in turn, called his parents. But I was in for my second shock of the day, as they admitted they already had a goose in the oven that they’d planned to bring round ‘just in case’. Hanging my head in shame, we ended up at their house, where his mum prepared the perfect French festive feast. Even now, at 45, the thought of it turns me Rudolph-red. In my defence, the door had always been faulty, but you can guess the first thing I bought in the January sales... a new fridge-freezer!

Samantha’s feast was fit for the bin

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for real life

Winter woeful-land Teacher Catharine Sceats suffered a Christmas calamity when she headed to the slopes with her family

hristmas has always been a bit of a trial in our household. Max and Tilly were born the day before and the day after Christmas Day, respectively, and juggling the joint celebrations is tricky. Most of our friends and family rolled their presents into one and, while I knew they meant well, it often left the kids feeling like their birthdays were overlooked. That’s why, a couple of years ago, James and I booked a surprise family ski trip. We’d scrimped and saved all year, but it was worth it on Christmas Eve to see their faces as we hit the slopes in picture-postcard conditions. While James, now 43, and the kids went skiing, I went

for a snowy walk, imagining Wham!’s Last Christmas video as I went. And that afternoon, Tilly, then 12, was so excited about her upcoming birthday that I couldn’t resist her pleas for me to join her on a sledge ride. Big mistake! From the get-go, she whizzed off, going far too fast,

and aimed our sledge at some ‘jumps’. The wind whooshing into our faces obviously drowned out my yells to slow down because we just got faster and faster, until Tilly lost control and we hit a crash barrier at full pelt. Pain shot through my ankle, which I soon discovered was broken, and I had to be

stretchered out of the resort on a snowmobile. It was mortifying. Not only did I spend the rest of the Christmas holidays in plaster – and agony – but the following two months, too. This year, we’ll be safely at home in Dorking, Surrey. Let’s hope that helps us avoid any festive mishaps!

Catharine hit the slopes – literally

ails Not so perfect for Xmas presents Student advisor Jennifer Norris thought she had her festive gifts all wrapped up...

L Jennifer had Christmas all wrapped up – or did she?

Jennifer and Sam

ast year, I’d been really organised and bought all my Christmas presents months early. I’d aimed to have them wrapped, too, only – before I knew it – Christmas Eve had arrived. So, that night, I settled down to a mammoth wrapping session. It was frantic, and took me ages, but ﬁnally I was done. ‘Look,’ I said to my husband, Sam, 29, proudly showing off my mountain of perfectly wrapped pressies. Afterwards, I grabbed my gift bags and went to

divvy up the presents for each of my family and friends, who we’d be celebrating with the next day. But picking up the ﬁrst present, my eyes widened with horror. In my hurry, I hadn’t put tags or labels on any of the parcels. ‘I don’t know who they’re for!’ I sobbed. I tried feeling and jiggling each one but, eventually, I had to concede defeat and was forced to open every single one. But now I knew who’s was what, I had no festive paper left for re-wrapping

them! Although it was late, I went out, desperately trying to ﬁnd some in our home town of Derby, but everywhere had sold out. I went home, and rewrapped them in the only thing I could ﬁnd – pink Happy Birthday gift-wrap for children. After a night that felt as long as Santa’s, I was done. Bleary-eyed and shamefaced, we arrived at our family’s house the next morning with the ‘birthday’ presents. Everyone thought my holiday horror was hilarious, but I felt like a festive fool!

Claire crafts C

hristmas is almost upon us, and once all the gifts have been unwrapped and the leftover turkey demolished, it will be time to turn your attention to New Year’s Eve. So here are a few ideas to help your party go with a bang! You can share your attempts on Instagram @princessclarabella or on Twitter @_ClaireRichards. Here’s to another crafty year in 2017 – and I hope to see you all soon. Happy New Year!

Claire Richards xx WHAT YOU NEExD 30cm,

F 1 Box Canvas 100cm or will fit e or in any size you’d lik F Black paint F Gold glitter F Sparkle Mod Podge F Gloss Mod Podge F Paintbrush ur canvas with 1 Start by painting yo dry, paint black paint. Once it’s to dry again. ve lea d another coat an has a solid Make sure the canvas hter sections. finish, no patches or lig to get this ats co You may need more til it’s perfect. effect so keep going un ur text nt yo 2 Decide how you wa ehand with a fre it ite wr d an k to loo lver or white) (si il light-coloured penc as. Be careful, directly onto the canv u make a though, because if yo rd to cover mistake, it’s really ha stencil and a ke up. Or you can ma , sticking as nv ca place it onto the u-Tack, Bl th wi ce pla o lightly int and draw around it.

3 Once the text is in place, take your paintbrush and the Sparkle Mod Podge, and begin to paint within the lines of the as text, working quickly, a int Pa y. dr ll wi the glue the kle rin sp d an on secti glitter and so on until the whole text has been covered. Shake off the excess glitter onto a sheet of baking paper or newspaper and allow to dry for 10 minutes or so. g 4 Repeat the glitterin the of top process over the lly rea a t ge u yo first layer so r. tte gli of g rin ve co nice solid . ely let Put aside to dry comp ve ha ers lay r 5 Once the glitte

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‘HAPPY NEW YEAR’ CANVAS

dried, paint a layer of the Gloss Mod Podge straight over the top of the glittered text. Once this is dry, the glitter will not shed. 6 If you want to, you can place a few of the tissue paper flowers (see right) around the edges to make a really eye-catching focus point for your festivities.

