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EXCLUSIVE

EMMERDALE’S ISSUE 1226 ● 3 MARCH 2020

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£2.40 WEEKLY

LIAM FOX

MARRIES ACTRESS JOANNA HUDSON IN A SPECTACULAR STAR-STUDDED CEREMONY

EXCLUSIVE

CHRISTINE MCGUINNESS

‘WHY MY HEART BREAKS FOR MY CHILDREN’

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REMEMBERING CAROLINE FLACK 1979 – 2020

HER LIFE IN PICTURES

CONTENTS

ISSUE MARCH

THIS WEEK’S COVER STARS

NEWS AND INTERVIEWS

PHOTOS: OK!/RACHEL JOSEPH, OK!/LORNA ROACH, OK!/JAMES RUDLAND, OK!/SAM RILEY, GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

udging by the tributes that have poured in over the last week, Caroline Flack was a much-loved friend, daughter, sister and girlfriend. People have remarked on her vivacious personality and her infectious laugh, her zest for life and her dream to ﬁnd love. Many of the team here have met her over the years and they recall her fabulous fashion choices, magnetic charisma and constant giggling. What a tragedy it is that she took her own life at the age of just 40. She was the kind of celebrity who regularly graced the pages of OK!. A beautiful woman whose life has been terribly cut short. We will all miss her. I was so touched by our interview with Christine McGuinness. She spoke candidly about living with her three autistic children and the huge impact it has had on her relationship

ihh b dP dd Sh f d that h with husband Paddy. She confessed while he’s still in therapy, she can’t allow herself the time to break down – because who would care for her children? What a brave thing to admit to. I’ve no doubt that by speaking out, Christine will help other parents in similar circumstances and I applaud her for being so honest. While we’re on the subject of honesty, is it wrong to admit how excited I am by the forming of the new supergroup Boyz On Block? Shane Lynch of Boyzone fame, Abz Love from Five, Dane Bowers of Another Level and Ben Ofoedu from duo Phats & Small have joined forces to bring back some much loved 90s cheese and entertain the likes CHARLOTTE SELIGMAN of women like me. OK! EDITOR Bring them on! charlo e_seligman

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CAROLINE FLACK -

‘WE LOVED HER SO MUCH’ AS THE NATION MOURNS THE LOSS OF THE LOVE ISLAND PRESENTER HER FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES REMEMBER WHAT MADE HER SO SPECIAL

n the days following her death, social media was filled with heartfelt tributes to Caroline Flack. Her infectious laugh and friendly personality made her TV’s golden girl and her passing touched everyone. Fronting shows such as The X Factor and Love Island, she became a regular fixture in all our living rooms. She was so charismatic, she felt like one of your mates who you could enjoy a giggle and a glass of wine with. Caroline tragically took her own life on 15 February at her home in London’s Stoke Newington, just hours after learning that her assault case would go ahead following her arrest in December. Love Island narrator Iain Stirling and host Laura Whitmore were among the first to speak of their fondness for the presenter. “You were a true friend to me,” Iain said, referring to “her passion, warmth and infectious enthusiasm”. A heartbroken Laura described her friend as “vivacious” and “loving”, while reflecting that she also had “a passion for life, which is why none of this makes sense”. Caroline’s former X Factor co-host Olly Murs wrote in a poignant Instagram post, “You will be with me forever. My kids will know you, my grandkids will and then I’ll see you again, give you a huge hug, a huge kiss, get mic’d up and have you by my side again. This will hurt forever, love you Cazza.” Joe Swash, who teamed up with Caroline on I’m A Celebrity’s spin-off 4

‘SHE WAS KIND LOVING AND NEVER MALICIOUS’ show, was moved to tears after performing a routine on Dancing On Ice. He later posted a video saying, “She was funny, super talented and she had the most infectious laugh. I wish that she could have asked for help because there’s so many people that love her and I am going to miss her so much.” Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw described Caroline as “one of my

favourite people full stop” and an “utterly devastated” Amanda Holden said, “For Caroline to feel that death was the only way out breaks my heart.” Love Island contestants from across the years were also united in their sorrow. “She was loyal and kind and looked after the Islanders as if they were her own,” said Olivia Attwood. And 2016’s runner-up Olivia Bowen told OK!, “I remember her being so welcoming o on Love Island.” Many of the ttributes highlighted C Caroline’s generosity a and loving nature. Her e ex-boyfriend, rugby p player Danny Cipriani, ssaid she made him feel “ “safe” and able to tell h her “all the things I was embarrassed and shameful about”. He continued, “I hate the fact it has taken someone so kind and so beautiful and [who] had just as many faults as me and you, but never malicious. She was kind, she was loving.” Louise Redknapp recalled how Caroline “reached out” to her, despite barely knowing her, “when things were tough for me and you were going through equally such a tough time”. Revealing that her gesture sparked “a close friendship”, Louise explained, “It takes a certain soul to be able to reach out to someone who they don’t really know that well and speak from the heart, but you did that for me.” Longtime pal Dawn O’Porter shared on Instagram that she and her

Louise (top) and Olly were both close to Caroline

friends had met up in a pub to toast Caroline’s life. “We loved her so much… I feel like I’ll never stop crying,” she wrote. There were stories of memorable moments too, with former X Factor winner Sam Bailey telling OK! about an occasion when they bonded over a wardrobe malfunction. “I remember ripping my dress just before doing a live interview with Caroline on The Xtra Factor. We were both trying so hard not to laugh!” Summing up the sentiments of all who knew her, she said the words on everyone’s minds – “I’m gutted she’s gone.” OK! WORDS: MICHELLE GARNETT PHOTOS: MARK HAYMAN/FABULOUS, SHUTTERSTOCK

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CRY FROM THE HEART

‘IN A WORLD WHERE YOU CAN BE ANYTHING BE KIND’ AS THE WORLD REELS FROM THE LOSS OF CAROLINE FLACK HER FAMILY SHARE HER FINAL POWERFUL MESSAGE

hile Caroline was clearly in a dark place during the last weeks of her life, the extent of her pain emerged as her family shared her final heartbreaking message. Caroline’s mum Christine Flack made her daughter’s last unpublished Instagram post public in her local paper, after weeks of the late presenter being silenced over her alleged assault of boyfriend Lewis Burton. Speaking about her life following her 12 December arrest, Caroline – whose court hearing was set for 4 March – wrote about how the incident saw her “whole Christine hopes Caroline’s death world and future swept from under will make people think twice my feet”. about how they treat others Caroline shared the message with her mum in late January, but was advised not to post it on social media for legal reasons. “I am suddenly on a different kind of h but b h d h she h months, he was adamant that stage and everyone is watching it happen,” she should not be charged. said. “I have always taken responsibility for what However, reports claimed that Caroline had happened that night. Even on the night. But learnt the day before she died that the Crown the truth is... It was an accident.” Prosecution Service (CPS) was planning to go Caroline also revealed that she had been ahead with her trial, with many suggesting this having “some sort of emotional breakdown for was the final straw for her. a very long time” but insisted she was “NOT The CPS was criticised for its decision, and the a domestic abuser”. Metropolitan Police referred itself to the watchdog Following her arrest, pictures were leaked for investigation, as is standard practice when a showing Caroline’s bloodstained bedroom, but member of the public dies or is seriously injured. she insisted in her message that this was not Meanwhile, the official inquest ruled that from Lewis’s injuries. Caroline’s cause of death was suicide. “The blood that someone SOLD to a newspaper The last person to see Caroline alive was her was MY blood and that was something very sad best friend, stylist Lou Teasdale, who had been and very personal,” Caroline wrote. “The reason staying with the TV personality at her rented I am speaking today is because my family can’t property in London’s Stoke Newington but had take anymore. I’ve lost my job. My home. My ability popped to the shops that fateful day. to speak... And the truth has been taken out of my Caroline had been due to meet up with her hands and used as entertainment.” mum and twin sister Jody later that day. Christine said she shared her daughter’s Christine said of the sisters’ tight bond, “Jody emotional words because they reflected “what she was there her whole life for her but this time was going through” without “pointing any fingers”. nothing could take away the hurt of such injustice.” Meanwhile, Caroline’s heartbroken boyfriend Christine now hopes that the loss of her Lewis penned a devastating social media post. daughter, who she called Carrie, makes people “My heart is broken, we had something so think twice about how they treat others. special,” he wrote. “I am so lost for words. She added, “As Carrie would say: ‘In a nasty I am in so much pain. I miss you so much.” world, just be kind.’” OK! Caroline and Lewis had been forbidden by the WORDS: OLIVER GRADY PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK courts from contacting each other in the last two WWW.OK.CO.UK 7

SET FOR STARDOM

‘CAROLINE WAS A DELIGHTFUL MISHMASH OF SHY AND EXTROVERT’ OK! LOOK BACK ON OUR FIRST SHOOT WITH CAROLINE AND HOW WE KNEW SHE WAS A STAR IN THE MAKING

e at OK! ﬁrst met Caroline Flack 13 years ago back in March 2007 when we did an exclusive interview and shoot with her. She had been presenting shows such as TMi and The Games but was yet to get her big break. Former OK! editor Christian Guiltenane recalls, “Caroline was a delightful mishmash of shy and extrovert. Arriving at the location house in north London, she was really excited about doing a photoshoot. When the clothes rack was set up she couldn’t wait to pore over the outﬁts and pick out the ones that she liked most. “Chatting to her during the shoot, Caroline was very open, and when we started talking about lads and love she was refreshingly honest about what she wanted in a man. She laughed off the idea of dating her mate Russell Brand and branded Kate Moss’s beau Pete Doherty too scruffy to date – which I was relieved to hear! “She spoke about wanting to be as successful as Fearne Cotton, Holly Willoughby and Davina McCall, who were the hot presenters at the time. I had a feeling we would see a lot more of her in the future, though could in no way have predicted the amazing career path she would eventually take.

“After that shoot, OK! worked with Caroline a lot over the years. And although I didn’t interview her again for the magazine, we kept in touch from time to time via social media and I would send her my best wishes when she had some exciting news. “When the news broke at Christmas she had been arrested, I dropped her a DM telling her to ignore the coverage and to assure her it would pass. I added that I hoped she was being smothered by her friends’ support. She replied, thanking me for the message

and assuring me she had people around her, but ending with a broken heart emoji. “The news of her death hit hard. We weren’t friends, but for someone like her – who we all thought lived a gilded life but in fact felt so alone and broken – to do what she did made us all question our own lives and how we live them. “It’s incredibly sad to know we will never see more from this talented lady.” OK! PHOTOS: ABI WYLES, SVEN ARNSTEIN/STAY STILL

Caroline was excited about our photoshoot back in 2007

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Christine, Jody and Caroline (right)

Back: Paul and Liz. Front: Jody, Christine and Caroline

DANCER SINGER ACTRESS PRESENTER

CAROLINE HER LIFE IN PICTURES

MULTI-TALENTED AND LOVED BY SO MANY CAROLINE FLACK EXPERIENCED GLITTERING CAREER HIGHS AMID THE TROUBLING LOWS

rowing up in rural Norfolk with twin sister Jody, brother Paul and older sister Liz, under the loving care of parents Ian and Christine, Caroline Flack enjoyed an idyllic childhood. Her autobiography Storm In A C Cup paints a happy picture of sunny days catching tadpoles with her dad, petting pigs on the local farm with her animal-mad sister and memorising pop songs on the radio. Referring to Jody, Caroline later revealed, “From the moment I woke up until the moment I went to sleep I never knew what it was like to be alone.” She added, “I’m very lucky to have a twin. We’re very close. We shared a bed until we were four... but we’re quite different.” Initially, they both attended the local drama society, but it was Caroline who pursued her love of performing. She went on to win a place at the Bodywork Company dance studios in Cambridge, where she had “the best years of my life”. She got her big break on TV starring with Leigh Francis in his comedy sketch show Bo’ Selecta! and the pair became close friends. Jody, meanwhile, stayed out of the limelight. “She’s a mum with three beautiful children, so we have completely different lives, but we each enjoy the other’s life vicariously,” said Caroline. As her fame grew, it was always Jody she turned to for support. Sharing many warm messages about “the good twin”, Caroline wrote, “We will always look after each other and not let ANYONE or anything come between us”.

Jody and Caroline shared a bed until they were four

‘I NEVER KNEW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE ALONE’

Teenage Caroline on holiday with her parents Christine and Ian

With brother Paul and twin Jody

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Caroline won Strictly Come Dancing She had natural chemistry with Olly

Caroline’s Strictly Come Dancing win with Pasha Kovalev in 2014 catapulted her to mainstream stardom. But there was pain behind her success. Having been dumped by her boyfriend of 18 months, music manager Jack Street, just prior to the show’s ﬁnal, she later reﬂected, “My private life was in shreds.” There was no stopping her career though. Having honed her craft on CBBC’s TMi, Gladiators, Xtra Factor and spin-off show I’m A 12

Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here NOW!, Caroline’s ﬂirty friendship with Olly Murs made them a perfect match as hosts for the 12th series of The X Factor. Despite her own rocky relationship history, she was perhaps best known for presenting ITV2’s Love Island. After defending the series, saying “the world is one big Love Island”, she was thrilled to silence reality TV show haters by picking up a BAFTA award for the show in May 2018.

… which won a BAFTA As the face of the popular Love Island…

Again and again Caroline proved herself to be a great all-round entertainer. With only eight days of prep, she wowed as femme fatale Roxie Hart in Chicago, later demonstrating her daft sense of humour in The Great Celebrity Bake Off by making a biscuit-based creation of herself! Charming, relatable, and wonderfully warm, she will be hugely missed by family, friends and fans alike. OK! WORDS: MICHELLE GARNETT PHOTOS: GETTY, GOFFPHOTOS.COM, PLANET PHOTOS, SHUTTERSTOCK

Playing Roxie Hart in Chicago

She made a cake of herself on The Great Celebrity Bake Off

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THE BRIT AWARDS TURN

‘KIND AND VIBRANT CAROLINE WILL BE SORELY MISSED’ GUESTS AT THE STAR-STUDDED NIGHT PAY TRIBUTE TO CAROLINE FLACK BEFORE CELEBRATING THE MUSIC WORLD’S GREATEST TALENT

ust three days after the tragic Caroline. He took to the stage to passing of Caroline Flack, the belt out his ballad Falling and the 40th anniversary of the annual heartfelt performance, which came music awards was tinged with after he was reportedly mugged sadness. As he opened the Brit at knifepoint on Valentine’s Day, Awards 2020 with Mastercard, host moved OK! to tears. Jack Whitehall shared a poignant With the awards criticised for a tribute to Caroline, who was a lack of female nominees, the feelg member of the event’s p presenting g good medleyy from International team back in 2010. Describing the Jack late star as a kind and Whitehall vibrant person with an hosted the “infectious sense of night fun”, Jack, 31, sent his thoughts to Caroline’s loved ones, saying she’lll be “sorely missed”. Double nominee Harry Styles, 26, who was a close friend and former boyfriend of the Love Island presenter, arrived at The 02, London wearing a black ribbon, believed o to be a tribute to

Caroline Flack passed away three days before the ceremony

Harry Styles was nominated for two awards WWW.OK.CO.UK 15

Proud mum Neneh Cherry and Mabel

Billie Eilish wore head-totoe Burberry

Lewis Capaldi won two awards

Dave won Album Of The Year

Ellie Goulding was also in attendance

Laura Whitmore wore a mini dress by Annie’s Ibiza 18

it’s about my grandmother who sadly passed away.” He then joked, “I hope that ITV don’t contact her to be on a reality TV show!” Dave’s Psychodrama was named Album Of The Year, and the rapper’s thought-provoking performance of Black was OK!’s highlight of the night. Love Island’s Laura Whitmore looked gorgeous in a newspaper print mini dress by Annie’s Ibiza, while Ellie Goulding sported a patchwork creation by Koché. Mum-of-four Abbey Clancy kept it simple in a Kim Kassas dress, later heading to Warner’s after-party at Chiltern Firehouse. Michelle Keegan was also in a party mood, showing off her tan from a recent trip to Jamaica in a glittering gown by Galia Lahav. Maya Jama risked an awkward red carpet run-in with former boyfriend Stormzy, who was crowned winner in the Male Solo Artist category. But OK! spied the Radio 1 host, who looked stunning in

