❙ get ready to rumba ❙
TALKING
STRICTLY
The inside information every Strictly Come Dancing fan needs to know By Laura Bradder ith the tenth series of our favourite TV talent show just around the corner, the rumour mill is spinning as to who will be taking their place on the dance floor this year. And it looks likely that we’ll have great representatives for older women once again, as presenter Fern Britton and BBC newsreader Sian Williams are said to have signed up. Both Fern and Sian have stepped into the Strictly spotlight before: Fern appeared in the 2010 Christmas special, while Sian danced for Children in Need in November last year. Neither of them won (Fern was beaten by John Barrowman, and Sian by fellow newsreader Susanna Reid), but it seems that hasn’t put them off donning the Lycra once more. Fern (55) has made no secret
W Fern with dance partner Matthew Cutler in the 2010 Christmas special
The stars you’d like to see take to the Strictly dance floor Here are some readers’ thoughts on who could put the sparkle into series ten… “I’d love to see Michael Portillo taking part in Strictly. He has been such a surprise discovery as a TV presenter, and I think he could be the same on the dance floor. On the female side, I’d love Denise van Outen – she’s so talented. I hope my wishes come true!” – Joan Berry, via email 14
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of her love for Strictly, but has been ruled out in the past as the show coincides with a longdistance charity bike ride she takes part in (Cambodia and China being amongst her recent destinations). She told Yours last year: “I love Strictly and I loved doing the Christmas special.” This year, though, Fern has no biking challenge planned – a sign, perhaps, that the lure of Strictly has proved too hard to turn down. Meanwhile popular BBC newscaster Sian, who’ll be hosting Olympic Breakfast TV specials over the coming weeks, could make headlines of her own stepping out on the dance floor. The 47-year-old is in great shape, and could be a real dark horse in the competition. But with newsreaders not having the greatest success over the past few years (remember Fiona Phillips, anyone?) she’ll need a good professional dancer to lead
“Is it too much to hope for Hugh Jackman, Gerard Butler, Sean Bean and Matt Damon? I can just picture Hugh in one of those fetching slashed-to-the-navel shirts and a pair of very tight trousers. I bet Craig RevelHorwood wouldn’t mind seeing that too!” – Tracy Davidson, Stratfordupon-Avon, Warwickshire
Denise, Miranda and Hugh would all make great entertainment
“Surely Miranda Hart is the perfect choice for this year’s Strictly? She
BBC presenter Sian could make headlines herself on the dance floor Soap stars are a must in the Strictly line-up, and this year we look set to have an Eastenders representative in the form of either Charlie Brooks or Sid Owen (Janine and Ricky Butcher). Coronation Street producers are said to have put their foot down over Michelle Keegan (Tina) heading to their rival station, though, and offered her a big money deal to turn Strictly down. Add into the mix bad boy snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan, Winter Olympics medallist Amy Williams and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne, and it looks as though we’re set for yet another vintage year on the dance floor. BRING ON THE SEQUINS!
captured our hearts in Call the Midwife, and I’m sure she’d have the nation’s support no matter what her dance moves were like. I’d love to see her put the judges in their place with her one-liners too!” – Molly Simpson, Northallerton, Yorkshire “I’d like to see Julie Goodyear, Janet Street-Porter and Graham Norton on this year’s Strictly – what a fantastic mix! And if the rumours that Brucie’s wife wants to
DID YOU KNOW?
✤ Brendan Cole is to become a dad! Yes, our favouritedance floor bad boy is set to settle down to family life. He took to social networking site Twitter to make the announcement, posting a photograph of his wife Zoe Hobbs with the message: “If you think it looks like she might be glowing then you’re right, she is!” The couple, who have been married for two years, haven’t said when their first child is due, but it’s possible that it could be during the Strictly series. ✤ Claudia Winkleman may not be back. Despite being a hit alongside Tess Daly on last year’s results show, and her previous stints on the spin-off It Takes Two, Claudia is reported as saying that she hasn’t yet received the call to take part in this series. She says she’d love to do Strictly again. Come on, BBC, pick up the phone! ✤ New producers are in, and one of the dancers is out. The BBC has signed up producers Glenn Coomber (from Dancing on Ice) and Andrea Hamilton (from The Voice). All the professional dancers were interviewed by the new team, but only one change was made – Katya Virshilas (right), who partnered Dan Lobb, has been replaced by former mambo champion Karen Hauer. ✤ Len looks like being the new Simon Cowell. He tried out a sterner judging style on the American version of the show, Dancing With the Stars. We think Len’s likely to be more Mr Grumpy than Mr Nasty, though!
take part are true, then they should definitely sign her up.” – Josephine Masters, Small Hythe, Kent
Reader favourites: Graham Norton and Holly Willoughby
“Holly Willoughby would be perfect for Strictly – it’d be great to see her on the other side of a talent show for a change. And why not put her up against Phillip Schofield? Guaranteed entertainment!” – Martha Barker, Bournemouth, Dorset YOURS
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PIC:CAMERA PRESS;BBC;REX FEATURES;GETTY IMAGES;PRESS ASSOCAITON
the way. She danced with Vincent Simone for her Children in Need appearance so the pair could be reunited – although we think nothing can come close to Sian’s perfect partnership with her former co-presenter Bill Turnbull! Plenty of other famous faces are rumoured to be in talks for the show. Ex-England cricketer Michael Vaughan could follow in Darren Gough’s footsteps, while Britain’s Got Talent winner, Ashleigh Butler might leave Pudsey behind to take centre stage herself as a contestant.
