‘Thanks for the advice, Mum’ By Christine Smith tepping into the shoes of Roy Walker to host the return of Catchphrase was never going to be easy. The original quiz show turned Roy into a household name and the phrase ‘Say What You See’ into a catchphrase in its own right. But if, like more than five million other viewers, you’ve been enjoying the brand-new version on Sunday evenings you’ll agree that new host Stephen Mulhern (36), has made the programme his own. It is the perfect family quiz show – even little ones can enjoy guessing the cartoon clues. So was Stephen nervous about taking it on? “My ultimate ambition was to do a family show and so it really has been a dream come true to be hosting Catchphrase. It is a programme I grew up watching and when ITV approached me, it was a no brainer really,” smiles Stephen. “Everyone can play the game. The original show ran for 16 years and it was so exciting to be asked. We’ve not messed about
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Catchphrase’s Stephen Mulhern on family, working hard and his favourite Britain’s Got Talent judge (it’s not Simon!) with it – the format is the same just brought up-to-date and with three contestants instead of two. I also have my own catchphrase ‘The clue is on the screen. But what does it mean?’ ” This looks to be Stephen’s year, as he is also currently hosting Saturday night’s Britain’s Got More Talent, on ITV2, straight after the main show on ITV1. But when we asked him about his ambitions, we discovered that his values have more in common with his time as a Butlins Redcoat than
‘The best advice my mum has ever given me was to be nice, keep my head down and do what I do best’
With BGT’s Alesha Dixon, Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden and right, his favourite EVERY FORTNIGHT judge, David Walliams
anything else. “Working hard has made me the person I am today,” he says firmly. “I think that when you work hard, things come to fruition and I stick by that. There are so many people out there now on reality TV shows who are being given a job just because they have won Big Brother or the X Factor. But if they are not careful they will get swallowed up and lose momentum. “Sir David Jason is one of my heroes. I remember him being interviewed by Michael Parkinson who told him: ‘you really are lucky that you have got the roles aren’t you?’ and Sir David’s response was: ‘it’s really bizarre, the harder I work, the luckier I get.’ “That comment has stayed with me and I think it’s true.” And away from showbiz, who does Stephen look up to? “My parents have been hugely influential in my life. They are so supportive and the best advice my mum has ever given me was to be nice, keep my head down and do what I do best. I have always tried to do that.” Stephen first came to fame himself as a young magician – he was taught by his father and it eventually got him a slot on the Royal Variety Show in 1997. “Appearing on the Royal Variety Show was a life changing moment for me. It’s what every
y star chat y Play our Catchphrase Mastermind…
B Who were the two less well-known presenters who took over after Roy? B What was Roy’s other well-known phrase from the show?
entertainer dreams of. I can remember I was extremely nervous as the curtain was just about to open and I was going to perform in front of the Queen! But I just had to get on and do it and I am so glad I did. It was incredible.” Was that more scary than working with Simon Cowell, we wondered? “Again, if you work hard, then you are fine. If you don’t, then it’s tough. I do like Simon so much – but he is the boss. I’m in talks with him about a new project he’s working on,” reveals Stephen. “I can’t say anything more. But,” he confesses, “my favourite judge is David Walliams. David is the one I have the best laugh with and he is just outrageous. Full stop. “Britain’s Got Talent (BGT) is brilliant this year. That’s because of the variety of impersonators, comedians and magicians appearing on the programme, rather than everyone being singers. There are a lot more speciality acts. Everyone is on a high, especially Simon who’s over the moon. It’s like the first year again. “Outside of work, I love playing the piano. I live opposite the sea and so it’s lovely to sit down in front of the piano and look out at it. My most treasured possession is my grand piano. At the moment I am happy just taking each day as it comes. And I am having such a great time.” B Catchphrase is on Sundays on ITV1 and Britain’s Got More Talent is on Saturdays on ITV2. YOURS
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Answers: 1. Nick Weir and Mark Curry 2. ‘It’s good, but it’s not right’
Original host Roy Walker with his cartoon chum, Mr Chips
Wonder
WOMEN
‘My leap of faith for for my son’
How Sandra Harper overcame one of her greatest fears to help keep her dear son’s memory alive By Angela Court er eyes still fill with tears when she talks about the day her son Dan was diagnosed with a brain tumour aged just 25. “I’ll never forget that day, or hearing the diagnosis,” says Sandra Harper. “Dan had been having partial seizures and saying that he had weird feelings in his head. His GP referred him to a neurologist, and a CT scan showed a brain tumour. The tumour was grade 2, and benign. It was wrapped around a cerebral artery, so surgery would have proved dangerous. But because it couldn’t be removed we knew
H Sandra in action at the world famous race course where her son was married
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❙ real life ❙ ‘We wanted Dan to be remembered, and knew we had to make his life count for something by helping others’ hospice gave her son, inspired Sandra (65) to start fundraising for them. And it was a way of keeping Dan’s memory alive. At his funeral she asked for donations for the hospice rather than flowers, set up a website – using his nickname Spanners – and along with family and friends organised sporting events and sponsored walks in aid of the hospice. “We wanted Dan to be remembered, and knew we had to make his life count for something by helping others,” she says. To date, Sandra and her supporters have raised thousands of pounds, but recently she faced her biggest fundraising challenge yet after agreeing to take part in a sponsored abseil. It involved participants descending 90ft from the roof of Epsom Grandstand, and just thinking about it filled Sandra with fear. “I’m petrified of heights, so to know that I would be abseiling from the roof of a grandstand was terrifying,” says Sandra. “But Dan and his wife Sue, got married at Epsom Racecourse in 1999, so the venue has special meaning to my family. I decided it was time to conquer my fear of heights, and go for it. One night during the week leading up to the event I couldn’t sleep because I was worrying about abseiling so I got up and went into my office. My computer suddenly lit up, and photos of Dan – my screensaver – appeared.