Mum-offour Abbey Clancy looked sensational bespoke Alonuko, making a sneaky exit before her rapper ex took to the stage. After being crowned winner of The Masked Singer, Nicola Roberts was no doubt relieved to be out of her Queen Bee costume, instead opting for a lime green frock by Celia Kritharioti. And as the ceremony drew to a close, it was time to hot-foot it across the capital as OK! were invited to the Warner Music x CÎROC after-party at London’s swanky Chiltern Firehouse. We arrived to ﬁnd Lizzo dancing on the sofas doing her hair toss! Also dancing into the night was Naomi Campbell, while Noel Gallagher was spotted ordering drinks. Across the bar, Brits host Jack Whitehall and Brooklyn Beckham’s ex-girlfriend Hana Cross looked very cosy indeed. Turn to page 78 for the best Britsthemed bashes... OK! WORDS: KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER PHOTOS: GETTY

Nicola Roberts opted for green, while Michelle Keegan (left) wore silver

Maya Jama missed an awkward run-in with her ex Stormzy (left) WWW.OK.CO.UK 19

QUEEN PUTS MONARCHY FIRST

HARRY’S ROYAL BAN

AS HARRY AND MEGHAN RETURN TO THE UK TO FULFIL THEIR FINAL ENGAGEMENTS HER MAJESTY SAYS THE COUPLE CAN’T TRADE AS ‘SUSSEX ROYAL’ The Queen looked untroubled amid the royal rift

he Duke of Sussex has joked he’s Livin’ On A Prayer as reports intensify about Her Majesty the Queen’s plan to ban him from using the word royal in his branding. Harry made his comments during a spoof text exchange with musician Jon Bon Jovi to promote their collaboration project for the Invictus Games Foundation. But if Harry and his grandmother were feeling any tensions over the latest twist in the royal resignation rift, they certainly weren’t showing it. The monarch, 93, looked typically untroubled as she arrived at the Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals in London to open a new medical facility. Ironing out the finer details of what’s been described as a “complex” situation following the Meghan and Harry’s decision to quit, the Queen is said to have “agreed” with senior officials that it is no longer viable for them to trade as #SussexRoyal. But a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan has since insisted, “Discussions are still ongoing, however, a change will be announced alongside the launch of their new non-profit organisation.” They’ve spent considerable time and money building their social media presence under the royal banner, constructing a glossy website and trademarking the #SussexRoyal moniker. And it’s been reported that defiant Meghan has told her inner circle of friends that there is nothing “legally stopping” her from using the name. There are hopes that Harry will meet up with the Queen when he arrives in the UK this week to carry out the first of his final six engagements for the royal family. On 28 February he’ll be dropping by Abbey Road Studios in the capital to join forces with Jon Bon Jovi, who’s recording his track Unbroken as a charity single with the Invictus Games Choir. News that the Sussexes will attend the Endeavour Fund Awards on 5 March, in their first official joint appearance since quitting, was met with raised eyebrows because it clashes with the final day of the Cambridges’ visit to Ireland. Harry and Meghan are also due to attend the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on 9 March. The couple will officially step down as senior royals on 31 March – which has been dubbed “Megxit” day – and begin a 12-month transition period. Harry and Meghan will no longer carry out official engagements on behalf of the Queen, but are expected to attend major celebrations, including Trooping the Colour in June. OK! WORDS: MICHELLE GARNETT PHOTOS: GETTY

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IN THE ALPS

ROYALS HIT THE SLOPES

TAKING A BREAK FROM HER DUTIES THE QUEEN’S ‘FAVOURITE’ SOPHIE WESSEX AND HER FAMILY ENJOY SOME HALF-TERM SKI ACTION

T Sophie with daughter Louise 22

he Earl and Countess of Wessex looked carefree as they enjoyed a snowy break from royal duties in Switzerland with their two children. Making the most of the school half-term holiday, the couple, both 55, took to the slopes in St Moritz with daughter Lady Louise Windsor, 16, and son James, Viscount Severn, 12, who are 12th and 13th in line to the throne, respectively. The family arrived in black 4x4s before putting on their helmets and heading straight for the chair lifts. Edward, who stood out in a bright red Colmar jacket, shared a chair with James, while Sophie paired up with Louise. The family-of-four have been frequent visitors to the Swiss luxury resort, often spotted enjoying

Prince Edward with son James lunch at the exclusive Corviglia Club after a morning perfecting their snowploughs. St Moritz is a popular destination for celebrities and fellow royals. Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi were spotted there in January, while the likes of Liz Hurley and John Travolta have also holidayed there. Sophie and Edward’s trip was no doubt much appreciated before busy months ahead, with the couple said to be increasing their roster of duties following the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. In what was an unusually high-profile engagement for Sophie and Edward – who celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary back in June – earlier this year the pair joined the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to host a reception for African leaders at Buckingham Place. This week Sophie, who’s a full-time working member of the royal family, will be gracing the red carpet with Marcella actress Anna Friel as she attends the London premiere for her film Sulphur And White. Sophie is said to be Her Majesty the Queen’s “favourite”, thanks to her consistent, quiet dedication to her role. Known as the “ultimate safe pair of hands”, she’s often seen sat at the monarch’s side during their car journeys to church when staying at one of the royal country residences.

BONNY BIRTHDAY BABY The Queen Mother with Prince Andrew

hile Edward styled it out on the Swiss slopes, his older brother was treated to a low-key 60th birthday lunch at his Windsor residence Royal Lodge. Despite the fallout when he stepped back from royal duties after he was linked to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, the Queen gave him a public shout-out on social media. She used her ofﬁcial Twitter page to share a photo of her son as a smiling baby, pointing out that he was the “ﬁrst child born to a reigning fo 103 years”. monarch for How However, she later came under critic criticism for allowing the bells of Westminster Abbey to ch chime at 1pm in celebration o Andrew’s special day. of Andrew was joined for his private luncheon by his daughters, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, e ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and va various friends. OK! WORDS: MICHELLE GARNETT PHOTOS: BACKGRID, GETTY

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JULIE’S SECRET CANCER BATTLE

ame JULIE WALTERS has revealed that she secretly battled bowel cancer last year. The Mamma Mia! actress was diagnosed with stage three cancer – meaning it had spread to her lymph nodes – 18 months ago while ﬁlming The Secret Garden (below right) with COLIN FIRTH. She admitted that, initially, she

THE CITY OF LOVE

V’s PHILLIP SCHOFIELD took his family off to Paris for a well-deserved break. The This Morning presenter, 57, came out as gay only a few weeks ago, with the support of his wife of 27 years, Stephanie, and their beloved daughters Molly, 26, and Ruby, 24. Following a life-changing few weeks, the foursome no doubt enjoyed just having some good oldfashioned fun in the French capital, which included sipping Champagne at the top of the Eiffel Tower. Phil has previously spoken about the love he received from his close-knit family. “It wasn’t easy [telling my daughters]. But they are so amazing in their love and support. They jumped up and gave me a hug.” He continued, “We will always be a family. We’ll always be that.”

thought the doctors “must have made a mistake”. Recalling the moment she had to tell her husband of 23 years, Grant Roffey (below left), she said, “I’ll never forget his face. Tears came into his eyes.” The 70-year-old subsequently had surgery to remove 30cm of her colon, where the two primary tumours were, before undergoing chemotherapy. Thankfully, she now has the all clear.

BRITCROWD

THE FASHION CAPITAL

PHOTOS: GETTY

ondon Fashion Week was a family affair for VICTORIA BECKHAM. Her proud husband DAVID and the couple’s three youngest children, Romeo, 17, Cruz, 15, and Harper, eight, were in the front row as the designer showcased her Autumn/ Winter 2020 collection at Whitehall’s Banqueting House. Harper wore her ﬁrst couture dress for the occasion (below), designed by her mum’s label, while her older brother BROOKLYN, 20, was away working with BMW in Mexico City. Both Victoria and David’s mums were also there, and Victoria later thanked them for their support, saying, “I’m so grateful for my family.” Meanwhile, KENDALL JENNER (far left) and sisters BELLA (left) and GIGI HADID were in town to walk for Burberry at Olympia National, where actress CATE BLANCHETT (below left) looked on. The supermodels later joined KAIA GERBER (below far left), whose mother is CINDY CRAWFORD, at the Standard Hotel for the Love magazine Fashion Week Party.

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CHRISTINE WEARS DRESS BY FLANNELS

BARING HER SOUL

‘IT’S HARD TO ADMIT TO ANYONE WHEN I’M STRUGGLING’ MUM OF THREE CHRISTINE McGUINNESS OPENS UP TO OK!’S KAT ROMERO ABOUT THE HEARTBREAKING REALITY OF RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

ays after conﬁrming that three-year-old Felicity, her third child with husband Paddy McGuinness, has autism, Christine McGuinness sits down with OK! to discuss the challenges of life as a mum and carer. Three years ago, the couple’s twins Leo and Penelope were diagnosed with autism and during our intimate chat, Christine, who’s an ambassador for The National Autistic Society, appears emotional as she tells us, “My heart breaks for all my children.” The 31-year-old’s resilience is incredible and we are blown away by her positive attitude. While many couples would struggle to adjust to life with three children with difﬁculties, Christine tells us, “I’ve always had the mindset that there’s no point dwelling and that this is the situation we’ve been handed.” Like any proud mum, she can’t help but sing her children’s praises, telling us, “They’re all so intelligent. They inspire me every day.” Christine has been with Paddy for 13 years and it’s clear the couple are a strong unit together. While she previously admitted to not wanting to leave the comedian on his own with their kids because she feared he wouldn’t cope, she tells OK! that she’s now happier to let him be hands on. During our shoot, she can’t contain her smile as

she receives a video from Paddy playing in the park with the children. “A year or so ago, he’d have been so nervous in case one of them got upset or he wasn’t able to split his time between them all. It makes me happy to see him doing so well with them,” she tells us. Despite their bond as husband and wife, Christine admits they’ve had to accept that their marriage comes second now. She explains, “There’s no time for us as a couple. But we have to stay strong for our kids.” Still, it’s understandable that the daily struggles they face take a toll on their mental health. In 2017, Paddy revealed that he was “never happy in myself” after the twins’ diagnosis. But Christine says that the Top Gear presenter is now feeling happier and more content after seeking therapy, while she prefers to throw herself into working out. The couple are thrilled to have reached big milestones with the children, who are now all in school, and last summer they took their ﬁrst family holiday together. “That was after three years of visiting the airport and getting the children used to the runway and to the sounds of the plane. We had a lovely time,” Christine says. But she admits to OK! that she found it heartbreaking when Paddy had a vasectomy last summer after the pair decided another child

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seen as spoilt or difficult. But hearing se those words from the doctor was still th heartbreaking. My heart breaks for my h cchildren. I love them as they are but I have to accept they will have difficulties in life tthat I won’t. How did Paddy react? H IIt was hard for him, too. We felt more prepared this time round as we’ve been p tthrough it. We’re really knowledgeable now on the condition and we’ve learnt n a lot with Leo and Penelope. Paddy once said that he never felt P happy in himself after the twins’ diagnosis. How did that make you feel? d It was heartbreaking. I know he didn’t mean he wasn’t happy with me or the children, just that it’s difficult to switch off when we’re at home. There’s no time for us as a couple. No quality time, no date nights. Not even time to have a laugh together. We’re full-time carers and the kids come before everything. But we have to stay strong as a unit for our kids. Paddy and Christine have been together for 13 years

How is he feeling now? He’s doing much better. He started working on Top Gear with a brilliant team work who make sure that wherever he goes in the world, he gets the time to call us and check in. He prefers that to working long days in a studio with no contact. He went to a therapist for a fear of ﬂying when he started the show and he stills see that therapist. It’s beneﬁted him loads and he’s doing amazingly. He’s great now at keeping a positive attitude.

The couple’s children all have autism would be too much to cope with. “We always said we’d have four children. It’s hard for me to see a pregnant woman now.” Here, Christine opens up about being a carer, her hopes and fears for the future and why her three children inspire her daily.... How early did you suspect Felicity had autism? I knew from six months old. She tensed her whole body and that was something the twins used to do. I thought to myself, “Oh god, here we go again.” I kept watching her after that. Paddy and my mum would tell me to relax and not overthink things but I spent the most time with her so I kept spotting things. Sometimes I’d keep it to myself because I didn’t want to put my worries on to anyone else. You said recently that Felicity’s diagnosis was a relief... I wanted her to have the diagnosis before she started school because autistic children can be 28

Have you considered therapy? I don’t feel I have the time. I admit I’m the worst when it comes to telling people when I’m struggling. I will never say if I’ve had a bad day and, to be honest, there’s no one I feel I can speak to. The day Felicity got diagnosed, Paddy and I had to take separate cars as he had to be somewhere and I cried all the way home. I felt I had no one I could call because opening up about it would just make me break down. I prefer to stay upbeat so I plaster a smile on my face even when it’s hard.

Do you not feel you can talk to family or Paddy? It’s hard for me to admit to anyone when I’m struggling. The ﬁrst couple of years with the twins was the darkest time. They couldn’t talk and you’re just waiting to hear them say “Mummy”. It’s heartbreaking. A woman called Lisa from Early Years Support would sit with me when I was feeling low or crying to tell me it would get better. I didn’t believe her but it has. I waited four and a half years to hear my twins call me Mummy and when they did, it was the best feeling in the world. All three children can communicate now and hearing them all say “goodnight, Mummy” means the world. Is that because you don’t want to feel that you’re burdening anyone? I just don’t feel there’s anyone in my life that I would fully trust with anything. And then it’s also that fear that if I get upset and let my emotions out, I won’t be able to get myself back together.

CHRISTINE WEARS DRESS BY MARK MELIA

‘THERE’S NO TIME FOR US AS A COUPLE’

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What are your fears for the future? There’s a lot of uncertainty. I don’t know if my children will ever live independent lives. But they amaze me every day and achieve things I didn’t think they would, so only time will tell.

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Have you found your own ways to cope? Yes. Now the twins are in school and Felicity is in nursery, I do have a few hours a day to myself. Being able to nip to the gym is essential for my mental health. In the early years of motherhood, I would say no to everything. Red carpets, family birthdays, weddings… But having that bit of freedom is so vital when you’re a full-time carer. What I don’t like is to be alone. When I’m home on my own, I have the TV on. I don’t like to be alone with my thoughts. I try to distract myself all the time.

But where I won’t let my mind go is to when Paddy and I are gone. Because I don’t know who will look after them then. You’ve reached some amazing milestones as a family recently... We went on our first family holiday abroad last summer. But that was after three years of visiting the airport and getting the children used to the runway and to the sounds of the plane. There’s always kids crying on flights but for us, we can’t just tell them to behave themselves because they are not being naughty. But we were so supported. We contacted the airport beforehand and they gave the kids sunflower lanyards so staff would know they had difficulties. We knew we were able to get off the plane right up until they closed the doors. The kids did WWW.OK.CO.UK 31

h have a little wobble but they coped so w well and we had a lovely time. Paddy had a vasectomy last summer. W did you decide to do that? Why W agreed that we were too stretched We with our family and another child wouldn’t have been fair on the children we have. Our children are achieving amazing things but it’s still very difﬁcult. If they were to get a drop of water on their arm while drinking, it would cause a meltdown. We have to close the blinds in the house during the day because they all don’t like the sunlight. Textures are another thing so they’re fussy about what they wear. Did you want to have another baby? Yes, it was hard for me as I always thought I’d have a big family. I wanted six children and when I got together with Paddy, we used to say we’d have four kids. Even now it’s hard for me to see pregnant women or women with new babies. It makes me think about the fourth child I’ll never have. It’s heartbreaking but it’s just something I’ve had to accept. Have you lost friends as a result of your children’s conditions? Yes. We fell out with a family a few years ago and it was really sad. They’d invited us for Christmas dinner. It was before we knew the twins had autism but I knew it would be too much for them. They wouldn’t have eaten the food because they weren’t eating solid food at the time. Now I ﬁnd it easier to explain to parents when something won’t work for our children. But my free time is limited so some friends have stopped asking me to lunch or dinner. I accept that as, sadly, I don’t feel I have time for friends. That’s just something else I’ve accepted.