‘Winning
GOLD changed my life
’
On the eve of the London Olympics, sports legend Dame Mary Peters chats to Yours about the true meaning of the Games and why money should never be the priority By Joy Harris s bombs fell in Belfast in the midst of the Troubles in 1972, Mary Peters would pack her shot put and starting blocks and take two buses across the city to train for the event that would change her life for ever. Wasn’t she scared as the windows rattled and the smoke rose around her? “No,” she says, quietly. “It was just how life was back then. You didn’t question it, you got on with it. I suppose my training was a bit different than for most of my fellow athletes, but I used to think, ‘maybe I can win, maybe I can cheer up people’s lives back home for a while.’” The Munich games would be Mary’s third Olympics and, at 33, she knew it was her last. Like most athletes at the time, she was an amateur. She loved her job as a home economics teacher, but while her school head thought she was a good example for the children,
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the director of education didn’t approve of the time she took off for her sport. So, she decided that after Munich she’d go back to teaching. But after snatching the pentathlon gold from local favourite Heide Rosendahl in a nail-biting finish, she never did. And, she got her wish to cheer up Northern Ireland. In 1972, almost 500 people died in the sectarian violence, but on the day of her win, there was not a single incident. Little did Mary (now 73) know, that as she set off for Munich, she was exchanging one set of attacks for another. The 1972 Olympics was overshadowed by the Black September terrorists, who kidnapped then killed 11 Israeli athletes and coaches that summer. “To us, the Olympics was a celebration, bringing the youth of the world together in peace and harmony,” Mary says. “We had a day of mourning, but there was no question that the Games would not go on.” Sadly, Mary never knew of a
Mary shows off her 1972 Olympic gold. As an ambassador for the games she’ll be cheering on London 2012 competitors
tribute service arranged for the dead athletes. Instead, earlier this year, she met up again with Heide Rosendahl and they held hands, in tears, at the memorial stone at the Munich Olympic site. Back in 1972, the two were neck and neck after four events. The pentathlon is judged on points, not positions, and as Mary frantically
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Summer tops
with sleeves Cover up in style with our pick of the best stunning tops around By Jo Winch
✤ Heart print top, £25, 14-32, Yours
✤ Purple print top, £27, 14-32, Evans
PHOTOGRaPHY; RUTH JENkINSON; STYlIST: JO WINCH; HaIR aNd MakE UP: aNNa THOMPSON.
✤ Multi coloured top, £22, 10-20, Bhs ✤ Bird print top, £29, 8-22, M&Co
✤ Black floral top, £25, 6-22, M&S ✤ Blue print top, £27, 6-22, M&S 38
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from £ 12
Style notes
✤ Paisley print top, £38, 10-20, Next
✤ Blue and white top, £42, 8-22, Monsoon
✤ Floral linen blouse, £15, 12-24, Bon Marche
✤ Blue knot detail top, £25, 10-20, Bhs
✤ Sequin top, £15, s-l, Wallis
✤ Stripe top, £12, s-l, Tu at Sainsburys ✤ Butterfly print top, £25, 10-20, Bhs
✤ Floral sequin top, £65, 10-20, Next
This asymmetric hem is so fl attering over the hips. Jacqui wears: Peach top, £36, s-l, Wallis; jeans, £29, 10-20, M&S; earrings, £12, M&Co
✤ Floral print top, £45, 14-32, Evans
✤ Tribal print top, £32, 8-22, M&Co
✤ White kaftan style top, £50, 12-32, East at Marisota YOURS
Turn over for more ideas on dressing to impress EVERY FORTNIGHT
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5 ways to...