I got the feeling he was saying, ‘Don’t worry Mum, you’ll be alright,’ which helped me to feel more confident.” Sandra admits that stepping off the building was the scariest moment of her life, but she knew there was no going back. “I thought about Dan, and the strength and courage he had displayed throughout his illness. Telling myself that compared to what he endured this was nothing, spurred me on and once I started I felt fine. However, I’ve never felt so relieved to feel the ground beneath my feet once I was down. I’m really glad I did it. The event was about Dan, and I also raised more than £1,200 for the hospice. “I will keep fund raising. I think Dan would have wanted me to do this and he would be proud of me, but not as proud as I am of him. He was the most wonderful son who I will love and miss until the end of my days. You don’t expect your child to die before you, and some days it still seems unreal that Dan isn’t here. All I can do now is make sure his memory lives on. Above all else, that’s what I intend to do.”
Help the hospice Princess Alice Hospice is a charity providing all patient care and support free of charge. They give outstanding palliative and end-of-life care to adult patients and support to their families and friends across a large part of Surrey, south west London and Middlesex but rely on donations for a large part of the costs. ✢ To find out more about fundraising call 01372 461869 or visit www.pah.org.uk www.facebook.com/pahospice ✢ For more information about raising money in memory of Dan visit www.spanners.muchloved.com YOURS
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that the tumour would, in time, become malignant. Dan asked the neurosurgeon, ‘Will I make three score and 10?’ to which he replied, ‘no you won’t live as long as that.’” At that point in 2003, Sandra, a former nurse, knew that the worst was yet to come. Her medical background meant that she was well informed, while further research confirmed her fears. “I didn’t tell Dan most of what I knew,” she says. “But I was aware that the minimum time he had left was seven years. You can’t prepare yourself for losing your son. Dan was my only child and we’d always been close. I’d raised him as a single parent until I met my husband Del, when Dan was 15. We looked out for one another and shared a special bond. Knowing that I was going to lose him seemed unreal.” During the next seven years Dan put up a brave fight, but the tumour grew, and he began having problems walking and his speech was muddled. Sandra explains: “By the summer of 2010 Dan’s life was becoming awful, and I hated seeing him suffer. I remember a conversation where he said, ‘I’m not afraid of dying, but I’m frightened of being disabled.’ That was a real fear for him, but he never stopped laughing and joking. “Soon after that he was admitted to hospital following a seizure. We were told he only had a couple of days to live, and I arranged for him to be transferred to the Princess Alice Hospice in Esher, where he died three weeks later, aged 32. Losing Dan was the worst experience of my life. I will never get over it.” But seeing the loving care the
Style
Lip plumpers notes
ON TEST They promise to plump and smooth fine lines for younger looking lips, but do lip-plumping products live up to the hype? Our beauty testers took the challenge By Beauty editor Michelle Nightingale
The Yours Beauty Ambassadors
Diana O’Neill, 56, Sutton Coldfield
Linda Sherwood, 61, Chatham
Barbara Hinde, 62, Sheffield
Maureen tested…
Jane Woodage, Maureen Calvey, 61, 56, West Romford Yorkshire
TESTER
Plump & Shine – £19.95/8ml FAVOURITE The claim: Gently boosts lip volume, smoothes and firms with a light wash of colour. Maureen’s verdict: This was lovely to apply and very gentle on the lips. I liked the tingling sensation and it wasn’t at all uncomfortable. It left my lips really moisturised and smooth and although I didn’t notice any instant results after a few days use I could see my lip skin texture had improved. It’s a very glossy gloss, so you couldn’t apply lipstick over the top, but it looked good without it so this wasn’t a problem. Left my lips feeling and looking good, so perhaps a luxury treat. Value: It’s a little pricey for me – there are cheaper plumpers on the market.