POM-POM GARLAND

WHAT YOU NEED F Black tissue paper F Gold tissue paper F Paper plates in a variety of sizes F Floristry wire or paper clips F Hot glue gun F Scissors

TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS

1 Begin by laying about 4 sheets of the tissue paper flat and cut to size wanted. As you make these, you’ll realise which elements make up the different sizes of each flower. So, for a large one, it’ll probably be made up of 3 sections. 2 Start to fold your tissue paper about 2cm at a time, first one way and then the other, just as you would fold a fan. Keep going until it’s all folded.

wrapping the wool until each side or the card is covered. The tighter and thicker the wool is wrapped, the more plush your pom-pom will be. Once you’ve done this, cut the wool all the way around the edge and tie round the middle tightly with a length of wool. 4 At this point, take the pom-pom off the maker, or cut the card to remove. 1 Decide on your two Roll it around in your pom-pom sizes. Avoid hands a few times to even going too large, as you’ll it up. You can either leave want to hang it and you it a little messy or trim don’t want it to be too to make perfectly round. heavy. Also at this stage, Put to one side and repeat measure out the length until you have enough of twine you need and cut in the black wool. it, leaving a bit extra each 5 Repeat the process end to tie in a loop to with the gold wool but in make it easier to hang. a smaller size. If using 2 If you can, lay the cut gold wool, they won’t twine out on a table or need triming as they look floor before you start better slightly messy. and work out how many 6 To complete the garland, pom-poms you’ll need thread the pom-poms onto to make. Make sure you the twine using the plastic leave an equal gap needle. Once they’re between each one. on, space them 3 Begin by making A black pom-poms; out correctly. pom-pom I did these in a To make sure maker will slightly larger they stay in save you time. The traditional size to the gold place, dab way is with two ones. Whether a little hot pieces of round using card or glue on the card with a hole a Pom-Pom twin e inside cut in the Maker, start the pom-pom. middle!

3 Keep the tissue paper all together and fold it so that one end is a little longer than the other; this creates the petals and the centre of the flower. Once you’ve done this, you can either wrap a length of floristry wire around it and twist, or take two paper clips and push one on each side to keep it all together. 4 Take the scissors and cut each end of the tissue into the shape you’d like your petals to be (rounded or pointed). 5 Now spread out the tissue and begin to pull each layer of the longer end gently away from the next to create the petals. Be careful, as the tissue paper can tear easily. Then repeat with the shorter end. You’ll notice the short

end is a little more dense; this will make up part of the centre of your flower. 6 Make two more in exactly the same way. Now take your paper plate and figure out how they sit, then stick them into place with your glue gun – and there you have your first flower. TOP TIP If you’re using a glue such as PVA, you’ll need to set the flowers aside somewhere safe to dry completely. You’ll discover so many different sizes and styles once you get started. It’s takes a of bit trial and error, but as long as you stick to the basic method, just changing the size of the tissue paper and the number of layers will create hundreds of different looks.

Y JOHNSTON

Impress your guests with these fabulous party decorations

WHAT YOU NEED

F Black wool F Gold wool F Black and metallic gold twine, available from Hobbycraft F Pom-Pom Makers, available from Create and Craft F Scissors F Hot glue gun F Large plastic needle

PICTURES: STUDIO 33, NICK

Christmas

best for showbiz

‘Piers pushes everyone’s buttons!’ t’s no exaggeration to say that Good Morning Britain meteorologist Laura Tobin, 35, is one of the most adventurous weather girls on TV. Since her first GMB weather report in 2014, the Northampton native has chucked herself into a tank of ice-cold water, made herself a human cannonball and, most recently, learned how to do some fancy spins on the ice rink to add a festive touch to her weather reports. Laura has been married to her husband, Dean, a fellow former student of Reading University,

Laura may have a glam job…

since 2010, and the couple live in Berkshire. Laura, yours really isn’t the average weather report, is it? No… I’m probably the best-travelled weather presenter in the world. I want to get out and represent as much of the country as possible. We can have awful weather with storms and ﬂoods, but equally, when there’s bad news, the weather can just be a bit of fun. Do you ever say, ‘No, I’m NOT doing that!’? The word ‘no’ isn’t really in my vocabulary. I abseiled down Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower in September, and Piers went, ‘Aren’t you meant to bounce?’ Without thinking, I said, ‘I’ll give you a bloody bounce!’ That little blip was through pure terror. I’m always professional on air!