power up your summer salads Make the most of this season’s fresh ingredients to add goodness to your meals
Crispy Egg and Bean Salad This fancy-looking salad is so easy to prepare Serves:
4
Per serving: 316 cals Fat: 7.6g Sat fat: 2.6g
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes ✢ 5 large eggs, at room temperature, including one beaten egg ✢ Plain flour ✢ 100g (3½oz) breadcrumbs ✢ 100g (3½oz) each of cooked peas, broad beans and French beans ✢ 4 small roasted beetroots, quartered ✢ 15g (½oz) tarragon, chopped 1 Boil 4 eggs in a pan for 2 minutes before plunging in cold water for 5 minutes, then peel. 2 Roll them in the flour, then the remaining beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. Spray liberally with oil and fry in a saucepan for 15 minutes, or until crispy all over. 3 Mix up the vegetables and herbs and serve alongside a sliced egg. 82
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© Happy Eggs, www.thehappyegg.co.uk
FOOD
notes
Tropical Vegetable Salad You’ll love this exotic salad full of ‘oh-so good for you’ seeds and fruit Serves: 4 Per serving: 200 cals Fat: 6g Sat fat: 2g
Preparation time: 10 minutes
✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢ ✢
225g (8oz) white cabbage, cored 2 carrots, peeled 1 firm, medium mango, peeled and stoned 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 3 tbsp sunflower seeds 4 tbsp pumpkin seeds Juice of ½ a lime 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped 1 tsp olive or rapeseed oil 150g (5oz) watercress, spinach and rocket salad
TOP TIP 1 Finely shred the cabbage and place in a large bowl. Coarsely grate the For more colour, carrot and slice the mango, then add replace one of the carrots with raw beetroot. to the bowl with the chilli. 2 In a dry saucepan, gently toast A handful of mung beans the seeds for 1 minute, or until they also makes a tasty are pale golden and release their addition to this nutty aroma. Remove from pan and salad. cool for 5 minutes. 3 Meanwhile, mix the lime juice, coriander and oil. Season. Drizzle onto the leaves and add the seeds. Toss to mix well and serve immediately. © The British Leafy Salads Association
Teriyaki Tiger Prawn Salad These skewers beat the usual burger and sausages option and are a real crowd-pleaser! Serves: 4 Per serving: 122 cals Fat: 1g Sat fat: 0.1g
Preparation time: 10 minutes + 30 minutes marinating time Cooking time: 10 minutes ✢ 6 tbsp teriyaki sauce ✢ 3 tsp grated ginger ✢ 350g (12oz) uncooked tiger prawns, washed ✢ 1 iceberg lettuce ✢ 150g (5oz) mangetout, blanched ✢ 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely diced ✢ 4 spring onions, finely sliced
TOP TIP This also works well with chicken chunks or mixed sliced vegetables.
1 Mix together the teriyaki sauce and ginger. Stir into the prawns and leave to marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. 2 Divide the prawns between four skewers, reserving the excess marinade. Cook the prawns on the barbecue, or under a hot grill, for 4-6 minutes, turning once, until warmed through and toasted. 3 Meanwhile, select four large outer leaves from the lettuce to create bowls. Shred the remaining lettuce and mix in a bowl with the remaining ingredients. Heat the reserved marinade for 2 minutes and drizzle over the salad. Mix and season. 4 To serve, spoon the salad into the lettuce cups and top with a skewer of prawns.
© Kikkoman, www.kikkoman.co.uk YOURS
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Sharing the
e th g in r a h S g n i r a C
Caring Where Yours brings the caring community together with information and support
Welcome...
to the Yours Caring and Sharing pages. Many of the country’s six million carers feel they get a raw deal. In an exclusive Yours interview, I put your five most common questions to Care Services Minister Paul Burstow Rosie Sandall, Reader Care Editor
Minister: My pledge to carers arers feel they are unrecognised, unsupported and that their voices are unheard. They also feel that noone really understands what it’s like to be a carer – on call 24 hours a day – unless they’ve been in that situation. I listen to carers daily and I put the views from members of the Yours Carers in Touch scheme to the Government’s Care Services Minister, Paul Burstow. I got the impression that the Minister does care about carers – he told me he spends time at the Carers’ Centre in his constituency, Sutton, Cheam and Worcester Park. He also listened with interest when I told him about my own father. He’s worked hard all his life and is now paying his own massive nursing home fees.
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Rosie puts your questions to Minister Paul Burstow
xxxx
During the meeting, the Minister confirmed that the Carer’s Allowance will remain as a benefit when the new Universal Credit is phased in from October next year. On your behalf, I asked the Minister the following questions:
Q
I haven’t had a holiday for ten years. Why can’t all carers get respite breaks? My council tells me that there is no money for respite breaks? Carers play an invaluable role and it is important that we support them to have a life in
addition to caring. That’s why we have made £400 million available to the NHS from 2011-2015 to provide carers with breaks and we expect local councils to produce plans to support carers by September 2012. Carers need to challenge their local councils on this point. (Rosie says: Let me know how you get on!)
Q
Carers save the Government millions of pounds a year. Why should carers lose the Carer’s Allowance when they claim their pension? We recognise the vital role that carers play in our system. Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up work. As State Pension acts as income in retirement, the pension and allowance serve the same purpose so rules prevent them being paid together. If a carer’s State Pension is less than the Carer’s Allowance, the pension is topped up to the basic weekly rate of Carer’s Allowance.
Q
It seems unfair that when our loved ones go into residential care, they have to sell the homes they have worked hard to buy in order to fund their care. Do you see this changing? We recognise that urgent improvement of the system is needed. We have listened to the views of carers and we believe that YOURS
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