HELP WITH AUTISM Trudi Beswick, CEO at Caudwell Children, tells OK!: “The important thing for parents to understand is that with the right diagnosis, understanding and support, autistic children can grow up to lead independent, productive and fulﬁlled lives. “Autism can present differently in different people and children can hide or ‘mask’ behaviours so a diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary team of professionals. “Some common signs may include difﬁculty in communicating or responding as you would expect

to social situations. Some children may also become very upset when exposed to certain sights, sounds, smells or tastes. “Any parent that feels their child is not developing in the same way as their siblings or friends should discuss their concerns with their GP or a school’s special educational needs staff, asking for a referral to an autism assessment service if necessary.” THE CAUDWELL CHILDREN AUTISM SERVICE PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT AND INTERVENTION PATHWAY TO HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THEIR DIAGNOSIS AND HOW THEY EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AROUND THEM.

Do the children know they have autism? No, and we don’t know what to do with that. When is the right time to tell them? Do we wait until they ask us? One of my worries is that someone else tells them. We talk openly about it in public and one of the kids at school might say something. Knowing my kids, they’ll come home and say, “Mummy, what’s autism?” They’re so intelligent and so clever. We talk openly about autism in front of them but they’ve never asked us what it is. They don’t know they are different and don’t feel different. What advice would you give to a parent whose child has just been diagnosed with autism? Knowledge is power. There’s no book that can tell you the exact thing to do as every child is different. But you just have to try and test and see what works. People speak about the difﬁculties with autism but my children are also so intelligent and so passionate. I love them as they are and they all inspire me every single day. OK! FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT CAUDWELLCHILDREN.COM/AUTISM WORDS: KAT ROMERO PHOTOGRAPHS: RACHEL JOSEPH VIDEOGRAPHER: LUKE JOHN SMITH STYLIST: LORRAINE MCCULLOCH HAIR AND MAKE-UP: MICHAEL RICHMOND

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‘I WAITED FOUR AND A HALF YEARS FOR THE TWINS TO CALL ME MUMMY’

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KYM’SCOLUMN

I WON’T BE POPPING THE QUESTION THIS WEEKEND! OUR COLUMNIST ON POPPING THE QUESTION KEEPING SECRETS AND CAROLINE FLACK’S TRAGIC PASSING

nce every four years there’s a leap day when, according to tradition, women can propose to their partners and it just so happens that it falls this weekend. I think it’s a great idea, as women have been ﬁghting for equality for decades and still are, especially in the workplace. But I have to tell you, I won’t be popping the question to my Scott [left]! We’re in a really good place right now but I just don’t think it’s the right time for us. Scott’s back with his regiment and I’m busy with my work, so we don’t have time for a wedding anyway. I also don’t feel I need a ring on my ﬁnger to strengthen our relationship. If there’s anything that tells us we’re meant to be together, it’s the fact we’re still p so much time apart. p strong despite

RIP CAROLINE

he tragic news about Caroline Flack [below] is heartbreaking and my thoughts and prayers go out to her friends and family. When you’re going through something difﬁcult in your private life and versions of it are being documented

in public, it’s awful. I can only imagine how hard that must have been for Caroline, and for her boyfriend Lewis. You hear people say, “You’re famous, you should expect the invasion of your privacy.” Why? No matter what job we do, we all hurt in the same way – we’re all human beings. I love my job and, to a degree, you have to embrace certain things that go with that territory, but I don’t believe that includes being viliﬁed or ridiculed. It’s not acceptable. I’ve been judged by total strangers in the past and have read cruel comments online about the death of my son. It’s horriﬁc. Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien has quit what she calls “toxic” Instagram and I get where she’s coming from. We could all do with taking a break from it.

MY FRIEND FOR LIFE

ames Burrows has announced that he’s leaving Corrie. He played my on-screen son Dr Ali Neeson [below] for two years and I adore him. He’s or and a a fantastic actor friend for life. We always had a good giggle on set ls and he still calls me “mum”. I actually knew his plans ages ago but was sworn to secrecy. He says he misses de the creative side

of acting and having different roles. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to break away from the cobbles for a while. You want to p playy different roles and keep cchallenging ch allenging yourself. Corr Corrie is an amaz amazing place to wo work but I do al also understand h his reasons ffor spreading h his wings. He d doesn’t need m me to wish him g good luck, he’ll do amazingly wel well. OK!

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PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

I heard that Joanna Lumley purposefully doesn’t speak to her husband when she goes away ﬁlming for a month at a time. She sends him postcards instead which is very sweet of her, but it’s not something I’ll be doing! There have been times when Scott’s been away and I haven’t had any contact with him because there’s been no signal. That’s hard, so I think it’d be incredibly hard to go a month without speaking to him, particularly considering the nature of his job. It’s important that we stay in touch so I know he’s okay. FaceTime is the one thing that has really helped more than anything. Although I miss Scott, I’m blessed to have my gorgeous children Emilie, David and Polly [below left] to keep me company, not forgetting my grandson Teddy [below]. How cute is he?!

LUCY-JO WELCOMES BABY BOY

JACK COSIES UP WITH WITH HANA

ollowing a successful stint fronting the Brit Awards, JACK WHITEHALL celebrated by getting cosy with BROOKLYN BECKHAM’s ex, HANA CROSS. The pair were spotted locked in conversation at the Warner x CÎROC afterparty at celebrity haunt Chiltern

Firehouse following the do. According to spies, Jack, 31, who is said to have recently joined celebrity dating app Raya, was making the 23-yearold model laugh as they chatted away at the bar and the twosome looked “really into each other”. They partied until 4am at the venue before leaving together, along with a group of their friends. Hana dated aspiring photographer Brooklyn (left) for eight months but the pair parted ways last September, while Jack spent six years with actress GEMMA CHAN but has been single since they split in 2017. Jack has previously claimed he is “very unadventurous” in the bedroom, and likened sex with him to “arriving late at the theatre and trying to ﬁnd your seat”.

ctress LUCY-JO HUDSON has given birth to a baby boy and revealed she is “so in love” with her new arrival. The 36-year-old and her boyfriend LEWIS DEVINE welcomed the latest addition to their family on 18 February. Lucy-Jo, who, at the time of going to press, hadn’t revealed the name of her son, announced the news with an Instagram post that said, “We are so in love with our baby boy!!! Our family is now complete. Love you @LewisDevine”. Lucy-Jo, who is already mum to six-year-old Sienna with ex-husband, Coronation Street star ALAN HALSALL also shared a second post featuring four pink and blue heart emojis, with the caption, “When 3 become 4.” Lewis updated his own social media, saying it was “just unbelievable” seeing his girlfriend giving birth to their son and that he was “so proud of her”. He added that Sienna is “already making the best big sister”.

LOVEMATTERS

BABY JOY FOR BEN FODEN AND NEW WIFE JACKIE posed together on the slopes. The couple are reportedly planning to raise their child in the UK, perhaps to be closer to Ben’s two older children. The X Factor: Celebrity star shares daughter Aoife, seven, and ﬁveyear-old son Tadhg, with former wife, Una Healy. The news that Ben is set to become a father for a third time comes just 19 months after his and Una’s divorce, following six years of marriage.

‘SO OLD’ AL DUMPED BY YOUNGER LOVER

ctor AL PACINO, 79, has been ditched by his 40-year-old girlfriend MEITAL DOHAN, who then rubbed salt in the wound by slamming his age and spending habits in a tell-all interview. The actress told an Israeli magazine, “The age gap is difﬁcult, yes. I tried to deny it, but now he is already an elderly man, to be honest. So even with all my love, it didn’t last.” She added that, “It’s hard to be with a man so old, even Al Pacino.”

Meital also claimed that her Oscar winner ex was stingy when it came to money and never spent much on her, despite being worth an estimated £130 million. “How can I say politely that he didn’t like to spend money? He only bought me ﬂowers,” she said, before insisting that the pair, who dated for two years, were still on good terms and that it was an “honour” to have been in a relationship with the legendary performer. WWW.OK.CO.UK 37

PHOTOS: GETTY, OK! MAGAZINE/DIANE THOMPSON, SHUTTERSTOCK, SPLASH NEWS

ongratulations are in order for BEN FODEN and his wife JACKIE SMITH FODEN, who are expecting their ﬁrst child together. Ben, 34, and Jackie tied the knot last August, just two weeks after they began dating, and the expectant parents are said to be “over the moon” about their baby news. Jackie’s blossoming bump was clearly visible during a recent skiing trip, as the couple happily

HAPPY FAMILIES

‘THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW BABIES ARE MADE IS COMING!’ REALITY TV STARS SAM AND BILLIE FAIERS TALK TO OK!’S EMILY WHITWAM ABOUT THEIR PARENTING DOS AND DON’TS

n one side they’re the famed glam queens of reality TV, but on the flip side, Sam and Billie Faiers are two mums trying to tackle tears, temper tantrums and all that comes with being a parent. When OK! catches up with the celebrity sisters, they’re enjoying a day off from mothering duties to promote the seventh series of their popular ITVBe reality show – The Mummy Diaries. “We’re very lucky to both have hands-on men who support us and look after the kids when we’re working,” says Billie, who has Nelly, five, and Arthur, two, with her husband Greg Shepherd. Sam agrees, though she’s yet to marry her partner of six years, Paul Knightley, who she shares Paul, four, and two-year-old Rosie with. Here, Billie, 30, and Sam, 29, open up about their biggest mum mistakes, sleep meditation and answering difficult questions... What would you do if your child threw a huge tantrum in the supermarket? Sam: Sometimes kids do have big tantrums in public, but what’s hard is when people recognise us because they watch to see how we handle it. It does add more pressure. Billie: I’ve had situations where people have actually started filming us. Sam: With Rosie and Paul, I just try to stay so calm. There have been times where I’ve had to just let them scream it out. It’s always hard when we’re in public. Who is the most hands-on dad out of Paul and Greg? Billie: They’re both very hands-on. Our mum told us the other day that we were really lucky that we have hands-on men, so we can do other things. Sam: Yeah, Paul takes care of the kids a lot when I’m working. We wouldn’t be able to do a quarter of the things we’d want to without such supportive partners. How will you handle questions about where babies come from? Billie: The other day Nelly started asking questions and I thought the “where does a 38

What was your last parenting fail? Billie: I won’t lie, getting Arthur to brush his teeth at the moment is such hard work. Some mornings he doesn’t! Sam: I had that for a while but now I put the toothbrush and toothpaste in the bath so it’s fun. How do you deal with a child refusing to go to bed? Billie: I’ve found with Nelly, she responds really well to sleep meditation – it’s amazing. Nelly’s the child who never wants to sleep. But we have a deal now that she’s allowed to watch one programme about horses in my bed, Celebrating Paul and then she gets in her own bed and uses Rosie’s birthdays the Calm meditation app on my phone. Then she’s straight off to sleep, it really works. Sam: I don’t ever have to use meditation because I have a house of good sleepers! Rosie’s asleep in her cot at 7pm, and little Paul sleeps in bed with us. I lay down with him at 8pm, I read him a book and then we turn off all the lights. He might toss and turn a bit, but once he’s asleep I either fall asleep with him or get Billie and Greg share up and carry on with my night. Nelly and Arthur What do you bribe your kids with? Sam: I don’t believe in bribing and don’t like lying to my kids. Sometimes I just say, “What I say, goes.” You have to be straight. Billie: I just try to be realistic in what I’m offering them.

‘WE’RE BOTH REALLY LUCKY THAT WE HAVE HANDS-ON MEN’

baby come out from?” question was coming. She was stufﬁng a jumper up her top to make herself look like she was carrying a baby. She didn’t ask the question but I need to start thinking about how we’re going to approach it. Do we still say the whole stork thing? Sam: No! It’s a very ﬁne line, you don’t want to confuse them and lie. If they ask you, you just tell them the truth but in a really nice way. You don’t have to go into detail and be crude. Billie: No, you should say, “It grows in your belly,” and then, “It comes out of here”.

What if your kids won’t eat their greens? Billie: Their favourite dinner is chicken casserole and I sneak all the greens in. Sam: Little Paul’s really fussy, the only green he’ll ever eat is cucumber. I have to really disguise things. What can we expect from The Mummy Diaries this time around? Sam: It’s a very jam-packed series. Billie and Greg buy a house, and you see us celebrate Rosie and Paul’s birthdays. Billie: We show our amazing trip to New York for my 30th and my extravagant party. There’s so much going on! OK! THE NEW SERIES OF SAM AND BILLIE: THE MUMMY DIARIES STARTS ON WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY AT 9PM ON ITVBE

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EMILY’SCOLUMN

IF YOU’RE FEELING LIKE CAROLINE DON’T SUFFER IN SILENCE OUR COLUMNIST SPEAKS OUT ABOUT SUICIDE AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THOSE AT RISK

they would never say to their face need to really think through their actions. I think online trolling is a huge contributing factor to today’s mental health issues and it’s why I don’t have social media. I wouldn’t be strong enough to hear negative comments from people. If you are feeling like Caroline was, please don’t suffer in silence. Speak out because you should never have to deal with these feelings alone. Unfortunately, there is a lack of funding in the mental health sector, with long waits for treatments in some parts of the country. Suicide is the number one cause of death in men aged 20-49, and I can’t help but feel that if the same was true of a physical health condition, there would be much more being done. Something needs to change. The same goes for the rules governing social media. I really hope this is a wake-up call.

HALF TERM FUN

’ve just spent half term away with Millie, Theo and my mum on the Isle of Wight while Pete has been in Australia. We don’t normally holiday separately, but Pete likes to see his family there (below right) every year and I can’t always get long enough off work for such a big trip. I don’t ﬁnd it too stressful going away with the kids on my own because I’m super organised. I pack at least a week before, whereas Pete is always one to pack the night before – but that’s because I’ve already sorted out all the kids’ stuff! I have really missed him. We’ve spoken twice a day on FaceTime!

EMAIL ME AT EMILY.ANDREA@OK.CO.UK

MIND OVER MATTER

he Duchess of Cambridge has raved about hypnobirthing and how it gave her “huge power” over the pain during labour. If it works y for you, go for it. I had all these intentions to try hypnobirthing when I had my kids and then when it came to it, I was in so much pain, I was like, “Forget it!” I have heard other people say it is just amazing and it can really focus your energy. There is no harm in trying it and you could really beneﬁt, but mums shouldn’t feel any pressure if it doesn’t work for them. OK!