… but she’s not afraid to get down and dirty

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Daredevil GMB weather girl Laura Tobin says Susanna Reid isn’t the only person Piers Morgan delights in winding up… Viewers love the dynamic between the GMB team. Who are you closest to? Me, Sean [Fletcher] and Charlotte [Hawkins] are like naughty siblings. We steal each other’s phones, take selﬁes of each other and post

There’s a really good dynamic among the GMB team

Laura often has breakfast with her co-hosts

them on Twitter. I hide things in Sean’s bag and go, ‘Sean, you seem to have lost an awful lot of pens lately!’, then he’ll go into his bag and I’ve put a whole stash in there. Very childish. Piers and Susanna, on the other hand… Oh, they’re hilarious together. Everywhere I go, the first comment is about Piers. I get lots of ‘I can’t stand Piers... But I watch him because I love his interviews.’ He’s going to grill somebody, and you’ll find out something you wanted to know. And then, you never know what he’s going to do next with Susanna… She seems especially irritated by him at the moment, is she really? Oh there’s a definite ‘Stop it, Piers’ face’. Piers pushes

her buttons, but he does it with everyone. Like the day Charlotte did a news story about a koala and he said, ‘That’s not very interesting, why did you tell us that?’ and she went, ‘Because it was a cute koala that went into a bank!’ We were all laughing, but Piers had to represent the one per cent of the population who, like him, didn’t ﬁnd it cute or funny. How much do you see your co-hosts off air? Often I’ll have a quick breakfast with whoever is free, or sometimes lunch. Never dinner, because we’re almost ready for bed when people are ready to do dinner! Our world is different to everyone else’s, as we get up so early (like, 3.45am!). Is the GMB crew having a Christmas party? We are. I’m also organising secret Santa, with £25

each to spend. It’s the ﬁrst year we’ve done it. We were buying too many presents last year! Ross King comes over from LA, so there’s no shortage of amazing showbiz stories. Most wouldn’t even make it on to air. You can also hear Kate Garraway’s laugh above everything, and it gets progressively louder the more she drinks. What are you and your hubby, Dean, up to over the festive period? We take turns. This Christmas, we’re with my family, so lots of games and drinking. That’s basically all we do. I have a little party with friends every year, too, and this year the theme is Christmas movies. I’m going as The Nutcracker. I do weekly ballet lessons, so I already have some outﬁts in the wardrobe. What would be your dream come true? It would be amazing to report from the Northern Lights one year, outside of the UK, maybe in the Arctic Circle with snow and reindeer. I’d probably cry, though. It’s top of my bucket list. ● ITV’s Good Morning Britain, weekdays, from 6am

HI S T : a r Lau ... M ’ I K WE E WATCHING… Corrie. I plan my whole life around it. I have to have had my shower, my dinner and get all cosy on the sofa for it at 7.30pm.

LISTENING TO… Anything by Bon Jovi. Should I be admitting to this? Possibly not. I’d say it’s my guilty pleasure.

CAN’T STOP… Eating fizzy sweets. This is what happens when you’re stuck in a car for ages.

WORDS: SHELLEY MARSDEN PICTURES: GETTY, MARK BRUCE, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

best for showbiz

Piers regularly goads Susanna

best GIRLS’ NIGHT IN...

This week’s mustsee TV 1

Birds Of A Feather CHRISTMAS EVE, ITV, 8PM

The Chigwell trio have been entertaining us since 1989, and this Xmas special is set to be the best ever. When Tracey’s son, Travis, goes missing, the ladies fly to Morocco to find him, bumping into Dorien’s old flame, Vincent (Martin Kemp), and uncovering a conspiracy on the way – leading to Dorien riding a camel... ‘The camel was divine,’ says Lesley Joseph. ‘He did everything he was told to.’ If only the men in their lives were so well-behaved!

Call the Midwife CHRISTMAS DAY, BBC ONE, 8PM

MONDAY & TUESDAY, BBC ONE, 9PM

The Call The Midwife gang, including Trixie Franklin (Helen George), Dr Patrick Turner (Stephen McGann), his wife Shelagh (Laura Main), and handyman Fred (Cliff Parisi), jet out to South Africa to rescue their sister organisation, Hope Clinic, which is faced with closure. The cast are joined by Sinéad Cusack, who plays Dr Myra Fitzsimmons.

Last Tango In Halifax

A two-part special catches up with Sally Wainwright’s drama about late-life love. Two years after Kate’s tragic death, Caroline is coping with a new job and house move, while Celia’s setting the world of amateur dramatics alight. Starring Derek Jacobi, Anne Reid, Sarah Lancashire and Nicola Walker. Don’t miss it!

Prince Harry Documentary MONDAY, ITV, 9PM

Everybody’s favourite royal heads back to Lesotho, the southern African country where he set up his charity, Sentebale, which supports orphans and vulnerable children. Harry is reunited with Mutsu, an orphan he befriended 10 years ago, and gets his hands dirty helping with the charity’s vital work. ‘I would encourage everyone to do good, because then you can go to bed at night feeling good about yourself,’ he says. Bless him. 78 FACEBOOK.COM/BESTMAGAZINE

CELEBRITY ADVICE BUREAU’S

Zootropolis

SKY CINEMA ON DEMAND/SKY CINEMA PREMIERE FROM CHRISTMAS EVE

A perfect Christmas Eve treat, Disney’s buddy-cop movie is set in a bustling city of critters, predators and prey. Judy Hopps is the ﬁrst rabbit to graduate from police academy, but to crack a tough missing-animal case, she needs a partner – who arrives in the form of a sly fox.