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Linda tested… Champneys Spa Facial Plumping Lip Gloss – £8/4ml The claim: Moisturising gloss with hyaluronic filling spheres which help to plump lips. Linda’s verdict: It smelt lovely and felt pleasant on my lips. The plumping sensation was very subtle and I didn’t experience any of the ‘tingling or warm feeling’ that was mentioned on the instructions. After several applications my lips did look slightly plumped and they were certainly smoother. Very comfortable to wear and leaves lips looking slightly fuller, but it didn’t say whether I could use with my normal lipstick. Value: Quite good value for money as it’s very conditioning.
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7 STEPS TO FULLER LIPS 1 Exfoliate your lips by gently massaging in a nourishing lip balm using a soft toothbrush. 2 Wipe away any excess before dusting over a translucent powder to create an oil-free base.
3 Line your lips with a lip liner slightly outside your natural lip line. 4 Fill in your lips using your lip pencil and then apply your lipstick over the top. Blend well. 5 For extra staying power, blot your lips, then apply another coat of lipstick.
6 Add a dab of gloss to the centre of your lips for a youthful pout. 7 Finish by adding a small amount of highlighter on the top edge (right) to make your top lip look fuller.
Stockists: Champneys available in Boots nationwide 0845 609 0055; Palladio available from Beauty Naturals 0845 094 0400 www.beautynaturals.com; Plump & Shine 0845 130 2051 www.eternalcosmeceuticals.com; Soap & Glory available from Boots; Transformulas www.transformulas.com.
Barbara tested…
NATURAL Palladio Plump ‘n’ Shine Lip Gloss, CHOICE £7.50/5.5ml The claim: Packed full of natural ingredients including stimulating tripeptide and nourishing oils to reduce lines, hydrate and protect. Barbara’s verdict: There weren’t a lot of instructions to go with this product, but it was easy to apply and had a nice creamy consistency. It does leave a tingling sensation, which is a bit strange. The gloss is tinted and gave a light wash of colour with a hint of sparkle. It left my lips feeling nourished but I can’t say I saw any improvements to my lip lines. You couldn’t use with lipstick. I’d prefer a lipstick. Value: It’s a good price and my lips were left in good condition.
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Diana tested…
Soap & Glory Super-Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Plumping Lip Gloss, £9/7ml The claim: Contains plumping microspheres and stimulating extracts to enhance volume. Jane’s verdict: Initially I felt a tingling sensation that I found quite unpleasant and lasted around 20 minutes. My bottom lip plumped slightly, but I was expecting better results as the claims made it sound so promising. I couldn’t apply my lipstick over the top as it was too glossy and didn’t dry. I tried two different shades, but both wore off after 20 minutes and afterwards my lips felt quite dry. Might be better suited to younger lips. I wouldn’t buy it – it was quite drying. Value: The price is good.
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Now visit www.yours.co.uk for more beauty tips and advice
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BEAUTY EDITOR LOVES!
Transformulas Lip Volume, £29.95/10ml The claim: A best-selling lip booster containing a cocktail of ingredients that promise to plump your lips by up to 40 per cent. Diana’s verdict: This product glides on easily without feeling greasy. It gives a slight tingling sensation, which I liked; it felt like it was doing something. It gave my lips a lovely sheen and looked natural it. My lips did look fuller, but only while wearing it. It left my lips feeling soft but sadly my lip lines don’t look much different. Only plumped while I Fancy was using it, but a nice effect. being a Yours Value: I’d only buy if on offer. Beauty Ambassador? Turn to Meeting Place Next issue: Simple summer page 27 to find make-up tips to help you glow out more
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Jane tested…
A TRIMMER If it’s taking longer than you’d like to shift those remaining pesky pounds, cheat yourself thin with these slimming looks – no diet required! By Fashion Editor, Michelle Nightingale
STRIPES SLIM YOU DOWN!