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PHOTOS: GETTY

was so saddened by the news that Caroline Flack has passed away. I only met her once brieﬂy at ITV, when she popped into Pete’s dressing room to say hello, but she was just lovely, bubbly and upbeat. There have been so many moving tributes, all saying what an amazing person she was. It just goes to show how you never really know what’s going on in someone’s head – someone can appear like the strongest person on the outside, but inside they can be in real turmoil. I was so sad when I heard the news, so I can’t even imagine what her family and friends are going through. I have read all sorts of things about who is to blame for Caroline’s death and other tragedies like this and I know it’s a very complex issue with many different factors. For me, though, social media has a lot to answer for. All these keyboard warriors are just awful and people who send horrible messages to people that

DALES STAR GETS HITCHED

‘AFTER NEARLY DYING I DIDN’T CARE ABOUT THE EXPENSE’ EMMERDALE ACTOR LIAM FOX TIES THE KNOT WITH JOANNA HUDSON AND OK! IS INVITED TO THEIR STAR-STUDDED WEDDING CELEBRATIONS

hen OK! arrives at Peckforton Castle, the words “love, love, love” echo through the corridors from the rehearsing musicians. The sentiment couldn’t be more perfect for Emmerdale star Liam Fox and actress Joanna Hudson, whose love story could be right out of a romantic ﬁlm. The couple ﬁrst set eyes on each other at Salford University 27 years ago, but it wasn’t until 2017 when things became romantic. After such a long road to love, it’s no surprise the pair are keen to celebrate in style, and Liam, 49, tells us of their big day’s packed itinerary, “It’s like bloody Live Aid. We got carried away!” The day is extra special for Joanna, who battled a life-threatening tumour in 2015. As OK! makes our way into the Great Hall for the ceremony, we’re greeted by the Echo Strings Quartet. 42

The aisle is lined with white blossom trees and fairy lights and guests including Fiona Wade and Chris Bisson chat excitedly as they take their seats. It’s every bride’s prerogative to keep her betrothed waiting, and Joanna is a fashionable 45 minutes late for the ceremony. A brief pause in the music gives Chris Chittell, who plays Emmerdale’s Eric Pollard, the chance to call out “Good luck, Foxy,” filling the room with laughter. When the bridal party finally arrives, flower girls Betsy Mead and May Pettie look adorable as they lead the way down the aisle. Betsy’s mum, Denise Van Outen, later tells us, “Betsy was so excited to be in OK!. She also kept telling me, ‘Mum, I’m going to stay up until 3am!’” Liam, who plays Dan Spencer in the Dales, can’t keep the smile from his face as his beautiful

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Joanna’s gorgeous Hayley Paige dress featured a cape by Claire Martin bride, whose dress is by Hayley Paige, makes her entrance to Suddenly by Angry Anderson – also known as Scott and Charlene’s wedding song in Neighbours! Laughter is a key component throughout the day – when asked if she will take Liam to be her lawful wedded husband, Joanna, 44, jokingly hesitates with an, “Errr...” Meanwhile, Liam’s cast mate Bhasker Patel mischievously raises his hand when the registrar asks if anyone knows of a reason the couple can’t tie the knot. Liam has been impressively composed up until that moment, but his daughter Jemma’s performance of A Thousand Years tips him over the edge. Jemma later tells OK!, “He was looking at me crying, so I was trying so hard to hold back the tears too.” Liam is also dad to son Ben from his previous marriage to actress Nicole Barber-Lane. Liam and Joanna’s dogs Hope, a Staffordshire bull terrier, and Teddy, a lhasa apso/Jack Russell cross, act as adorable ring bearers. And as the newlyweds sign the register, Love Actually fans are thrilled as the ﬁlm’s famous ﬂash mob is recreated by BGT swing group Jack Pack’s Andrew Bourn. They sing All You Need Is Love before Niki Mak gets everyone on their feet with a performance of You’ve Got The Love from the balcony. 44

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As they cut the three-tier lemon drizzle cake, created by Bake Off’s Phil Thorne, with a sword, Joanna says cheekily, “I’ve got my hand on his sword!” And their first dance is just as playful. After a brief choreographed routine, the couple run off and are replaced on the dance floor by professional dancers wearing masks of the bride and groom. And if OK! thinks the day is spectacular, the evening affair is even more so. As guests have their faces decorated with festival glitter by Luna and Light, Andrew Bourn gets them singing along, before Liam’s Emmerdale co-stars Jeff Hordley and Tony Audenshaw hit the decks. The hardcore guests continue to party in the castle’s wine cellar until the early hours, where the fabulous Vivienne Lynsey put on a drag cabaret. With slightly sore heads the following morning, the new Mr and Mrs Fox tell OK! about the best day of their lives… Congratulations! Did you enjoy the day? Liam: It was everything I’d hoped for and more, so I’m chuffed. Me and Jojo were the last ones on the dance floor at 2.50am. Joanna: I was drinking an alcohol-free gin so I could

just take in the day, but then once we got to the after party I had some prosecco. It was a very jam-packed itinerary… Liam: Jojo just wanted to please other people and make sure nobody was bored. Joanna: We had some mad ideas during the planning. There was going to be a gospel choir, and then a violinist on stilts. Your brain just goes wild. Joanna, you were nearly an hour late to the ceremony. What happened? We started getting ready at 7am, so it felt like we had loads of time. Then it was suddenly past 11am and nobody was dressed. Then it was way past the 12pm start time and I was still getting into my dress. Liam: The registrar told me she had another ceremony to get to. Luckily she stalled the next wedding, but imagine if we had all that booked and then she just buggered off! How did you feel when Joanna did ﬁnally come down the aisle? Liam: I was relieved and she looked well ﬁt. Joanna: My best friend Susannah walked me down the aisle because

Liam and Joanna with ﬂower girls Betsy Mead and May Pettie and their mums Denise Van Outen and Natalie Walter 46

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she looked after me when I was ill. My biggest heartwarming moment was watching Jemma singing during the ceremony. Liam: It made me emotional. She’s my stepdaughter, but she’s my daughter. Luckily, mine and Nicole’s divorce wasn’t messy in any way, so our relationship hasn’t been affected. I even had my ex mother-in-law at the wedding! If Nicole wasn’t on tour, she’d have been there too.

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Joanna, you sadly lost your mum when you were 18. Did you have anything to remind you of her? We had a memory table, which had photos of everyone who couldn’t be there. We had a photo of my mum and dad’s wedding on the wall too, which makes me well up even now. When I walked through the door I felt like she was there with me. We also made sure the last song was New York, New York, which my mum would always ﬁnish a party on.

There were a lot of laughs during your vows… Liam: There was a part where I had to say I’d be faithful and I paused because I was getting emotional, but everyone thought I’d stopped as a joke! Joanna: It was nice to hear everyone laugh. It felt like we were in a room ﬁlled with love, and everyone was behind us. I think we set the mood by having me walk down the aisle to a Neighbours

song. We chose it because it was so cheesy it was hilarious. Why did you have reindeer at the wedding? Joanna: I’ve worked at children’s parties so it was a nice little nod to that. I had a dream that I should have nine as it was the exact number that Santa had on his sleigh, but when I woke up Liam said no. Liam: We had the dogs there too as ring bearers. We couldn’t have not had them there. They’d been practising walking in a straight line with their dog sitter and they did well. Who came up with the ﬁrst dance idea? Joanna: I was a bit worried about the dance because I have a phobia of doing it badly and people laughing at me, so getting Libby and Rob pretending to be us was my way of getting out of it.

Tell us about your dress… I loved it, and my custom made cape by Claire Martin. It was a wildcard that the shop assistant picked out and it just felt right. One wedding shop I went to was like something out of a sitcom. The shop assistant was so miserable. She was like, “Long or short?” I said “long” and she said, “Well, we specialise in short.” Then I picked out a dress and she said, “Why would you pick that? It’s horrible.”

How does it feel to be married? Liam: I woke up this morning and said, “You’re my wife now. I want my tea on the table at 5.30pm every day.” Joanna: I kept saying, “Where’s my husband?” at the wedding. It didn’t feel real. Now we get to enjoy being married. We’re going to the Lake District for our mini-moon, then we’re both working, but in the middle of March we’re going to go on honeymoon. We haven’t decided where to go yet.

Did you buy each other wedding gifts? Joanna: We had gifts sent to each of our rooms to open on the morning. Liam gave me a beautiful necklace with a heart on from the Vera Wang Love collection to match my ring. I bought a souvenir plot of land in Scotland, which allows us to legally call ourselves Lord and Lady Fox!

How did you choose Betsy and May as a ﬂower girls? Joanna: I met Denise Van Outen while I was doing entertainment at children’s parties, and ended up doing all of Betsy’s parties when she was younger. Then we just became friends. The other ﬂower girl May is Denise’s goddaughter. They are the loveliest girls. WWW.OK.CO.UK 49

Liam, were you touched that so many of your Emmerdale colleagues were there? Yes. There’s about 80 in the cast and I sadly couldn’t invite everybody, so it’s been really awkward walking around the corridors lately [laughs]. I decided I’d just invite the people whose mobile numbers I had saved – they are the people I’d talk to even if I wasn’t in the show. They all made it very fun. Chris Bisson was running round with a mask of my face on till very late. Joanna: Samantha Giles [who plays Bernice Blackstock] gave us a wedding blessing spell as she is a practising white witch. You met in 1993 and now 27 years later you’re married. Does it feel like it was meant to be? Liam: It did feel like a long time coming. We got engaged last April and now we’re married, which might seem a bit rushed to some people, but it just felt like it was meant to be. We could have had 15 kids by now if we’d got together then! Joanna: I don’t know about 15! Would you still like children together? Liam: Possibly – anything is possible. If we do, we do, and if we don’t, we don’t. Joanna: If we have them naturally then that’s great, but if not we’ll just have 500 dogs. Liam: And we have Jemma and Ben.

Emmerdale’s Chris Bisson with ﬁancée Rowena Finn

Liam, did you ever think you’d marry again? I was never averse to the idea, but it wasn’t something I desperately thought I needed to do either when I got divorced. It was just that if the right person came along, I’d marry them, and here she is.

Joanna, after your health scare in 2015, does that make you appreciate all of this more? Yeah, deﬁnitely. It has turned into quite a big wedding, [to Liam] because you had a small wedding last time, didn’t you? Liam: Yeah, my last wedding was £850! Joanna: Part of me was like, I wouldn’t mind running off and doing it abroad, but because of the health scare we wanted all our friends there. That combination of faces in one room will never, ever happen again. I think that’s the best thing about a big wedding – you’re bringing so many people together. After nearly dying, I didn’t care about the expense. Liam, you were initially only contracted for eight episodes on Emmerdale. Do you feel lucky to still be there? Oh god, yeah. I came here and Dan was a bit of a nastier character on the page, but I realised that if I could shape the way I delivered it, so we had a cheekiness behind it, he could have another side to him. Luckily, it paid off and three months

later I became full time. I’ve been there 10 years next year. They might do a testimonial episode for me where I get all the proceeds. Not! [Laughs] Joanna: I remember when his first episode was on. I was in the local pub and I made them put it on. We were still friends and I was just really proud of him, and now we’re married! Liam: If you count my Emmerdale marriages, this is about my fifth wedding! Do you see yourself sticking around for another 10 years? Liam: I’ve got a script that’s with a couple of production companies at the minute, so I’m quite happy to fulfil my creative needs outside the show through writing. That enables me to go to work and enjoy it and do my job and not want to go on tour and audition and all that malarkey. As you get older, life isn’t just about you, it becomes about more important things, like being with Jojo and even just walking the dog or going to see things in the world. It’s a great job, so I’ll stick with it.

Dawn Taylor, Natalie Anne Jamieson and Ash Palmisciano toast the happy couple WWW.OK.CO.UK 51

Would you ever get Joanna to star in one of your scripts? Liam: Yeah, possibly. We had a read through the other week with some producers, so she read in on that. It will be way down the line before it gets produced, but it’s quite exciting at the minute. Were you pleased about the NTAs win? Liam: When I ﬁrst started Emmerdale, they said we’d go to all these award dos but we won’t win anything, so just enjoy yourself. Now they win everything! It’s like being a Man United fan when we used to be good.

Joanna, what are you up to now? It’s just been so manic organising the wedding. I’ve just signed with Liam’s agent, so that’s exciting. That feels like a new start and I’m going to double barrel my stage name. I did two episodes of Emmerdale a couple of years ago as a doctor and that was really good. They made me a consultant, which means there is always room to come back, if there are any more hospital scenes or any deaths! OK! INTERVIEW BY JOSIE COPSON ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER PHOTOGRAPHS BY LORNA ROACH AND HOLLY WHITTAKER

Fiona Wade and Simon Cotton had a great time WITH THANKS TO: VENUE ORGANISER PECKFORTONCASTLE.CO.UK, FLOWERS @REDFLORAL, BALLOON DECOR @THEBALLOONSTYLISTLONDON THEBALLOONSTYLISTLONDON.CO.UK, HAIR & MAKE-UP FOR BRIDE & BRIDESQUAD @NALAANDKNOT, LIGHTING/TECHNICAL HIPSWING.CO.UK, NEON ANGEL WINGS/CUSTOM NEON ON CAKE TABLE @LOVELIGHTSTW, LIGHTBOX LETTERS/OTHER NEON SIGNS @THEWORDISLOVE, WEDDING PLANNER THEDREAMWEDDINGGUIDE.COM, CAKE @PHILSBURYBAKES, PRINTING/PLASMA SCREENS TEAM-SPIRIT.CO.UK, VIDEOGRAPHERS LUKASLURAFILMS.COM, BRIDE’S DRESS LOVEBRIDAL.CO.UK, GROOM AND GROOMSQUAD SUITS WHITFIELDANDWARD.CO.UK, DOG CHAPERONE @BARKANDSTROLLS, ANIMAL MEET & GREET FLOWER GIRL GIFTS OURAMAZINGANIMALWORLD.COM, REINDEER OLAF AND SVEN @LEOPOLDS_REINDEER, SAMANTHA GILES WEDDING BLESSING SPELL GIFT FACEBOOK – SAMANTHA’S SPELLS, SERVICE FLASH MOB & SECRET SINGALONG @ANDREWBOURNOFFICIAL, SINGER @LACUNA_J, DRAG CABARET @VIVIENNELYNSEY, STRING QUARTET @ECHOSTRINGSUK, DANCERS/CHOREOGRAPHY @_LIBBYWALKER AND INSTA: MR_RSAUNDERS, COMEDY LUTE PLAYER ANDYHICCUP.COM, CEILIDH BAND WEEBAGBAND.CO.UK

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BEN CALLS JEN DIVORCE HIS BIGGEST ‘REGRET’

EN AFFLECK has given one of his most candid interviews ever and says the breakdown of his marriage to JENNIFER GARNER remains “the biggest regret of my life”. Reﬂecting on how his battle with addiction destroyed his relationship with his ex, Ben opened up to The New York Times about the “shame” he felt over it. “I drank relatively normally for a long time,” the 47-year-old revealed. “What happened was that I started drinking more and more when my marriage was falling apart. This was 2015, 2016. My drinking, of course, created more marital problems.” Ben and Jennifer, also 47, who are parents to Violet, 14, Seraphina, 11, and Samuel, who turns eight this week, divorced in 2018. “The biggest regret of my life is this divorce,” the actor went on to say. “Shame is really toxic. There is no positive byproduct of shame. It’s just stewing in a toxic, hideous feeling of low self-worth and self-loathing.”

SHARON GOES BACK TO HER ROOTS

HARON OSBOURNE has ditched her trademark red locks and embraced her grey hair after almost two decades of dyeing it. The feisty 67-year-old TV host explained the reason behind her decision on her US daytime show The Talk. “I was just so fed up of going and having it dyed and having it dyed, and I just was like, ‘I can’t do this any more. Why am I trying to do something or be something that I’m not?’ So just be who you are.”

Meanwhile, Sharon’s husband OZZY, who last month revealed he has Parkinson’s disease, has spoken out in a new interview about his condition. “I’m in unbelievable pain 24/7,” said the Black Sabbath rocker, 71. “I have to be helped to change, to have a bath. It’s just f*****g awkward, you know?” However, he claimed the condition has brought Sharon and him closer. “I am so much in love with Sharon,” he said. “We’re getting on better than ever.”

HOLLYWOODGOSSIP

SALMA HITS BACK AT ‘BOTOX’ TROLL

ALMA HAYEK refused to take it lying down when one of her social media followers accused her of having had “too much Botox”. The insult came after the 53-year-old actress shared a snap on Instagram of herself standing in front of the ocean with the breeze blowing through her hair. And when one commenter felt the need to write, “Too much Botox. Not needed Salma!”, she had the perfect response. “I don’t have Botox but thank you for the advice because I was thinking maybe it’s time,” she responded. Salma, who is married to French billionaire François-Henri Pinault and has a 12-year-old daughter Valentina, has previously denied having had any cosmetic procedures. “I haven’t done an-y-thing,” she said in 2019, adding that she didn’t know “how to explain” her youthful appearance.

GWYNETH’S GLOWING GALS all of whom showed off their glowing complexions as they went bare faced. KATE HUDSON was also at the exclusive event, which was promoting Gwyneth’s Goop Glow skincare products. And although Kate, 40, has her hands full with three kids and a an acting career, she rrecently revealed sshe’s open to b becoming a mother a again in the future. Already mum t Ryder, 16, with to CHRIS ROBINSON, C Bingham, eight, with MATT BELLAMY and Rani, 16 months, with current beau DANNY FUJIKAWA, Kate explained, “Rani is at the age where I think I’d want another baby, but when she gets to four or ﬁve... I’d think my life would be kinda back, the child is in a groove. There’s a window!”