Outnumbered

It’s been three years since we caught up with the Brockmans, but now we join them on Boxing Day, carrying out a special mission for Grandad – where, naturally, complications ensue. Claire Skinner, who plays mum Sue, revealed, ‘I am so happy to be dipping back into the family again – it’s like putting on a big comfy jumper.’

BOXING DAY, BBC ONE, 10PM

Love Actually AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX

Possibly one of the best modern Christmas films (starring Bill Nighy, always a bonus), Love Actually was first billed as ‘the ultimate romantic comedy’, and we couldn’t agree more, actually. Watch the love blossom on Netflix… Free for 30 days, then from £5.99 a month.

THEY SAID WHAT?! ‘The one thing we do is invite round someone who’s going to be on their own. Not only is it nice, but it helps diffuse that typical family tension – because what family doesn’t want to kill each other by about 7pm on Christmas Day?’ says Steph. We don’t believe her – we bet it’s a very merry Christmas indeed chez the Parkers! It’s the more, the merrier for Gogglebox’s Steph and Dom

RICKY TOMLINSON ON...

COMING UP THE NIGHTLY SHOW Tune into this brand-new nightly entertainment show, which airs early in 2017. There’ll be a different high-profile host every week, and David Walliams is the first man in the hot seat.

UP CATCH NO FIXED ABODE WITH CHARLOTTE CHURCH Christmas is a miserable time if you don’t have a home of your own, and singer Charlotte visits hostels, street kitchens and outreach music programmes to highlight the plight of the homeless. Visit bbc.co.uk/iplayer

… his new show I answer questions from the public and give them advice. I answer them in a comedic way and I really enjoyed doing it. Also, the fee was a big incentive! … Caroline Aherne and The Royle Family I couldn’t make another episode without Caroline. It’s like losing the captain of your ship. I first met her at the Royal Television Society Dinner. I bumped into her at the buffet and she said, ‘Hello, aren’t you my dad?’ I said to my wife, Rita, ‘I think that girl has mental health problems.’ The next day, I got the call. … his career highlight Playing Mike Bassett: England Manager. When I finished filming, they gave me all the clothes. I was driving through Liverpool one day, and this young scally said, ‘You’ve got Mike Bassett’s coat on your back seat.’ I wear it to the shops sometimes! … retiring I’m 77, but I never think of retiring. I might slow down a bit, but I’ve got three grandkids and it’s my job to make sure they have a future. My grandson, Louis, is 11 and the lead guitarist in a band called The Babyfaced Beatles – he’s amazing! Then Jack is two, and Maggie’s four. O Celebrity Advice Bureau, from Monday for three nights, W, 9pm

Watch thing! ONE

Grantchester Murder, mystery and malice he popular ITV crime drama, set in the 50s in the sleepy village of Grantchester, Cambridgeshire, follows the lives of an unlikely crime-fighting duo – the charming Detective Rev Sidney Chambers (James Norton) and downto-earth Inspector Geordie Keating (Robson Green). In the Christmas special, Sidney and Geordie investigate the murder of a would-be groom on the eve of his wedding. Geordie is horrified – it has all the hallmarks of an unsolved murder from nine years before, but can the killer finally be brought to justice?

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH best

‘Sidney faces heartbreak at Christmas’ On screen, the handsome James Norton, 31, plays lovelorn clergyman Sidney Chambers. He’s in love with Amanda (Morven Christie), who is estranged from her husband and heavily pregnant, but whether she’s married or divorced, they can never be together. Thankfully, real life is much simpler for the actor, who hails from Yorkshire. Here, he gives best the inside scoop on the action-packed Christmas special.

What can viewers expect from the Grantchester Christmas Special ? Snow, carols, turkey, some dodgy Christmas jumpers, more snow, a little heartbreak, and a lot of Christmas cheer! Sidney’s role is the same as ever: balancing his duties as a clergyman with the temptations and complications of life and love and the rest. All very conflicted, as usual. What did you enjoy most about filming the Christmas special? We used a snow machine and I loved it. It was very odd to feel so festive when we filmed it in early

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October, but the snow machine was definitely a hit. I’m hoping Santa might bring me! How will you be spending the festive period? It will be very relaxing, I’m going back to North Yorkshire to spend it with my family. I will be feeling full and festive. It’s always great going back to the countryside and catching up with all my friends. What’s your favourite Christmas memory? I genuinely convinced myself that I saw Father

... AND OUT OUT AND ABOUT THEATRE

DON’T MISS

‘It was very odd to feel so festive when we filmed in early October, but the snow machine was a hit. I want one for Christmas!’ James Norton Christmas flying through the air one night. I was so overexcited. Don’t ask me how old I was. I can’t remember. What’s the best/worst present you’ve ever received? My best? I got a Brio train set when I was about six. I used to play with it all the time, I loved it so much. The worst was a washing-up brush in my Christmas stocking last year! O Grantchester,

Christmas Eve, 9pm, ITV

TREAT No Christmas party is complete without some cocktails, so get shaking with this cracking cocktail mixer. For just £7.99 at TK Maxx, you can give your night a right little shake-up!