PHOTOGRAPHY RUTH JENKINSON; STYLIST JO WINCH; HAIR AND MAKE-UP ANNA THOMPSON
✢ Peplum tops are perfect for hiding a troublesome tummy and look great paired with slimfitting trousers or jeans. This pair has a power mesh insert to smooth and slim. Peplum top, £39.50, 8-22, Marks & Spencer; confident curve jeans, £32,10-28, Isme; shoes, £25, 3-8, Bhs; necklace, £16, Isme
✢ Stripes can be slimming and a stripey fitted blazer is a winning combination. The vertical stripes on this jacket help to elongate the figure and the fitted style helps to create a waist. Perfect with a simple skirt or smart, black straightleg trousers. Stripe jacket, £45, 8-20, M&Co; top, £19.50, 10-20, Marks & Spencer; pencil skirt, £69, 8-18, Phase Eight
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✢ An A-line shirt dress is super flattering and not only shows off your waist, but also hides a wobbly tummy, wide hips and a not-soperfect bum. Navy is a softer choice than black, while still being ultra slimming. Navy belted shirt dress, £45, 8-22 and wedge shoes, £19.50, 3-8, both Marks & Spencer
Good to KNOW... 3
7 ways to get
CLOSER to
We’re an animal-loving nation yet for many, keeping a pet just isn’t possible. Try our ideas for days out to get closer to all things feathered or furry By Lizzy Dening
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NATURE
1Seal the deal
Seals are one of the UK’s most charismatic mammals, and there are plenty of stretches of coastline where you can watch them. At the National Trust’s Blakeney Point, you should spot both our native species: common and grey seals. Take a boat from
Morston Quay (Beans Boats are our pick of the best) over the summer season (April-October) and look out for the colony hauled up on the sand as you approach. You’ll be allowed time to wander the strip in search of wading birds, too. ✢ Call 01263 740241 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ blakeney and www.beansboattrips.co.uk
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IN THE
Spotlight
Are we ever too old for
LONG HAIR?
Tradition tells us to opt for the chop, but older celebs are proving long locks can still look great... By Laura Bradder hen TV presenter Davina McCall (45) said recently that her gran regularly tells her to cut her hair as “you’re not supposed to have long hair after 30”, it got us thinking. Convention states that, once past a certain age, it’s time to ditch the flowing tresses of your youth and crop your hair into a more ‘age-appropriate’ style. But with fashion and beauty experts saying we’re all looking younger for longer and embracing everything from bikinis and jeans to dyed hair and experimental make-up, is this a rule we still need to follow? Karine Jackson, former London Hairdresser of the Year, doesn’t think so. “It’s more a question of what suits the individual than of what suits their age,” she says. “The key to great looking long hair is health, and it’s more difficult to keep hair looking healthy as we age as, just like skin, it loses elasticity. That’s why people often opt for short styles.” As well as being easier to keep looking nourished, shorter hair can help frame an older face. Karine says: “Shorter hair can emphasise your features, such as eyes and cheekbones, and make them look younger. If your features start to sag as you age, long hair can accentuate that feeling!” Of course, there are older celebrity role models that look great with short hair, such as Judi
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Terrific tresses: Jane Seymour, Jerry Hall (above) and Carol Vorderman (right)
Dench and Helen Mirren. But what about Jane Seymour, Jerry Hall and the ever-youthful Carol Vorderman? Their shiny manes are an inspiration! Karine agrees: “People are definitely starting to buck the tradition that long hair is best on under 40s as we’re looking younger for longer. We have better product technology at our fingertips to help maintain whatever style we choose.” Yours Fashion and Beauty Editor Michelle Nightingale says: “There’s no reason why you can’t hold onto your crowning glory past 40 but layers and sweeping fringes are more flattering than poker straight styles and will naturally help add volume.” Whether our hair is straight or curly, we can rock it either way – and that’s the long and short of it! ✢ What do you think? Write to the address on p3 to let us know. ✢ For Karine’s salon call 0207 836 0300.
Follow Karine’s top five tips for healthy looking hair, whatever your age and style: become oily. Use a clarifying shampoo Suit the style to your needs. Try to keep the scalp fresh, and don’t have a fringe to cover any wrinkles the water too hot when washing. appearing on the forehead, or choose The ends of your hair weaken layers rather than one-length locks if you’re lacking volume. with age, so have regular trims to Hair becomes coarser as we age. prevent them snapping. Try using a Check your shampoo doesn’t serum to seal the ends and add shine. Skin tone changes as we get older, contain salt, as this can be drying; so it’s important to soften the depth moisturise with a weekly hair mask. If your body temperature is rising if you colour your hair. Don’t stay too with age, it can cause your hair to dark – it can really age you.
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