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

here was only one rule at GWYNETH PALTROW’S Beverly Hills dinner party – no make-up allowed! The actress and Goop founder invited some of her A-list pals, including DEMI MOORE (far right), stylist RACHEL ZOE (below centre) and artist ALEXANDRA GRANT (near right), who is dating KEANU KEANU REEVES, REEVES,

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WELCOMING OK! TO THE BOWEN MANSION

‘THIS IS OUR FOREVER HOME – WE’RE DEFINITELY NOT MOVING AGAIN!’

f posing on your ride-on lawnmower in the spacious grounds of your £1 million mansion doesn’t say “we’ve made it”, then we don’t know what does! Inspired by Kanye West and Kim Kardashian in the Bound 2 music video, Alex and Olivia Bowen pose up a storm on set as they invite OK! into their new ﬁve-bedroom Essex home for an exclusive tour. Before their time on Love Island in 2016, the couple were working nine to ﬁve jobs as a scaffolder and salesperson respectively, but their time on the ITV2 show propelled the pair to stardom. While most couples from the show don’t make it on the outside world, Olivia and Alex proved their

love was for keeps, getting engaged after six months and tying the knot in 2018, which was exclusively covered by OK!. While it was their shared love of partying that ﬁrst bonded them in the villa, Alex, 28, and Olivia, 26, are now more fascinated by their new hoover and sofa that were delivered halfway through the shoot. Here, the loved-up couple chat about their dream home, why they have moved on from Love Island and their famous neighbour... When did you ﬁrst start looking at this house? Olivia: Just under a year ago I saw it appear on Rightmove. We weren’t looking to move, but I’m just

OLIVIA WEARS COAT BY RIVER ISLAND; JEANS ARE STYLIST’S OWN; BOOTS BY BOOHOO AND HER OWN JEWELLERY THROUGHOUT. ALEX WEARS JACKET BY ZARA; T-SHIRT BY NEW LOOK; TROUSERS AND TRAINERS BY BURTON AND HIS OWN JEWELLERY THROUGHOUT.

LOVE ISLAND’S OLIVIA AND ALEX BOWEN SHOW OK!’S JOSIE COPSON AROUND THEIR DREAM HOME AND TALK ALL THINGS MARRIAGE SPREADING POSITIVITY AND THEIR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS

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‘WHEN I WAS YOUNGER MY MUM USED TO DRIVE ME PAST THIS HOUSE AND WE’D SAY “IMAGINE LIVING IN THAT HOUSE”’

obsessed with the property app. We put off viewing it for four months as we hadn’t been in our last house that long, but then it went down in price. This house has been here for 17 years. When I was younger, my mum used to drive me past it and we’d say, “Imagine living in that house.” She came with us to the viewing, and we were all a bit gobsmacked. I remember walking into the bedroom and crying. When I cry I know that it means something. It felt like fate. We fell in love with it, and six months later we were in the house. Alex: I really didn’t want to move then when Liv and I went to see the house I said, “Okay, let’s do it.” It was the same feeling I had when we went to see our wedding venue for the ﬁrst time. Do you like being in the countryside? Alex: I’d never lived in the countryside before. To me, Chelmsford was countryside! Olivia: I grew up ﬁve minutes 58

away from this house so this is home for me. We have fastpaced lives and our jobs are in the public eye, so it’s nice to come back to this private and serene place. It’s the kind of place I want to bring our children up in. What was your ﬁrst night like here? Olivia: My mum and her boyfriend stayed with us as we got scared. We had to have someone next to us because we didn’t know how to handle the emotion. Alex: I was unpacking boxes and I couldn’t even speak. It felt like we were in a hotel. Have either of you stayed here alone? Olivia: No – I’m not going to do that yet. I don’t feel scared any more but it’s still weird. Alex: I think it’s because when you look out the back there’s nothing there, it’s just pitch black. It’s so quiet that when you hear something, you’re like, “Oh, what was that?”

The couple with their French bulldogs Winnie and Reggie

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THIS PAGE: OLIVIA WEARS DRESS BY LAVISH ALICE; SHOES BY RIVER ISLAND. ALEX WEARS SUIT BY ZARA; T-SHIRT AND TRAINERS BY NEW LOOK. FACING PAGE: OLIVIA WEARS CARDIGAN BY ZARA; JEANS BY RIVER ISLAND. ALEX WEARS JUMPER AND CHINOS BY RIVER ISLAND.

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How long do you think it will take to renovate? Alex: In our old house we rushed it all, but here we’re going to do it room by room and just take our time. This is our forever home. I’m deﬁnitely not moving again. I just can’t be bothered [laughs]. Olivia: We’ve not even unpacked properly as we’ve been so busy. Finding the time to do normal work, renovate the house and run my business is becoming a bit impossible, but it’s fun! I reckon it’s going to take a couple of years to do the full thing. We are documenting it on our new home Instagram account, and it’s got over 240,000 followers! I’m like a home blogger now. I used to get sent alcohol, and now it’s 60

cleaning products – how times have changed [laughs]. How many bedrooms are there? Olivia: Five, but one of them is obviously going to be a dressing room. We’ve got a dog room, too. We’re going to convert the ofﬁce into their bedroom – they are so spoilt! We want to put a door that goes straight to the garden, get them a little shower and dog beds. Alex: We’ve come to the decision that they can’t be in our bed any longer. It’s done! Do you have any neighbours? Olivia: Gemma Collins is our new neighbour – she’s ﬁve minutes down the road. She’s actually invited us over for a roast dinner, and a

barbecue in the summer. I love her. I’ll pop over to hers next time we run out of milk. Do you feel proud of yourself? Olivia: You’d be silly not to be proud of yourself. We woke up the other day to go to a job and we watched the sunrise from the balcony. I do pinch myself. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to it. Have you had to work hard to get here? Alex: People say, “You wouldn’t have the house you have now if it wasn’t for Love Island.” That’s kind of true, but also not everyone from Love Island has done what we’ve done. We’ve made the right decisions, we’ve worked hard, we’ve gone to the jobs and been nice to people to get booked again. We were given the platform, but we’ve worked hard from there. Olivia: We’ve made mistakes, but nice people

prevail. We immediately put our money into property, which is how we got this house. This was always my end goal. My mum would tell you that at 10 years old, I’d say, “I want a gated property.” If you’ve got a dream that you want that badly, then make it happen. Do you have other reality stars asking you for advice? Alex: Yeah and I always try to answer. Olivia: We feel like Love Island parents. Everyone calls us Mum and Dad. We are the mum and dad of reality TV. What else have you got going on? Olivia: I’m moving to New York for six weeks for a new project. Alex isn’t moving with me, so it will be the longest time we’ve ever spent apart but he will visit. I’m nervous, but excited as it’s my biggest job so far. Alex: I’m launching a membership based

ﬁtness website, and I’ve been learning to DJ too. I don’t want to be the “Alex from Love Island DJ”, I’m trying to keep that quite separate from everything. Olivia: He’s Alex tech DJ. He’s always been so into his music. I’ve got a collection with In The Style and we’ve also got new collections coming out for our company Exempt Society. How have you found starting a business together? Alex: It’s really hard at times. When we’ve got a little more time to work on it then it’s all going to come together. Olivia: It’s such a mineﬁeld and it’s such a hard business to be in as there are so many huge companies that we’re going up against, but it’s nice to have something that is completely ours. Alex is going to have to be the big boss while I’m in New York. He’ll have to take control of all the strings. WWW.OK.CO.UK 61

THIS PAGE: OLIVIA WEARS DRESS BY ZARA. ALEX WEARS TOP BY BOOHOO; TROUSERS BY BURTON. FACING PAGE: ALEX AND OLIVIA WEAR TRACKSUITS BY BOOHOO.

Alex: There are phones! Olivia: [To Alex] Yes, but I’m going to be working six days a week. You can’t expect me to do that and run the business! Do you enjoy being married? Olivia: It just feels normal. We don’t really think about being married, but it does still feel weird to say “husband”. Olivia, you didn’t have complete trust in Alex at the start of the relationship. What helped you to gain it? Alex proposing. Part of the reason he did it was to show me how committed he was because I couldn’t seem to believe it. We got engaged earlier than usual for that reason. It really helped! You’ve both been very positive about Love Island contestants on social media. Have you been purposefully trying to spread a bit of love online? Olivia: Last year I decided not to say anything negative online any more. If I want to have a b***h then I’ll talk to my friends on

WhatsApp or I’ll ring my mum. I’m not going to shout it out on Twitter and hurt someone’s feelings. It’s just not necessary. When I came out of Love Island I had horrible comments, and I know how it felt so I wouldn’t want to do that to anyone else. Do you think there should be more policing online? Alex: Bobby Norris is working on a petition to stop it, which is amazing. It bafﬂes me that social media sites don’t ask for ID so that people are accountable for what they say. There is freedom of speech and you can say what you want, but there is a difference between that and trolling. Some people just like being p***ks. Olivia: Not everyone in the world is a nice person, and unfortunately social media gives unfriendly people a platform. Everyone just needs to learn how to block and delete! OK! PHOTOS: JAMES RUDLAND STYLING: BRONAGH MEERE HAIR AND MAKE-UP: ELOISE PARKER USING CHARLOTTE TILBURY, BURT’S BEES, FENTY BEAUTY, SACHA JUAN

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ON ADDING TO HER BROOD

‘MARVIN AND I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HAVING MORE CHILDREN’ PRESENTER ROCHELLE HUMES TELLS OK!’S EMILY WHITWAM ABOUT MOTHERHOOD WHY SHE AND HUSBAND MARVIN WANT TO RENEW THEIR VOWS AND WHY THEY HAVE SUCH A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE

rom belting out pop hits with her former girl band The Saturdays to writing a children’s book and hosting stints on This Morning, we’re yet to see what Rochelle Humes can’t accomplish. But her talent and tenacity doesn’t stop there. When OK! catches up with the 30-yearold over a mug of fresh mint tea in central London, she’s winding down after hosting us and those close to her for a three-course lunch to celebrate the ofﬁcial launch of her new family beauty range, My Little Coco. Not only did Rochelle welcome a host of her celebrity friends, including Stacey Solomon, Katie Piper and Giovanna Fletcher, but her husband, Marvin, 34, took a break from planning his JLS comeback tour to make a surprise appearance. “I support Marv, and he supports me,” gushes Rochelle. The star beams a smile his

way and says, “We’d love to renew our vows and have more children.” Since getting hitched in 2012, the singers have settled down in Essex with their two daughters six-year-old AlaiaMai and Valentina Raine, who turns three next month. Here, Rochelle opens up about having more children, how Marvin is a great support and being the stricter parent... Rochelle, how excited are you that Marvin’s touring in JLS again? Oh my goodness, not as excited as my kids! It’s lovely, because Alaia and Valentina see Aston [Merrygold], Oritsé [Williams] and JB [Gill] as their uncles. Alaia’s been saying to all her teachers, “My dad is in a band now with my uncles,” because she doesn’t know them any other way. I have to try and tell her that the reason they are her uncles in the ﬁrst place is because they were in a band with daddy! [Laughs] Do Alaia and Valentina have a favourite? Alaia’s not silly, she enjoys a bit of everyone! But Valy loves Oritsé! The boys are so close. It’s suddenly like they were never not together. I used to go and watch them play with JB’s wife, but now we have kids. It’s all a bit crazy! We used to suss out which club we’d go out to while they were touring, but now we’re talking about having a soft playroom! Family must be really important to you... My family are my absolute world. I’ve always been

Marvin and Rochelle are parents to Alaia and Valentina (below left) il girl i l – they h kkeep me sane. E hi a ffamily Everything I do is for them. Do Valentina and Alaia get along? They get on really well! Valentina rules the roost and even though Alaia’s the eldest, she just does as she’s told. Valentina has everyone wrapped around her little ﬁnger, especially Alaia. She’s very overpowering and Alaia just runs around after her. I can really see my two younger sisters in them. I call them Lili and Sophie all the time! What’s Alaia into? Everything she shouldn’t be [laughs]! Alaia just wants to play with my make-up – she’s into anything that I am. She thinks she’s a lot older than she is, but above anything she’s really into reading. She’s such a bookworm. She always wants to read to Valentina and she’s got to the stage at school where she’s a “free reader”, so she can read by herself. Does that make you proud? I’m proud of both my girls. But Alaia doesn’t get her academic brain from me, Marvin’s taken all the credit for that one [laughs]. Would you mind if Alaia wanted to follow in your footsteps? I can’t be a hypocrite. She knows what our careers are and that we live a very nice life.

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Stacey Solomon attended the launch event

She knows we’re very lucky. But at the same time, I do think, “Stay out of this industry, little one!” I’d always support whatever she wants to do, but I’m showing her other avenues ﬁrst and seeing if they tempt her a little more. What have you got planned for Valentina’s birthday in March? Valentina’s a hardcore fan of Spider-Man, which I absolutely love! So we’re having a Spider-Manthemed party at our village hall. Do you encourage her to play with whatever she likes, even if it’s something that’s typically not aimed at girls? Absolutely! I love it. Marvin has a suit which he regularly puts on [laughs]. It all started at Cheryl [Tweedy]’s son Bear’s birthday. There was a SpiderMan performer and she’s normally scared of people being dressed up, but she loved him. I messaged Cheryl the other day to invite her to Valentina’s Spider-Man party and said to her, “You know this all started a year ago at Bear’s party!” What kind of dad is Marvin? He’s got two girls so he’s soft. I’m the one that’s bad news. I hear him through the baby monitor saying, “Don’t do that, I’m going to tell Mum!” I know I’m bad cop and I just have to wear that. Do you think you would be softer if you had a little boy? Probably! Have you both spoken about having any more children? Deﬁnitely, at some point we’d love to have more. We just don’t know when. We always talk about it. He’s from a big family and I’m really close to mine. What’s the secret to you and Marvin being such a strong couple? We appreciate each other and work from there. We know how lucky we are. Have you faced many challenges in marriage? Of course, there’s always going to be challenges. But it’s just how you choose to face that challenge together. You can’t let it get to you. We’ve always chosen to be a team, that’s how it works. Marriage is full of highs and lows, especially when you have kids, but I couldn’t go through those lows without Marv. It’s your 10-year anniversary in 2022. Would you renew your vows? Absolutely, we want to do it all again! Especially for Alaia – she doesn’t understand that she wasn’t born, so she couldn’t be there. I’ve said that she can be a 66

Rochelle with Katie Piper

bridesmaid with Valentina, who will probably want to walk down the aisle in her Spider-Man outﬁt [laughs]. How does Marvin support you? We’re both parents, so I support him and he supports me. It’s very equal. I think it’s a really old-school way of parenting when the mum does everything. We both work and we’re both parents. I’m very lucky that I have that. I grew up with my mum as a single parent so I know how hard it is. I feel very blessed that we’re both pulling our weight, which is really important to me. We try to let each other shine in our careers when we need to. Tell us about your new family beauty range My Little Coco... We’ve been working on My Little Coco for three years. It’s my baby and it’s been worth every second. I’ve loved creating the whole collection from start to ﬁnish, because it’s something I can truly call my own. The My Little Coco logo is my mum’s handwriting, my daughter did the trailer voiceover and it’s been built around all of my family. I’m really proud of it. OK! PURCHASE THE MY LITTLE COCO RANGE IN BOOTS STORES OR HEAD TO BOOTS.COM/MYLITTLECOCO PHOTOS: KARIS KENNEDY, OLIVER ROSSER

‘I SUPPORT MARVIN AND HE SUPPORTS ME’

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THE BOYZ ARE BACK IN TOWN

ABZ WEARS SUIT BY BURTON, SHIRT BY TOPMAN, SHOES BY BURTON, TIE BY ASOS, NECKLACE BY THOMAS SABO. SHANE WEARS SUIT BY TOPMAN. BEN WEARS SUIT BY M&S, SHIRT BY TM LEWIN, TIE BY TWISTED TAILOR AT ASOS, JEWELLERY BY THOMAS SABO. DANE WEARS SUIT BY VIGGO, SHIRT BY FRED PERRY, SHOES BY TOPMAN.