FRIENDS OF JO COX – YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT Singers David Gray and KT Tunstall join MP4, the House of Commons’ rock band, on this Rolling Stones cover in memory of the murdered MP. A hot contender for the Xmas No.1, all proceeds will raise cash for Jo’s charity foundation. Out Friday

THE NUTCRACKER ON ICE, HYDE PARK WINTER WONDERLAND, LONDON This thrilling one-hour version of the Christmas classic, at lavish new indoor venue The Winter Palace Theatre, showcases jawdropping skating, sumptuous projected scenery, lavish

costumes, spectacular flying sequences, fire and illusions. The Nutcracker On Ice will get young and old in the Christmas spirit! Tickets from £21 at hydeparkwinter wonderland.com, till 2 Jan

LA LA LAND

FILM

Romance is in the air in this beautifully nostalgic musical comedy starring Ryan Gosling as musician Sebastian and Emma Stone as aspiring actress Mia. The pair meet and fall in love in LA, all in the style of old MGM musical classics like Gene Kelly’s Singin’ In The Rain. Expect this retro love story to be all-singing and all-dancing, but never too schmaltzy. In cinemas this Friday

THEATRE MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET For a really rock ’n’ roll Christmas night out, drop into the Tony Award-winning musical about four American music legends. Martin Kemp stars as legendary producer Sam Phillips, who brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for a legendary recording session. Tickets from £14.90; milliondollarquartetlive.co.uk, till 2 Jan

WORDS: DEIRDRE O’BRIEN, LYNN CARRATT PICTURES: ALASTAIR MUIR, BBC, COLIN HUTTON, DALE ROBINETTE, DISNEY, GETTY, ITTV, PA WIRE, PICASA, REX

WHEN PHILLIP MET PRINCE PHILIP The two famous Phils [one royal, one Schofield] get together to mark 60 years of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, which has been helping young people achieve their goals since 1956. Famous faces pay tribute. Watch online at itv.com/hub

itting down to see what misfortune will unfold in the soaps has become a bit of a Christmas tradition so, to give you a heads-up on what’s about to befall our favourite characters, the actors who play them talk about their exciting plotlines. Coronation Street’s Jane Danson, aka pregnant Leanne Battersby, admits to a heartbreaking miscarriage of her own; EastEnders’ Rita Simons (Roxy Mitchell) spills the beans on her dramatic exit from the Square; and Charlotte Bellamy (Laurel Dingle in Emmerdale) tells of the heartbreak ahead for her in the Dales…

WORDS: LYNN CARRATT PICTURES: BBC/NICKY JOHNSTON, ITV, REX

Season

of joy?

Not in soapland! Expect sensational returns, dramatic departures and HUGE revelations. It’s set to be yet another explosive Christmas… JANE DAN S O N ‘Being pregnant on screen reminded me of the baby I lost’

There’s trouble ahead for pregnant Leanne Battersby as her sister Toyah (Georgia Taylor) arrives in tears on her doorstep on Christmas Day, 13 years after leaving the famous Corrie cobbles. And she isn’t the only surprise in Leanne’s Christmas stocking. Is the news that Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) is the father of her unborn baby about to be revealed? Also, there are handbags at dawn when fiancé Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) becomes increasingly paranoid about her closeness to exhusband Peter Barlow (Chris Gascoyne).

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JANE DANSON ‘Leanne smells a rat when Toyah turns up on her doorstep on Christmas Day,’ says Jane. ‘She’s deﬁnitely coming back with her own agenda and lots of things going on. ‘Poor Leanne already has enough on her plate over Christmas, what with Peter being the thorn in Nick’s side, and Steve hovering around in the background. ‘The Steve-Michelle-Leanne baby plot is also set to explode at some point,’ she reveals. ‘It’s soap, isn’t it, so it is going to happen!’ Jane also admits that being pregnant on-screen has been difficult. ‘I’m always asked if I’m broody, so I’m going to be completely honest – and I kind of feel in a good place to say it – I actually lost a baby a couple of years ago. So it does make me quite sad, and it’s been difficult at times, but it’s Leanne going through it, not me. ‘I’ve got two wonderful children, so I know how lucky I am.’

best SOAPS

Roxy is facing a gruesome end RITA SIMONS

RITA S IM O NS

The demise of the Mitchell sisters after nine years will be a sad day indeed on our favourite TV square. Asked about Roxy’s death, actress Rita admitted to mixed feelings about her character’s departure, but said, ‘When Sean [O’Connor, executive producer] brought the idea to me, I knew I needed to do it. I believe the universe guides you to where you need to go. ‘I love everyone [at EastEnders] so much, but I know in my heart of hearts [leaving] is the right thing to do. I need to spread my wings.’

It’s the moment all Albert Square fans have been waiting for: bad boy Max Branning (Jake Wood) finally returns, and he’s got an axe to grind, having been framed for the murder of Ian Beale’s daughter, Lucy. But how will he cope with the news that daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) is living with Ian’s stepson, Steven (Aaron Sidwell)? All this comes on top of tragedy for the Mitchells, as sisters Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons) face a watery end on Ronnie and Jack’s wedding day.