‘THEY DON’T MAKE PERFORMERS LIKE US ANY MORE!’ THE NEWLY FORMED BOYZ ON BLOCK TALK TO OK!’S PADRAIG PRENDERGAST ABOUT HOW THE INDUSTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE s AND WHAT MADE THEM GIVE IT ANOTHER GO

hat do you get when you gather four former 90s boyband members? A brand new supergroup, of course. Looking a little more mature, Another Level’s Dane Bowers, 40, Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, 43, Five’s Abz Love, 40, and Phats & Small’s Ben Ofoedu, 47, have reformed and are on tour! This time though, they’ve called themselves Boyz On Block and as OK! arrives to catch up with the foursome on set, it’s clear you can take the boys out of the 90s, but you can’t take the 90s out of the boys. The stars knock back a few drinks while they sing along to songs from their original respective bands. “When it comes to performers, I really do think they don’t make them like us any more,” Ben says. Here, the boys – who have 38 Top 10 UK singles between them – tell us how Dane ended up recording a single with Victoria Beckham, what made Abz sell his BRIT Award and why there won’t be wedding bells chiming for Vanessa Feltz any time soon... Second time round, how did the band come about? Who spoke to who ﬁrst? Shane: We were all at Bournemouth Pride last year performing separately. At the end of the night, we all ended up on the main stage and as each one of us came out, the crowd was getting bigger and wilder. So the next morning, I called Ben and said, “Last night was pretty sick. How about you call the other

boys and let’s do it again because that’s one of the best shows I’ve ever done in my life!” Where did the name come from? Ben: A newspaper got wind that we were coming together and called us Bad Boys On The Block. So I said to Shane, maybe we should run with Boyz On Block and that was that. Was it being in the spotlight you missed? Dane: Us coming together, it looked like it was planned, but it wasn’t. It just happened after 25 years of knowing each other and we had fun. There is no pressure from record labels like there was for us all the ﬁrst time round. I think it works because people love nostalgia. Abz: It gives Another Level to it... [All laugh]. You have four different fan bases… do you feel there is still an appetite? Dane: When we do a meet and greet, the fans walk straight past us and they go straight for Shane! What’s the main difference between the 90s and today? Ben: The whole industry is different. The 90s were a lot nicer. Dane: The days of SM:TV Live and Top Of The Pops were the days. There used to be girls crying and mania everywhere we went when we supported Boyzone. Nowadays, WWW.OK.CO.UK 69

‘THE CROWD WAS GETTING BIGGER AND WILDER’

fans can follow you on Instagram so it’s not as mysterious any more. Whereas before, you had to go and see them to know what they were doing. I miss that. Who out of you four is the biggest diva? Shane: Ben. Every time we do a photoshoot, he is like, “What’s the lighting like on me?” Abz: We call him Benyoncé. Ben: All you need to be a popstar is good lighting [laughs].

Shane Lynch in Boyzone

Dane in Another Level

What do you think Simon Cowell would say to you if you went on The X Factor today? Shane: “Get the f**k off the stage!” Dane: “I didn’t like it, I LOVED it.” Ben: When it comes to performers, I really do think they don’t make them like us any more. It was competitive, but we were all friends and hung out together and I don’t think this generation does that any more. The record labels are lazier now. They used to develop you. Now they want you to come as a developed product. Dane, how did you end up working with Victoria Beckham on Out Of Your Mind back in 2000? Dane: I went to her. After I released Buggin’, which did well. It got into the Top 10. From there, the label said, “Do you want to do another one?” I said, “Yes, a duet, but only with a Spice Girl,” and my management laughed at me. I said “I’m serious” and they

‘IT WORKS BECAUSE PEOPLE LOVE NOSTALGIA’

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‘IF IT ISN’T BROKEN WHY FIX IT?’

asked her and she said yes. She had gone solo and she loved the song. It was good timing for us both. Let’s just say, I’ve not spoken to her for a while since. Abz, you sold your BRIT Award… Yeah, it sold for £1 million at ﬁrst. But it didn’t come through so I ended up selling it for a lot less. I was at a place where I needed the cash and I was using it as a doorstop. It’s only a bit of material and the fact is I won the award. Ben you’ve been engaged to Vanessa Feltz since 2006. Is there a wedding on the cards? Ben: I need a wedding band. That’s why we’ve reformed. Dane: And he won’t be g getting a discount. B Ben: You know w what, if it isn’t b broken, why ﬁx it? In the 14 years Vanessa and I have been together, we’ve seen so many friends get married and after a while we thought, “This is working the Ben in Phats way it is.” If & Small we do get married, who Abz in knows, but Five not at the moment. OK! BOYZ ON BLOCK ARE ON A UK TOUR KICKING OFF IN DUNDEE ON 28 FEBRUARY UNTIL 28 MARCH WITH DATES IN GLASGOW, STOCKTON, YORK, BOLTON, BIRKENHEAD, CROYDON, CHESTERFIELD, HULL AND WAKEFIELD. VISIT EVENTBRITE.CO.UK. PHOTOS: SAM RILEY ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: ALPHA, GETTY STYLIST: CAROLINE SULLIVAN ASSISTED BY: BECCY GOLDSWORTHY HAIR AND MAKE-UP BY BETHAN OWENS USING CLARINS MEN AND OUAI HAIRCARE

‘I WAS USING MY BRIT AWARD AS A DOORSTOP’

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LEAVING THE STREET

‘I GENUINELY FELT LIKE I WAS GRIEVING’ LUCY FALLON REFLECTS ON HER FIVE YEARS ON THE COBBLES AS SHE WAVES GOODBYE TO CORONATION STREET

eaving somewhere you’ve called home for ﬁve years isn’t easy, so it’s no surprise that Lucy Fallon was devastated when her time on Coronation Street came to an end. As Bethany Platt, the 24-year-old has been at the helm of some of the soap’s most hard-hitting stories, including the grooming storyline which saw her scoop a National Television Award. Lucy’s exit next week will see Bethany deciding whether or not to follow her boyfriend Daniel Osbourne [Rob Mallard] to London following his proposal, but with Daniel still grieving his wife Sinead’s [Katie McGlynn] death, what will she do? What was your last day on set like? I felt sick and cried all day. I genuinely felt like I was grieving. It was a shambles. I’d been out with Jack [P Shepherd], Colson [Smith], Tina [O’Brien], Julia [Goulding] and Sally Ann [Matthews] and I had a two-day hangover and I’d hardly slept the night before because I was worried. My parents, sisters and my boyfriend Tom [Leech] were all coming to watch my second to last scene but I almost texted Tom saying don’t come because I kept crying. My phone got stolen when we went out after my leaving do and I lost all my pictures from my last day. Including the crew, eight of us had our phones stolen that night.

On set with Rob Mallard

chunk of my life and I feel like a completely different person. It’s like a family. I had some lovely leaving presents, like a Gucci purse and a Fitbit. My focus now is getting a job. I want to be busy and I don’t care about having time off. What storyline are you most proud of? The grooming one because that had the most impact. I still get messages now. I got one from a woman who said she had been abused from the age of 10 to 21 and as she watched Corrie she started to realise. Now the guy is in prison for 17 years.

Saying goodbye to the Corrie cast

Tell us about your exit… Daniel does a speech at Bethany’s mum Sarah [Tina O’Brien] and Adam’s [Sam Robertson] wedding and he breaks down about Sinead. Everyone has been telling Bethany but now she’s finally realising that he’s not over her. Sarah is trying to make Bethany see that going to London with Daniel is not the right thing. Then Daniel gets drunk and proposes to Bethany but he calls her Sinead! He begs Bethany to marry him but then they realise he’s proposed with Sinead’s wedding ring and it all falls apart. But whether or not she goes with Daniel to London, who knows? Are you pleased with your exit storyline? Yes, because it’s a good thing I’ve not been killed. It was my decision to leave so it’s nice the door is open. Now knowing what it’s like to be leaving, I think I would have been even more upset knowing that it was definitely over. My future’s uncertain but that’s not to say I won’t do Corrie again. It was my first audition and my first acting job. It’s been a big

Have you had any auditions? I’ve done three tapes for different things, but if I don’t hear back I’m not really that worried or upset because I need to get into the ﬂow. It’s scary. I was recently in London and my agents set up meetings with different casting directors and even though I was nervous, I was conﬁdent to talk to them and be myself, which I feel like being on the show has taught me. Before I would have been scared and not turned up. What would be your dream role? Something like Sex Education or Peaky Blinders – that’s my favourite show. I’d maybe like to do Strictly Come Dancing in the future, but for now I want to concentrate on acting and see how that goes. Do you feel like an engagement is the next step for you and Tom? I don’t think so. I mean it is the next step in our relationship, but I feel like he can’t afford the ring I want! I’m joking. It’s probably going to be quite a while. There’s so much to look forward to like that and having kids. We’re running the London Marathon together. Training’s not going very well. The thought of going for a run after this makes me feel sick. In my head, on the day, I’ll be able to do it. OK! WORDS: KIRSTY HATCHER PHOTOS: THE JOCKEY CLUB VIA PA IMAGES, ITV

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‘I FEEL REALLY LUCKY TO BE THE BODY TYPE I AM’ AS SHE TURNS OK! TAKES A LOOK AT COMEDY QUEEN REBEL WILSON’S SUCCESSFUL CAREER AND WHAT MAKES HER A FAN FAVOURITE KES HER A FAN FAVOURITE In Isn’t It Romantic with Liam Hemsworth

or most of us, our “before we turn 40 bucket list” might look something like: run a marathon, skydive and travel the world. But as Rebel Wilson waves in the milestone birthday, there’s only one thing she’s got her heart set on – an Oscar! The reigning queen of comedy recently admitted, “So, like, I have Rebel to transition into drama starring because I can’t f*****g in Cats win an Oscar for Pitch Perfect 3, can I?” According to Rebel, her dramatic ambitions were born aged 19 when she contracted malaria during a trip to Mozambique and subsequently hallucinated about taking home a gong. The Australian actress grew up in New South Wales, where she lived with her dog breeder parents and three siblings. After some small screen success, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. And in a world of what she calls “glamours”, she quickly realised that being unique and different was “a really good thing”. “I never got anywhere because of my looks,” she says. “I’m about the brain, the heart and what’s on the inside. I feel really lucky to be the body type I am.” Her move stateside proved fruitful, as the star landed what would become her breakout role in 2011 hit Bridesmaids. After

iinitially i i ll auditioning di i i ffor M li Melissa McCarthy’s part, ﬁlmmakers were impressed enough to create a role especially for her. Though she’s an undeniably brilliant comedian, laughter hasn’t always been Rebel’s driving force. “I always thought I’d be a dramatic actress,” she says. But it was her time at the Australian Theatre For Young People where she was awarded an international scholarship by Nicole Kidman that changed her course. “People ﬁnd it easier to laugh at bigger girls. And I thought, that’s going to be my game plan,” explains the star. Rebel also completed a law and arts degree at the University of New South Wales. As such, she drew up her own contracts early on in her career, and her legal background would once again serve her well in 2016 when she

REBEL’S BEST ONE-LINERS ON EXERCISE “I’m on a sitabout. It’s like a walk-about with no cardio.”

ON BRAD PITT “I’ve only met [Brad Pitt] once before. Well, I didn’t really meet him. I kind of just stood behind him and smelled his hair. It smelled really good.”

AT THE MTV MOVIE AWARDS “Some people say they don’t do it for the awards, but I do. I do acting for the awards… and cash money.”

FROM PITCH PERFECT “Even though some of you are pretty thin, you all have fat hearts, and that’s what matters.”

ON LIVING IN THE AUSTRALIAN “GHETTO” “I’m from the ghetto side of Sydney. We don’t really do drive-bys, we just do drive-thrus.”

f ll sued dB di ffor d f ti successfully Bauer M Media defamation after they published articles alleging that she lied in interviews. She has since starred in How To Be Single and Cats. Meanwhile, her own production company, Camp Sugar, has co-produced The Hustle and Isn’t It Romantic, and when it comes to her own scripts, she takes a handson approach. “I like to say I’m the guardian of the comedy,” she says. Rebel’s success has allowed her to sponsor many children at the School of St Jude’s in Tanzania, as well as purchasing her own homes in Los Angeles, New York, London and Sydney. She admits, “When I look at all the things I’ve done in my career ... I feel like I’ve got so much further to go. But I am really proud, and I didn’t have to sleep my way to the top.” She jokes, but Rebel has spoken publicly about being the target of sexual misconduct. It’s clear then, that she isn’t afraid to call out what she views as wrong, something she proved at this year’s BAFTAs. Highlighting the lack of diversity among the Best Director category’s all-male nominees as she presented the accolade to Sam Mendes for 1917, she joked, “I don’t think I could do what they do. I haven’t got the balls.” With such a swift rise to fame, it’s easy to question whether Rebel fears she could lose it all just as quickly. “No, because I feel like I’m only going to get more successful. That’s up to me,” she says. And her conﬁdence, she hopes, is contagious. She admits, “I’ve always been a non-conformist. I want people to be a rebel in their own lives.” From now on “Be More Rebel” is our daily mantra here at OK!. OK! WORDS: KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER PHOTOS: CAMERA PRESS/ MATT HOLYOAK/BAFTA, WARNER BROS

ICONS

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EVENING STANDARD WHAT: Sony Brits after-party. WHERE: The Standard, London. WHO: Mollie King, Rag’n’Bone Man and Paloma Faith. LOWDOWN: Kendall Jenner reunited with her former boyfriend Harry Styles at the bash, before both headed to The Box nightclub in Soho to continue the party. Above: Harry Styles. Below: Paloma Faith and Rag’n’Bone Man

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PARTIES BRITS SPECIAL Left: Melanie C. Right: Ellie Goulding

Above: Roman Kemp and girlfriend Anne-Sophie Flury

WHAT: Universal Brits after-party. WHERE: The Ned, London. WHO: Ellie Goulding, Meghan Trainor and Roman Kemp joined Niall Horan and double Brit winner Lewis Capaldi. LOWDOWN: Melanie C and Arielle Free got behind the decks at the do, sponsored by Patrรณn Tequila.

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

HEAD TO THE NED

Above: Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi. Right: Ella Eyre and Meghan Trainor WWW.OK.CO.UK 79

Left: Naomi Campbell. Above: Louise Redknapp. Above right: Lizzo

ALL FIRED UP WHAT: Warner x CĂ&#x17D;ROC Brits after-party. WHERE: Chiltern Firehouse, London. WHO: Supermodel Naomi Campbell partied alongside the likes of Lizzo and Louise Redknapp. LOWDOWN: Charli XCX hosted and cocktails including Heavy Is The Head and Good As Hell, were named after songs by nominated Warner artists. 80

PARTIES BRITS SPECIAL Below: Maya Jama. Below left: Iris Law and Jyrrel Roberts

‘THE BEST BRITS EVER’

NURSING A ‘HORRIFIC HANGOVER’ WILL MANNING GIVES US THE GOSS… GOODY BAGS

“Depending on where you sit, you get a different goody bag. They always give razors – I think they must struggle with gifts for guys! There were face masks, which I wore while recording my show the next day, a Bluetooth speaker, a lot of moisturiser and a bottle of champagne.”

FOOD AND DRINK

“Everything was drunk! If not at the table, they were putting bottles under their coats and taking it away with them. Don’t worry about that! There was no alcohol wasted. The three-course meal started with this weird deconstructed cauliﬂower, then it was a chicken breast. It wasn’t very glamorous! I’ll be interested to see how many pop stars actually ate it. I guarantee they brought snacks in their bags.”

PHOTOS: GETTY, SHUTTERSTOCK

LEWIS AND NIALL’S BOAT PARTY “Niall Horan and Lewis Capaldi hosted a boat party afterwards. I say hosted, Lewis stood in a corner handing his Brits around like a proud parent. I was worried, because he was letting anyone hold them. What if someone had dropped them in the Thames? But he didn’t care. He just wanted everyone to

enjoy the moment like he did, which I thought was really sweet. He’s so chilled out – him and Niall are the nicest guys. Lewis hijacked my Instagram Stories, and he and Niall nearly kissed!”