Ashley hits the baby CHARLOTTE BELLAMY

LL AMY CHARLOT TE BE

‘Ashley hits baby Max, but it’s only accidental, and Laurel is thinking, “I must keep my family together,”’ reveals Charlotte. ‘But everyone around her – her dad, Doug and Diane – are saying, “You can’t stay – you’re unsafe”, and ﬁnally she thinks the only thing she can do is keep [Max] in a room and lock the door just so he’s safe, because she’s got to go across the road to get some nappies.’ Charlotte adds, ‘The audience will understand her situation and feel some frustration, but it’s not quite as simple as that, because she does it again, and something awful happens.’ We wonder what that could be?

It’s an emotional end to the year for the residents of Emmerdale. Are Zak (Steve Halliwell) and Lisa Dingle (Jane Cox) about to reunite under the mistletoe, leaving Joanie (Denise Black) lonely and brokenhearted this Christmas? And it’s a devastating time for vicar Ashley (John Middlemiss) and wife Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) as Laurel struggles to cope when Ashley’s vascular dementia leaves him in a disorientated and violent state. Could this be his last Christmas?

Tony Cowell BEST’S CELEBRITY INSIDER GETS FESTIVE!

A Christmas

Cowell! With The X Factor over for another year, Simon Cowell will pack his swim shorts and jet off to Barbados for his annual Christmas break… Workaholic Simon takes his downtime seriously – here, he enjoys a little jet-skiing

With Sinitta (centre) and our mum Julie (right)

t comes as little surprise that Simon prefers Christmas in the heat of Barbados, instead of staying in cold and frosty Britain. Simon is a sun-worshipper – even as a teenager, he opted to spend Christmas with his pals in Antigua, Mauritius or Thailand – and Barbados has remained his favourite

Twitter/@SimonCowell

PICTURES: BIGSTOCK, GSBIM/SPLASH NEWS, SILVERHUB/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK, TWITTER, XCLUSIVE, XPOSUREPHOTOS.COM

getaway ever since he ﬁrst went there with our late mum, Julie, 16 years ago. Mum loved the island and was a regular at the famous Sandy Lane resort, where she had many friends. She preferred the comfort of the beach, as she wasn’t a huge fan of Simon’s luxury yacht, Slipstream. It’s difficult to think of Barbados

My wife Emma and I celebrating Simon’s birthday

Pets Squiddly and Diddly enjoy the island life

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without thinking of Mum. The annual Christmas trip was the highlight of her year, and she would start packing for it in November! This year, we will all be thinking of her. We still miss her so badly. Barbados plays host to many A-list celebrities, including island-born Rihanna, model Cara Delevingne, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and football star Wayne Rooney. For Simon, though, it’s not just about sun, sea and celebrities. He still works, and regularly goes out of his way to attend the annual charity fundraiser for the Hope

Sanctuary, which helps abandoned dogs in Barbados. Simon’s love of dogs is legendary and he hates cruelty to animals. So, every year, he takes along his own pets, Squiddly and Diddly, to help raise money for the charity. New Year’s Eve at Sandy Lane is another ‘must-go’, with one of the most amazing ﬁreworks displays I have ever seen, and Simon is a big fan of the star-studded night. Another Christmas special is the island’s biggest celeb party, held each year at the home of Global Radio chief Ashley Tabor. Everyone wants a ticket

Twitter/@SimonCowell

best for showbiz

Simon with Lauren and baby Eric

but only the chosen few get the chance. I have seen Rihanna, Olly Murs and Leona Lewis perform there, and Simon is a regular guest at the beautiful beachside house. Long before baby Eric came along, Simon’s Barbados Christmas Day diary would read something like this… 2pm – get up. Breakfast – spinach smoothie, toast and honey and tea. 3pm – jet-ski for an hour. 4pm – sunbathe, then nap. 9.30pm – Christmas dinner (with roast chicken, not turkey!). Simon is a creature of habit. If you spend Christmas with him, be prepared to ﬁt into his schedule. Even Mum had to shout at him to get out of bed on Christmas Day! But I don’t blame him – Simon’s work ethic is amazing. He never stops working throughout the year, so he takes his downtime very seriously. The annual trip to the Caribbean is his only private break, although his mobile is always close at hand. However, this year he’ll be under a little more pressure from baby Eric, who is now at an age where Christmas really matters – he turns three in February. It’s likely that a more family-focused holiday is on the cards. Buying Christmas presents for Simon can be a nightmare. What do you get someone who has everything? I hear Sinitta has bought him a Star Wars

Mum loved her Christmases on Barbados

drone, which I know he will adore. Simon is a kid at heart, but he also loves astronomy. Last year, we bought him his own star, named after him. This year, I’m thinking maybe a telescope – or, then again, perhaps a new pair of jeans… When Simon was not much older than baby Eric, he suddenly told Mum and Dad he didn’t believe in Santa, saying it was just a story adults told to gullible children. He was convinced it was his dad (also named Eric) who delivered the sacks of presents to his room. So, the following Christmas Eve, he took a huge collection of pots and pans from the kitchen and balanced them carefully along the top of his bedroom door. Later that night, when Dad crept in with the toy delivery, there was a huge crash as the kitchenware came raining down on him. His father was distraught as Simon woke his younger brother and proudly announced, ‘See, I told you so, Father Christmas does NOT exist.’ I think this was in fact the birth of ‘Mr Nasty’. Christmas is really all about children, and I’m hoping Simon will allow baby Eric to believe in Santa Claus and the magic of the festive season a little longer than he did himself. Otherwise, watch out for the pots and pans, Dad… A very Merry Cowelly Christmas!