AFTER THE AFTER-PARTY A

“Niall and Lewis are purely responsible for my hangover. They’re going on tour together, so I can’t imagine what they’ll get up to on the road. After the boat, Niall took me to the Universal after-party at The Ned, and it all got a bit out of hand. When we turned up, it had kind of ﬁnished, but Niall was like, “No, there’s a vault downstairs!” It was far from over. Me, The Vamps boys, Hrvy, Montana Brown and Niall were all down in this vault and that is my last memory!”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MABEL

“It was Mabel’s birthday, and she’s been on my show so much over the past year and a half, so seeing her open the Brits, I felt weirdly proud. Then at the Universal party everyone sang happy birthday to Mabel. All the performances were so good, but I have to say Billie Eilish singing her Bond theme with Hans Zimmer was my highlight of the night.” OK! WORDS: KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER LISTEN TO WILL’S WEEKDAY ON CAPITAL FM FROM 10AM-1PM, AND ON THE BIG TOP 40 SUNDAYS 4-7PM

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MARCHING TO HIS OWN BEAT

‘I PARTY HARDER THAN MY KIDS’ CRAIG CHARLES TELLS OK!’S KATIE

LANGFORD-FOSTER ABOUT HIS LOVE OF MUSIC AND BEING A DAD

ew people can get the party started like Craig Charles. While his BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio 2 shows are perfect for what he calls a “kitchen disco”, he also fills dancefloors every week with his live soul and funk sets. Away from the decks, Craig, 55, can be found filming The Gadget Show, and has just filmed a featurelength episode of Red Dwarf. Busy, says Craig, is how he likes to be: “When I’ve got too much time on my hands, I get up to no good!” Craig and his wife Jackie are parents to daughters Anna-Jo, 22, and Nellie-Rose, 16, and the star is also dad to son Jack, 31, from a previous relationship. Here, the former Coronation Street star talks about partying hard, Betty’s hot pot and his uncanny resemblance to a Love Islander... Are you the life and soul of the party these days, or do you prefer a quiet night in? I am the party! I party harder than my kids [laughs]. We gig every Friday and Saturday. But when I’m not DJing, I do like a quiet night in with a box set. My wife and I just got hooked on White House Farm. Would you like to tackle a similarly serious role? I still love acting. If there was a really meaty part, I’d love to do a bit more serious drama. I was acting every day for 10 years on Coronation Street, and I do miss it. Do people underestimate how much hard work soap roles are? If you’ve got a full-on storyline, it can be intense. But if not, you’re sometimes only in it twice a week. I was the opposite of people asking producers for big storylines. I was happy popping into the Rovers to say, “I’ll have a pint and a hotpot please, Liz”, picking up my pay cheque and going home! [Laughs]

Your son’s a musician. Are you proud to have handed down your love of music to your kids? Yeah. He’s really good as well – he’s got a brilliant voice and is in the studio now. Nellie and AJ are musically talented as well. I’m just glad they look like their mother! Growing up, was music always on in your house? Yeah. One of my earliest memories is of my mum and dad dancing in the kitchen to I’ve Got A Woman by Ray Charles on the radio. Do you ever feel outnumbered at home, surrounded by women? I am! I know far too much about the Kardashians and Love Island. Everyone says I look like Callum [Jones] but I can’t see it! [Laughs] As a music fan, what song is most special to you? Mine and Jackie’s song is Always And Forever by Heatwave. The rule is that if it ever comes on the radio, we have to stop what we’re doing and have a slow dance. What can we expect from BBC Radio 6 Music Festival? There are so many great acts, like Bombay Bicycle Club and Róisín Murphy. I’ll be DJing and there’s spoken word, poetry, interviews. 6 Music is a station where listeners and presenters alike are really into their music, so there’s a great camaraderie. BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC FESTIVAL IN CAMDEN, 6-8 MARCH, WILL BE BROADCAST ON 6 MUSIC AND BBC SOUNDS ACROSS THE WEEKEND. PERFORMANCES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH ON BBC IPLAYER AND BBC.CO.UK/6MUSIC, WITH HIGHLIGHTS ON BBC FOUR AND BBC RED BUTTON OK! PHOTOS: EMPICS

Craig hits the decks

MUSIC

FILM

DARK WATERS A

THE MYTHOS SUITE STEPHEN FRY AND DEBBIE WISEMAN

riter, actor, comedian – Stephen Fry wears many hats. His latest is that of recording artist. But if you’re expecting him to belt out some show tunes, you’ll be disappointed. His ﬁrst album sees him team up with composer Debbie Wiseman OBE – who he previously worked with on 1997 ﬁlm Wilde – to narrate her original compositions. It’s based on his bestselling book Mythos, a modern retelling of Greek myths, and was recorded by the National Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. Stephen’s latest project will inspire fans of both classical music and literature. OUT NOW

BOOK LIBBY PAGE

hose who enjoyed the heartfelt words of bestselling author Libby Page in her 2018 debut novel The Lido will love her follow up. The 24-Hour Café introduces two best friends, Mona and Hannah, who spend their time wishing their waitressing days at Stella’s Café would come to an end so they can follow their showbiz ambitions. Set across a 12-hour shift for the girls, during which we get a glimpse into the lives of those they encounter on a daily basis, this is a quirky tale of powerful friendships, ﬂaws and fallouts. Get your tissues ready! OUT NOW

eartbreaking and infuriating is how Anne Hathaway has described her new ﬁlm, environmental legal drama Dark Waters. Inspired by true events, it tells the story of Robert Bilott (Mark Ruffalo), a corporate attorney who helps expose years of environmental contamination caused by a US chemical company called DuPont. Hathaway stars as Robert’s pregnant wife Sarah Bilott, who watches as her husband risks everything in his ﬁght against the corporation. A hard-hitting watch which Ruffalo also produced. OUT 28 FEBRUARY

REVIEWS BY EMILY WHITWAM, KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER, KIRSTY HATCHER

THE HOUR CAFE

PLUS M MORE UCH ANNOU TO BE NCED

AWARD-WINNING PUBS · LIVE MUSIC GREAT FOOD · MICHELIN-STARRED CHEFS

PUBINTHEPARKUK.COM * Festival line up varies in each location and is subject to change. Please see the website for full details.

BOOK

WORM

CLASH YOUR PRINTS OR TRY VINTAGE SHAPES FOR A LADYLIKE TAKE ON THE GEEK-CHIC TREND

Top £35 Topshop Trousers £129.95 Scotch & Soda Shoes £69 Topshop Hair clips £2 (set of four) Primark Glasses £45 Quay Australia Brooch £12.50 Marks & Spencer

PLUS PISTACHIO FEVER TROPICAL PALETTES AND BEAUTY MUST-HAVES WWW.OK.CO.UK 85

Dress £750 Rejina Pyo at Fenwick Headband £20 Accessorize Rings from £105 Alex Monroe

Top £185 Rixo Blazer £79 Topshop Skirt £119.95 Scotch & Soda Glasses £169 Viktor & Rolf at Specsavers Shoes £120 Dune WWW.OK.CO.UK 87

Jacket £350 and skirt £250 LK Bennett Hair clips £6 (for set of 4) Accessorize Earrings £12.50 Marks & Spencer Bag £24 Next

Top £29.50 M&S Collection Cardigan £29.99 and skirt £49.99 Zara Glasses £169 Viktor & Rolf at Specsavers

WWW.OK.CO.UK 89

Dress £845 Daks Glasses £45 Quay Australia 90

Dress £60 Monsoon Coat £79 Topshop Shoes £38 Next Scarf £4 Primark Bag £15.99 New Look

STYLING: LAUREN GOODWIN-GRAFTON ASSISTANT: PHOEBE DENMAN PHOTOS: CATHERINE HACK HAIR AND MAKE-UP: KATRIN REES USING CAUDALIE, CHARLOTTE TILBURY AND SAM MCKNIGHT ASSISTANT: AIMEE JOYCE MODEL: SARA SEMIC AT MILK MANAGEMENT SHOT ON LOCATION AT THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS HOTEL. A STUNNING FIVE-STAR HOTEL IN LONDON, THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS HOTEL IS STEEPED IN HISTORY AND QUALITY HAVING PLAYED HOST TO HISTORICAL ICONS INCLUDING CHURCHILL AND THE FIRST CHIEF OF BRITAIN’S SECRET INTELLIGENCE SERVICE. INSIDE YOU’LL FIND VICTORIAN GRANDEUR COMBINED WITH ELEGANT, FIRST-CLASS CONTEMPORARY COMFORT, WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE OF BIG BEN, THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT AND THE LONDON EYE. ROOMS START FROM £175 PER NIGHT. TO BOOK VISIT GUOMAN. COM/EN/LONDON/THE-ROYALHORSEGUARDS.HTML OR CALL 0800 330 8090

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PISTACHIO

FEVER

GO HEAD TO TOE IN THIS PERFECT SHADE OF GREEN

Bag £17.99 Mango

Trousers £20 Dorothy Perkins

Cardigan £65 & Other Stories

Jumpsuit £418 Apiece Apart at Matchesfashion. com

COMPILED BY SOPHIE GOODWIN; PHOTO: GETTY

Belt £39.50 Oliver Bonas

Shoes £19 Topshop Dress £17.99 Bershka

STYLEEDIT Jacket £25.99 Stradivarius

Jumper £59 Marks & Spencer

Top £10.99 New Look

Heels £435 Gucci at Net-aPorter Tibi WWW.OK.CO.UK 93

WITH OK! FASHION EDITOR LAUREN GOODWIN-GRAFTON

DENIM

DAYS

he environmental impact of denim is very high – owing to the production process – which is why we’re all ears when it comes to changing where and how we buy our jeans. Continuing its commitment to sustainability in fashion, Mango has created a 14-piece range made of sustainable cotton. Inspired by the 80s and 90s, the collection mixes retro touches, such as high waists, with different washes and new shapes. I’ve already got my eye on the A-line denim midi (right). So if, like us, you’re looking for a more conscious way to introduce denim into your transitional wardrobe, make Mango your go-to.

MAGICAL MULES Style inspiration

Wear with a structured shirt dress or turn up denims for a dreamy combo.

AVAILABLE AT SHOP.MANGO.COM AND IN STORES. PRICES FROM £19.99-£59.99

LITTLE TREASURES

f you love jewellery, I’ll let you in on a little secret – Liars & Lovers has some amazing catwalk-led styles at super affordable prices. I’ll be adding these pieces to my jewellery box pronto. All from Liars & Lovers

Earrings £12.50 Earrings £14.50

Necklace £16.50

Mules £89.99 Zara

h yes, Zara’s done it again with its latest droolworthy accessories drop. From the catwalk to the high street, padded mules are making a serious style statement for spring. Don’t be put off by the recent stormy weather. I suggest you buy these now and keep them on standby, as they are sure to sell out fast. All you have to do now is decide which colour is calling you...

REALLYWILD SHOW PUT ON A SHOW-STOPPING DISPLAY WITH THESE TOTALLY TROPICAL MAKE-UP PALETTES

1 NARS A erglow Eyeshadow Pale e £59 Turn up the heat with these lust-worthy colours. 2 Paul & Joe Face & Eye Colour CS in 120 Gallivanting £25 It seems P&J’s iconic kitty has taken a holiday to tropical climes with this kitsch compact. 3 L’Oréal Paris Eye Go Wild Eyeshadow Mega Pale e £14.99 Create endless looks with these 16 warm and wearable shades.

4 Chantecaille Hummingbird Eye Quartet: Cool £68 Shades inspired by the shimmering wings of the Amazon’s hummingbirds in a case you’ll want to keep forever. 5 Barry M Limited Edition Wildlife Pangolin Eyeshadow Pale e £7.99 Twenty per cent of the net proﬁts from sales of this palette are donated to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Foundation. WWW.OK.CO.UK 95

STYLING: LAURA MULLEY PHOTO: MEGAN BRAMLEY

BEAUTY EDITOR LAURA MULLEY SHARES THIS WEEK’S MUSTHAVES TRENDS AND TIPS

1 Golden girl

Statuesque, golden-hued and muchdesired – no, not an Academy Award, which she just missed out on, but one of the nominees, Charlize Theron. No stranger to rocking a crop on the red carpet, the Bombshell actress’s look this year was “beautiful, classical minimalism with clean lines and shiny, lustrous hair,” says her hairdresser, Adir Abergel. The secret behind that slick, elegant ‘do? Virtue Healing Oil, £40, which Adir applied to damp hair from roots to ends, before blow drying into a deep side parting. He ﬁnished the look with a hidden extra detail, only visible from behind: black thread tied into a half-moon shape at the nape of the neck.

The power of flowers

up 3 Spice your skin Whatever Victoria Beckham has, signer I want a piece of it – the designer d, the wardrobe, the dishy husband, wing bevvy of celeb pals, the glowing ds skin. Now I can get my hands on one of these things (no, not David, unfortunately) as she gradually expands her uber-h desirable beauty brand with the Cell Rejuvenating Powerr Serum, £180, a super-smart,, sor formula created with Professor Augustinus Bader.

Origins Pretty In Bloom Flower-Infused Long-Wear Foundation SPF 20, £18, contains a couple of unusual ingredients; the wax of 12 crushed ﬂowers, repurposed from the process of producing perfume, plus a dash of honey. The result is a lightweight, satiny smooth coverage in a range of 30 shades.

BUZZWORD BIONIQ THIS WEEK A NEW BESPOKE SUPPLEMENTS SERVICE

4 Blooming lovely

Think lavender is just for your gran? Think again, as Jo Malone London turns this aromatic ﬂower on its head with its new fragrance collection, Lavenderland, from £25. There are three colognes, combining English lavender with either wisteria, coriander or silver birch (my favourite), plus a dreamy pillow mist and room diffuser.

Colour clash

Sunglasses at the ready when opening the new Urban Decay Wired Eyeshadow Palette, £39. These 10 shades are seriously high impact. If, like me, the thought of covering your eyelids with a green as neon as Billie Eilish’s hair scares you a little, try applying just a thin line near the lash line, or mixing with the pale shade Glitch to create a pastel.

by which time a jar of granules had also arrived. Over the phone, the nutritionist talked me through my test results – they showed high levels of copper and zinc (nothing to worry about), low levels of iron (common in women and people who don’t eat much red meat) and ever-so slightly high cholesterol levels (sadly nothing a supplement can fix, and maybe hints at laying off the mid-afternoon biscuit binge). Bioniq comes as granules rather than tablets or capsules for optimum absorption and a slow release time. One scoop is to be taken twice a day – I found them tricky to get down at first as they don’t dissolve, but discovered that chugging them down in a small amount of water, followed by another big glass of water, water worked best for me. They can also be added to smoothies or cereal. One mon month and another blood test later, la my vitamin D and iron le levels now fall within the op optimal range. It’s always hard to distinguish a any noticeable effects from supplements, but I felt rea reassured that m body was my g getting exactly w what it needed in one go. At £ £250 a month I c couldn’t afford t continue this to r regularly, but it g gave me some i indication of w what specific v vitamins and m minerals I should c continue to take. SEE BIONIQ.COM SE

PHOTOS: GETTY

ith so many vitamins and minerals on the market it can be hard to know what you should be swallowing. Bioniq takes the guesswork out by whipping up your own personalised batch based on the results of a blood test. You can also view your results online, discuss them with a nutritionist and hopefully see areas of concern improve over time. My desk is usually overrun with tubs, bottles and blister packs, so I was looking forward to streamlining my daily routine to only what my body actually needs. The blood test was quick and easy (a certiﬁed phlebotomist will come to your home or workplace) and I could access the results about a week later,

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KICK YOUR MOBILE ADDICTION TO THE CURB MANY OF US ARE GLUED TO OUR PHONES AND YET FEEL LESS CONNECTED TO OTHERS THAN EVER HERE’S HOW TO BREAK THE ADDICTION

obile phones are often a lifeline, giving us fast access to emergency services, handy support groups and even online therapy. But a recent study found that 51 per cent of us believe we spend too much time on them and we all know how it feels to be ‘phubbed’ by a friend – when they ignore us in favour of ﬁddling with their mobile. Kendall Jenner relishes ditching her mobile while on holiday and Simon Cowell doesn’t even have one.

The addictive nature of the technology can also be dangerous. The number of road accidents caused by those distracted by their mobiles has risen over the years, despite it being illegal. Social media apps have also been linked to a rise in anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioural therapist at Ieso Digital Health, Joanne Adams, says, “With so many social media apps available, people are interacting on a more regular basis, but this can be

detrimental to our actual social lives. It’s easy for these apps to become a substitute for face-to-face interaction. We have a basic need for human contact. It gives us a feeling of connection and belonging that we can’t get through our screens.” Stephen Buckley, head of information at mental health charity Mind agrees that the effects of mobile usage are mixed. He tells us, “These devices come with beneﬁts and dangers for our mental health.

HEALTH&FITNESS

DECLUTTER YOUR HOME SCREEN Most of us mindlessly open apps on our home screens just because they’re visible when we pick up our phones. So make sure you only have your tools – eg Camera, Notes, Calendar – on your home page. Moving apps into separate folders means you’ll be less likely to be tempted to keep checking them.

SET MOBILE BANS

Try having phone-free time zones at home so, for example, no mobiles at the dinner table, in the bathroom or two hours before bed.

TURN OFF YOUR NOTIFICATIONS

Apps often generate ‘ding’s which encourage us to check our phones. Turn off these notiﬁcations in settings. Only keep these on for the apps where real people are trying to reach you, such as WhatsApp or Messenger. Accessing social media on our phones can help us connect with loved ones and feel less alone, particularly those who ﬁnd it hard to leave the house. But there are risks. Certain websites and social media can trigger negative feelings, so aim to take regular breaks from browsing the internet on your phone.” So how can you reduce screen time and enjoy your mobile in moderation?

USE A DIFFERENT ROOM

Charge your mobile in a different room overnight, so that it’s not the ﬁrst thing you check in the morning. Get a traditional alarm clock to wake you up instead.