best TRAVEL

Feeling hot, hot, Experience the beauty of Valletta…

Can’t bear the cold weather any longer? Then make a beeline for one of these guaranteed winter holiday hotspots… BEST TRAVEL WRITER LAURA MILLAR

BEST FOR: BEAUTIFUL BEACHES

PICTURES: FLICKR VISION, GETTY

… or sample the delights of Marsaxlokk

Cyprus Most people ﬂock to Paphos, on the west coast of the island, for its award-winning beaches. Blue Flag-approved – which means they’re safe and family-friendly – they’re backed by dramatic limestone cliffs and fringed with palm trees. The town itself is an attractive mixture of cobbled streets, café-lined squares, and a buzzy harbour surrounded by

seafood restaurants. Beyond it are ancient temples – Aphrodite, goddess of love, was said to have lived here – and the Tomb of the Kings, spectacular catacombs carved out of the rock. STAY: The stylish, boutique Almyra Hotel is extremely close to the beach and is located within eight acres of garden. Doubles cost from £100; book via almyra.com

BEST FOR: HISTORY AND CULTURE

BEST FOR: FAMILY FUN

Malta This beautiful island is a compelling mix of Arabian, Italian, Spanish, French and English inﬂuences. Its capital, the walled city of Valletta, was the seat of the Knights of St John, who built the imposing St John’s Co-Cathedral. For stunning views, head to the elegant Upper Barrakka Gardens, or visit one of Malta’s prettiest ﬁshing villages, Marsaxlokk, with a Sunday market, where locals haggle for seafood. STAY: Le Méridien St Julian’s Hotel & Spa is in the vibrant St Julian’s district, with dozens of cafés, bars and restaurants nearby. Doubles start from £79; book via lemeridienmalta.com

Tenerife Tenerife is the largest island in the Canaries. The liveliest resorts, Playa de las Américas and Los Cristianos, are on the south-west coast. Here you’ll ﬁnd tourist facilities aplenty, including bars, restaurants and watersports. As well as beaches, there are waterparks, zoos and golf courses, or you can hike Mount Teide. And don’t miss a boat trip to spot the local bottlenose dolphins. STAY: Hotel Cleopatra Palace has a pool, tennis court and spa. Doubles start from £99; book via expohotels.com

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Water parks are a great alternative to the beach

best for ESCAPES

hot…

Leave the snow behind, and escape to sand, sea and sun

Muscat is a cultural gold mine

BEST FOR: ACTION AND ADVENTURE Oman This sultanate, next to the United Arab Emirates, can reach temperatures in the early to mid-20ºCs, thanks to its desert climate. The capital, Muscat, is an elegant cultural city with a Museum of Modern Art, markets, souks and historic forts – but you’ll want to head for the beaches. If you get bored with your sunlounger, book a 4x4 dune safari, take a ride on a camel, or visit some of the beautiful valleys and gorges, known as wadis. You can also spend a night under the stars at a Bedouin camp. STAY: The comfortable Best Western Premier Muscat is just 15 minutes’ stroll to Al Qurum beach. Doubles from £63; book via bestwestern.co.uk

Paphos boasts award-winning beaches

best

best LAST-MINUTE

ALSO LOVES… Cancún, Mexico Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, Cancún is composed of two distinct areas: the more traditional downtown area, El Centro, and Zona Hotelera, a long, beachfront strip of high-rise hotels, nightclubs, shops and restaurants. And the average temperature in December is 24ºC!

DEALS

ORLANDO ALGARVE Seven nights at the Seven nights at the 4* Avanti International Cerro Mar Atlantico in Resort Orlando costs Albufeira costs from from £419pp including £149pp including flights flights from Manchester from Glasgow on 14 on 7 March 2017. Book at January myamericaholiday.co.uk easyjet.c2017. Book via om/holidays

BALI Ten nights at Meliá Hotel in Nusa Dua and Furama Villas & Spa, Ubud, costs from £899pp including return flights from London Gatwick. Book via travelzoo.com/uk

Florida From theme parks to the Everglades, not to mention the beaches, Florida has plenty to offer families. Orlando’s for you if you fancy Disney World, while St Pete Beach is dubbed the Sun Capital of America. Fab Art Deco architecture can be found in Miami.

Win

Puzzles Both these sets of clues lead to the same answers, revealing in the shaded squares a film starring Tom Hanks, pictured (5)

WIN 1 X £200, 2 X £100 OR 3 X £50 PRIZES

PICTURE: GETTY

STRAIGHT CLUES ACROSS 8 Work hard to achieve something (8) 9 Wimbledon game (6) 10 Gaol (6) 11 Faith, belief (8) 12 Belonging to them (5) 13 Belt (5) 14 Employing (5) 16 Carmen, e.g. (5) 18 Shine a torch briefly (5) 20 Equine animal (5) 25 Textile, fabric (8) 26 Not smooth (6) 27 Cuts bread (6) 28 Not starchy (8) DOWN 1 Fabric stiffener (6) 2 Interrogate (8) 3 Middleman (5) 4 Rips (5) 5 Unfresh (5) 6 Nobleman (6) 7 Extinct creature (8) 15 Sound of part of a word (8) 17 Groundbreaking people (8) 19 Formal lecture (6) 21 Kids’ up and down seat (6) 22 Wash out soap (5) 23 Unadorned (5) 24 Sleeve ends (5)

CRYPTIC CLUES ACROSS 8 Strenuous effort leading to conflict (8) 9 Net’s in use for this! (6) 10 Porn is out of order in Brixton, say (6) 11 No girlie upset but Faith (8) 12 Leaders of the house exercised in respect of them (5) 13 Punishment in parts, possibly (5) 14 Exploiting some of us in good faith (5) 16 Old people even run around initially for entertainment (5) 18 Half’s involved in this camera item (5) 20 Hunter, perhaps in Bath or Sevenoaks (5) 25 I am alert, surprisingly. That is of some importance! (8) 26 One Parisian, even. That’s odd! (6) 27 Certain golf shorts are pieces of cake! (6) 28 Tell Mr Capone it’s not strictly conventional (8) DOWN 1 Charts redrafted with formality? (6)

PRIZE PUZZLES ENTRY COUPON ISSUE 50

TO ENTER CALL 0900 100 0921 (UK 65ppm)† / 1550 716 022 (ROI 97cpm) † CODE: PUBSTN16818 1

20 22

2 3

24 26

Grill poser (8) One toff is a go-between (5) 4 Runs and drops on one’s face (5) 5 Far from fresh. Least possible recipe! (5) 6 One with a title when it’s dark, we hear (6) 7 It’s no longer with us, yet is around somehow! (8) 15 Part of a word sound. Adverb has more

than one, but not verb (8) 17 Trailblazers. One is in outstanding seaside features (8) 19 Address for an oration (6) 21 Notice spotted playground item (6) 22 Jerking reins. Washout! (5) 23 Pal in trouble. That’s obvious (5) 24 Hits with wrist covers (5) WINNING CHEQUES WILL BE MADE PAYABLE AND POSTED TO THE NAME AND ADDRESS AS WRITTEN LEFT. PLEASE TAKE CARE WHEN COMPLETING THE COUPON!

Name Address Postcode

One entry per household. Postal entries to reach us by closing date of 29 December 2016. Winners will be drawn at random from correct entries received by post and phone. Names and addresses of winners available on request. No correspondence can be entered into. The editor’s decision is final.

Crossword ANSWER CODE: PUBSTN16818 Send to: Best Prize Puzzles 50/16), Hearst Magazines UK, The Data Solutions Centre, Worksop S80 2RT. Print in ink.

E V E RY WEEK

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ANSWERS MEGA CROSSWORD

45/16 THE CHASE ACROSS 8 Together 9 Enable 10 Winter 11 Exciting 12 Older 13 Tried 14 Geese 16 Flesh 18 Pears 20 Raced 25 Standard 26 Annual 27 Modest 28 Intended DOWN 1 Social 2 Feathers 3 Short 4 Dried 5 Fetch 6 Factor 7 Blankets 15 Election 17 Learning 19 Rented 21 Erases 22 Nasty 23 Admit 24 Darts Lines open 13 December 2016 till midnight on 26 December 2016 (closes 29 December 2016 for postal entries). Over 18s only. †UK Calls cost 65p per min plus your telephone company’s network access charge; ROI 97c per min, and should last no longer than 2 mins. UK SP: Spoke (0333 202 3390). ROI SP: Phonovation/ Spoke (01437 8815). To enter by post, use coupon, left.

best for Christmas CUSHY CUDDLES Cushion, £7.53, Homebase

BRIGHTEN UP YOUR HOME Sign, £2, Wilko

FINISHING TOUCHES Tree topper, £6, Sainsbury's

BRIGHT SPARKS Fairy lights, £2, Primark

XMAS CUPPA Mug, £5, Matalan

FESTIVE FRUIT Table decorations, £4.99, TK Maxx

GOLD STAR Decoration, £6, Monsoon

TREAT YOURSELF FOR UNDER A TENNER Splash out on these classy last-minute Christmas decs!

BARGAIN BUY Baubles, six for £6.99, H&M

WISE WORDS Sign, £7, M&Co

COLOURFUL BAUBLES Wreath, £8, Primark

WORDS: DANI SOUTHWOOD

ONE, TWO, THREE, SNAP! Crackers, 12 for £4, Sainsbury's

magazine, ISSN 0954-8955, is published weekly by The National Magazine Company Ltd, t/a Hearst Magazines UK, c/o USACAN Media Dist. Srv Corp at 26 Power Dam Way Suite S1-S3, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. All rights reserved. No part of may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Not to be resold, lent, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended retail price (subject to VAT in Republic of Ireland) or in a mutilated condition. Printed by York Mailing Ltd, Brinkworth Rush, Airfield Business Park, Elvington, York, YO41 4AU. The publishers, editors and authors accept no responsibility in respect of any products, goods or services that may be advertised or referred to in this issue, or for any errors, omissions, misstatements or mistakes in any such advertisements or references. is distributed by Conde Nast & National Magazine Distributors Ltd (COMAG), Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE (tel: 01895 433600). Prices are correct at time of going to press.

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