CHANGE TO GREYSCALE

What helps many people to check their phone less is setting their mobiles to greyscale. It helps train our brain away from our mobiles as we don’t get a shiny reward from looking at the colourful icons on our home screens. OK! Some can’t resist checking their phone while at the wheel

WITH THANKS TO JOANNE ADAMS AT IESO DIGITAL HEALTH (IESOHEALTH. COM/EN-GB), AN ONLINE COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY TOOL, AND STEPHEN BUCKLEY AT MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY MIND (MIND.ORG.UK). WORDS: YASMINE GRIFFITHS PHOTOS: GETTY

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FLIPPING GREAT!

OK! SHARE A DELICIOUS FRUITY ALTERNATIVE TO THE TRADITIONAL PANCAKE RECIPES THIS SHROVE TUESDAY

Fluffy ricotta and cinnamon pancakes with griddled sweet apples and honey

SERVES INGREDIENTS

● 3 sweet apples ● 1 lemon (juiced) ● 250g plain ﬂour ● 1 tsp baking powder ● 2 tbsp cinnamon ● 4 eggs, separated ● 300g ricotta ● 190ml milk ● 100g plain/greek yoghurt ● 4-5 tbsp honey (to serve) ● 1 knob of butter

reat yourself with this sweet apple pancake recipe. Featuring the perfect ﬂavour combination of cinnamon and delicious griddled apple slices, this recipe is guaranteed to please this pancake day! 1. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Meanwhile, halve the apples and remove the cores. Cut into wedges and cover in lemon juice. Place in the griddle pan and cook until you have griddle marks and the apples soften slightly. 2. Sieve the ﬂour, baking powder and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add the

egg yolks and ricotta, and begin to stir while adding the milk. 3. Whisk the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the ricotta mix until fully combined. 4. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium/high heat and add a knob of butter. Ladle some of the mix into the pan and cook until golden brown on one side and ﬂip. 5. Serve with the griddled apples, yogurt and honey. OK! FOR MORE RECIPES PLEASE VISIT PINKLADYAPPLES.CO.UK.

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WHY GO THERE

While the UK skies may still be grey and gloomy, Jamaica boasts balmy weather all year round. With inviting turquoise waters, the majestic Blue Mountains and lush tropical land blanketed with sugar and banana plantations, the Caribbean’s third largest island caters for all types of holidaymakers – from families and ecowarriors to lovebirds. Montego Bay, where the cruise liners dock, is home to lots of big beachfront hotels while Negril, on the westernmost tip, is famous for its glorious Seven Mile Beach and low-key vibe. James Bond author Ian Fleming owned a large estate in Jamaica called GoldenEye and the island’s spectacular natural scenery took a staring role in two Bond movies, Dr No and Live And Let Die. Scenes in upcoming movie No Time To Die, released in April, have also been ﬁlmed on the island, so if it’s good enough for Daniel Craig and his swimming trunks it’s good enough for OK!…

WHERE TO STAY

Excellence Oyster Bay 102

TUI Holidays has 34 hotels in Jamaica, so there are plenty to choose from. OK! checked in to the adults-only Excellence Oyster Bay near Montego Bay, which certainly lives up to its name. It sits on its own private, palm lined-peninsula, and guests staying at the 315-suite hotel can enjoy all-inclusive luxury with three pools, including an inﬁnity rooftop pool, four hot tubs, eight restaurants, on-site entertainment and a spa. Families will love the all-inclusive Royalton Negril Resort, which also features an adults-only area called The Hideaway. From the sandy beach, guests can hop on boat trips to snorkel on the offshore reef called Booby Cay, while kids will love the watery thrills and spills of the 407-room hotel’s new splash park (above). Parents can also enjoy a pampering massage in the spa while the children are entertained at one of the kids’ clubs. Both hotels offer a wealth of activities from kayaking, paddle boarding and beach volleyball to cooking and yoga classes.

JAMAICA

ON LOCATION ITS STUNNING SCENERY MAKES THIS ISLAND A CELLULOID STAR

The Blue Lagoon at Port Antonio

WHERE TO DINE AND BE SEEN

OK! highly recommends signing up for the TUI excursion to Frenchman’s Cove (below), viewed as one of the island’s prettiest beaches. Scenes from Lord Of The Flies and Knight And Day were ﬁlmed there and it’s now part of an exclusive all-villa resort. At the beach buffet lunch we tried local delicacies such as jerk chicken and grilled salt ﬁsh, washed down with an ice-cold Red Stripe beer. One restaurant you shouldn’t miss at the Royalton Negril is the Hunter Steakhouse. It has exposed brickwork, cow-themed decor and an open kitchen where you can see the chefs at work. Over at the Excellence Oyster Bay, one of OK!’s favourite places to dine was The Lobster House, not just for its delicious prawn linguine but also for its lovely sea views. End the evening with a cocktail or two at Martini in the main lobby, shaken not stirred in true 007-style!

MUST-DO ACTIVITIES

One of the island’s most visited natural treasures is Port Antonio’s Blue Lagoon. The glistening waters change colour throughout the day and contrast vividly with the lush greenery. As the home of celebrated reggae star Bob Marley, it’s no surprise that Jamaica is renowned for its pulsating music scene. Head to Negril’s Seven Mile Beach to soak up the rays and listen to the reggae beats playing in the beach bars. If you’re keen to let your hair down, Negril’s clifftop Rick’s Cafe is the answer. You can enjoy live music and potent rum cocktails as the sun sinks into the ocean. We were amazed by the adrenaline junkies who jumped 85 feet from the cliffs into the water below. If you head into the tropical forested island interior, try bamboo rafting on the Martha Brae River. It’s not only popular with tourists, local sports superstar Usain Bolt has been seen there, too. OK! REPORT: KAT ROMERO EDITED BY: ANNABEL MACKIE PHOTOS: LEE CHARLTON, EXCELLENCE GROUP LUXURY HOTELS, GETTY, TUI

HOW TO BOOK

TUI OFFERS A SEVEN-NIGHT PACKAGE INCLUDING FLIGHTS FROM LONDON GATWICK TO JAMAICA AND HOTEL TRANSFERS, STAYING AT THE LUXURY ROYALTON NEGRIL RESORT & SPA ON AN ALL-INCLUSIVE BASIS FROM £1,126PP WHEN BOOKED ONLINE. PRICE IS BASED ON TWO ADULTS SHARING WITH DEPARTURE ON 15/06/2020. TUI OFFERS A SEVEN-NIGHT PACKAGE INCLUDING FLIGHTS FROM LONDON GATWICK TO JAMAICA AND HOTEL TRANSFERS, STAYING AT THE LUXURY EXCELLENCE OYSTER BAY ON AN ALL-INCLUSIVE BASIS FROM £1,993PP WHEN BOOKED ONLINE. PRICE IS BASED ON TWO ADULTS SHARING WITH DEPARTURE ON 1/06/2020. TUI ALSO OFFERS PACKAGES TO THESE RESORTS FROM OTHER AIRPORTS SUCH AS MANCHESTER. FOR MORE INFO GO TO TUI.CO.UK AND VISITJAMAICA.COM.

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HOTSPOT

EDITED BY ANNABEL.ZAMMIT@REACHPLC.COM

STK LONDON Located within the ME Hotel on the Strand, STK isn’t your average steakhouse. Decked out with cherry blossom, a sparkling chandelier and chic lounge-style seating, the restaurant feels like a glamorous Ibiza nightspot. With music playing all night long and a DJ taking to the decks at 10pm, the term “good vibes only” comes to mind. And when combined with the delicious food, this makes it the perfect place to enjoy dinner before a night out or a visit to the hotel’s rooftop bar.

WHY DO WE LOVE IT?

As the name suggests, the restaurant knows its steak and has everything from a delicate cut of Australian wagyu to a 900g Black Angus Tomahawk. After checking out the menu, we couldn’t wait to tuck in and began our night with the Lil’ Brgs. They’re one of the restaurant’s most popular y g them,, it wasn’t hard dishes and after trying

to see why. Arriving on a wooden platter, we were treated to two delicious mini beef burgers with truffled sauce in a sesame seed bun. OK! opted for the fillet steak for our main,, which was perfectly cooked to our liking and topped with a grilled portobello mushroom and served with a béarnaise sauce. The selection of sides at STK are to die for and we would have tried them all if we had room! We chose the creamed spinach and French fries, which were dripping with parmesan and truffle, and completely mouthwatering. We ended our meal with the STK Ice – three petite ice cream cones that had us feeling like it could be summer – all washed down with a pink G&T cocktail.

WHO GOES?

The restaurant was recently the setting for the engagement of Dancing On Ice stars Kevin Kilbane and Brianne Delcourt. Former footballer Kevin roped in a waiter to surprise Canadian skater Brianne with a dazzling diamond ring at their table just the night before our visit. Other fans include singers Nicola Roberts and Louise Redknapp, while Binky Felstead and Louise and Sam Thompson have all dined there, along with former The Hills star Stephanie Pratt.

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WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE?

If you’re continuing your health kick from January, STK kicked off 2020 with a brand new menu with healthier options. One of the new starters that OK! loved was the roasted cauliﬂower, which melted in the mouth and came with celeriac cream, sweet red endive, trufﬂe and toasted hazelnuts. And London isn’t the only place you can experience STK, as the steakhouse also has venues around the world in locations such as San Diego, Las Vegas, New York, Orlando, Milan, Doha, Dubai and Toronto. OK!

REPORT BY KIRSTY HATCHER. PHOTOS: LOIC SALAN

WHY GO?

HOROSCOPES

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OUR ASTROLOGER TELLS YOU ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR WEEK AHEAD!

Editor In Chief: Shari Nementzik Phone: +61 421 396 225 SNementzik@bauer-media.com.au

BULGARIA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Nevena Dyakova Phone: +359 2 870 49 81 n.dyakova@atticaeva.bg

CHINA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Ivy Li Phone: +86 158 1066 1764 litiantian@okmagazine.com.cn

CYPRUS EDITION

Editorial Director: Marilena Ierodiakonou Telephone: +357 22 580 800 marilenai@sigmatv.com

GEORGIA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Nino Jibladze Phone: +995 32 2295919 info@okmagazine.ge

GERMANY EDITION

Editor In Chief: Tim Affeld Telephone: +49 4041 1882 5000 tim.affeld@klamt.de

GREECE EDITION

Editor In Chief: Nikos Georgiadis Phone: +30 210 25 94.031 ngeorgiadis@daphne.gr

JAPAN EDITION

Editor In Chief: Kana Sugamori Phone: +81 3 6802 8048 kanas@bk.iij4u.or.jp

LATVIA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Laila Pastare Phone: +371 674 960 47 laila.pastare@rigasvilni.lv

PAKISTAN EDITION

Editorial Director: Saher H Paracha saherparacha@okmagazine.com.pk Phone: +92 358 437 03

ROMANIA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Elena Stoichita Phone: +40 727 165 712 elena.stoichita@adevarulholding.ro

RUSSIA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Vadim Vernik Phone: +7 980 5252 1254 vadim.vernik@axelspringer.ru

THAILAND EDITION

Editor In Chief: Weerawut Ujjutamanus Phone: +66 2204 2740 5 weerawut@mediatransasia.com

UK EDITION

Editor: Charlotte Seligman Phone: 020 8612 7410 charlotte.seligman@reachplc.com

USA EDITION

Editor In Chief: Richard Spencer Phone: +1 212 672 3991 richard.spencer@okmagazine.com

VENEZUELA EDITION

Associate Director: Alejandro Gutiérrez Tremola Phone +58 212 406 4436 okvenezuela@dearmas.com

HEAD OF OK! WORLDWIDE

ARIES

MARCH 21 – APRIL 20 Interviews and business meetings will bring you beneﬁts. Extra duties will hardly seem an effort when you are enjoying yourself so much. In addition to this, a work assignment will provide an outlet for your natural talents. STARLINE **

CANCER JUNE 22 – JULY 23

Something’s upset you but instead of opening up and talking about emotions, you are suffering in silence. You can’t bottle up all your feelings when they are so powerful. For the sake of your health, it’s time to have a heart to heart.

STARLINE **

LIBRA

SEPTEMBER 24 – OCTOBER 23 People have plenty to say about ongoing concerns but group discussions are getting you nowhere. You’re tired of all the talking and you want to take action. Other folk can continue thinking about it if that’s what they really want.

STARLINE **

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 21

Someone you work with is starting to get on your nerves. You’re tired of giving answers only to have them repeat the same questions. It may be that they’re nervous about making mistakes and you are judging them too harshly.

STARLINE **

AQUARIUS JANUARY 21 – FEBRUARY 19

A chance to help someone or a group less fortunate than you will arrive quite suddenly. Working for a charity will give you a new lease of life. This is a way to do something valuable for the most vulnerable people in your community.

STARLINE

TAURUS APRIL 21 – MAY 21

Arrangements which you and a partner are making are ﬁlling you with excitement – and with good reason. Finding new ways to meet each other’s needs will be fun. Spend time together in a relaxing hideaway where you can let down your defences. STARLINE **

LEO

JULY 24 – AUGUST 23 Partnership issues that have caused you tension will soon be resolved. A long-term relationship goal will take a step closer to becoming reality. Even so, you know you have a long way to go before you feel totally conﬁdent and secure.

STARLINE **

GEMINI MAY 22 – JUNE 21

You might want to talk to someone before making an important decision. A friend will give you some excellent advice and you will see the wisdom of their words. By the end of the week you will feel more certain about longterm plans.

STARLINE **

VIRGO

AUGUST 24 – SEPTEMBER 23 Discussions are harmonious and this will help to strengthen the bonds between family, friends and colleagues. You will be more sensitive to other people’s needs and it will be the workplace where this is appreciated most.

STARLINE **

SCORPIO

OCTOBER 24 – NOVEMBER 22 There is someone you’ve been hoping to impress for ages and their encouragement will be the inspiration you need to be a success. Confusion about arrangements will prove frustrating towards the end of the week.

STARLINE **

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22 – JANUARY 20

Problems in a close relationship are starting to overwhelm you. If you need advice from an older friend or relative, listen to your instincts. You aren’t being disloyal to a partner by discussing your worries with someone you can trust.

STARLINE **

PISCES

FEBRUARY 20 – MARCH 20 A critical colleague is doing their best to undermine your conﬁdence. Refuse to rise to the bait. Ignore their comments and surround yourself with people who rate your creativity. You have the skills and knowledge to go far – believe in yourself.

STARLINE **

Emma Radford emma.radford@reachplc.com

LICENSING MANAGER Julia Taylor julia.taylor@reachplc.com

HEAD OF UK CIRCULATION Paul Goddard paul.goddard@reachplc.com

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AUSTRALIA EDITION

VINTAGE SOAP STAR CHRIS BISSON AND GIRLFRIEND ROWENA FINN TELL OK! HOW THEY GOT TOGETHER ISSUE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH

e was a guest at Emmerdale co-star Liam Foxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding to actress Jo Hudson and the romantic day may have given Chris Bisson ideas for his own nuptials to girlfriend Rowena Finn. The couple have been together for 14 years â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and engaged for almost four of those. Chris and Rowena have also expanded their family in recent years, welcoming children Harry, seven, and four-year-old Ella Rose. Their romance began after a chance meeting in Marbella. Rowena later admitted at an exclusive shoot with OK! back in 2011, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I knew I liked him when he asked me to put sunscreen on his back and I got really nervous!â&#x20AC;? She added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to get married one day, and I love being around children.â&#x20AC;? Chris said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We lead really busy lives, but family is important to both of us so we would like to get there at some point soon.â&#x20AC;? Chris has been playing Jai Sharma in Emmerdale for 10 years

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and was previously in Coronation Street as Vikram Desai for three years. But despite this, the couple admitted his more intimate scenes werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always easy to navigate. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the past, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve told her when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had kissing scenes, but that would stay with her for the rest of the day, so now I tend not to say unless asked,â&#x20AC;? said Chris. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those scenes are difďŹ cult for me to shoot and for Rowena to watch.â&#x20AC;? While Chris, who is of Indian, Trinidadian and British descent, is proud of bringing diversity to the screen in our best-loved soaps, he has said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to show people as people and not deďŹ ne them by their skin colour because it affects what happens in the playground.â&#x20AC;? OK!

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Chris and Rowena in our exclusive photo shoot

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