Table of contents for 30 April 2024 in Bella

Just days after it was announced that West End musical Opening Night was closing two months early, the show's leading star Sheridan Smith was all-smiles for the Olivier Awards at London's Royal Albert Hall. The performer, 42 – who had been nominated for Best Actress for her titular role in Shirley Valentine – appeared to put the setback behind her, wowing in a sheer black Rebecca Vallance dress, adorned with rhinestones. Sheridan – who is mum to three-year-old Billy with her ex Jamie Horn – has been starring as protagonist Myrtle, a troubled actress battling alcoholism, in the play. Based on the 1977 film, the production was scheduled to run from March until July but will now close mid-May due to a “challenging financial landscape”. While Sheridan's efforts have been…

She's best known for her black bob, tattoos and biker leathers as the tough-as-nails Nessa, but Ruth Jones looked worlds away from her Gavin & Stacey character at last week's Olivier Awards. The Welsh actress, 57, who is currently appearing on stage in Sister Act the Musical, wore a chic dark green draped gown to the annual celebration of London's theatre scene. Ruth paired the dress with gold accessories on a night that saw Nicole Scherzinger, Mark Gatiss and Succession's Sarah Snook among the big winners.…

Gloria Hunniford is not embellishing when she says she's been in showbusiness a long time. The broadcaster, 84, has enjoyed a vivacious career since the age of seven, but you would be mistaken if you thought years of hard graft have increased the appeal of slowing down. Speaking exclusively to Bella, Gloria shares, “I appreciate and admire that people can't wait to retire, but it's not for me. I want to keep my brain ticking over.” When we chat to the Northern Irish presenter – whose warm nature has become a staple on shows such as Loose Women and Rip Off Britain – it is ahead of a poignant anniversary: 20 years since her beloved daughter Caron Keating died of breast cancer on 13 April 2004. Gloria's signature wisdom is…

As I watched my husband David blow-dry my eight-year-old daughter Rachel's hair, I couldn't help but laugh. He was pretending to be a camp hairdresser with a terrible French accent, and it was making her erupt into giggles. It took a special man to take on someone else's child, and David had done just that. I'd first met David when I was working in Lloyds Bank in Bournemouth in the summer of 1998. I was 34, divorced with three children and had just left a difficult relationship. David, then 36, would come into the bank to pay in cheques for the insurance company he worked for, and we clicked immediately. He was funny and friendly, but I stopped short of fancying him on account of his ‘80s bouffant hairdo! Then…

Smooth Criminal This exfoliator combines the naturally occurring malic acid found in apples with lactic and glycolic acids to gently refine uneven skin texture. Massage a thin layer into skin before rinsing off to reveal a brighter appearance. Q+A Apple AHA Exfoliating Gel, £9 Clever Cleanser Like a green juice for your face, this refreshing gel cleanser is packed with vitamin-rich ingredients including broccoli, wheatgrass and kale. It removes daily grime and make-up, leaving skin feeling soft and clean. Elemis Superfood Facial Wash, £32 Body Bliss Banish dry limbs and pins with an avocadoenriched lotion. The sumptuous cream cocoons skin in a veil of hydration, helping to visibly smooth rough patches. It leaves skin feeling silky-soft and positively glowing. Garnier Body Superfood Nourishing Body Cream, £9.99 Bright Eyed The skin…

Nutritious breakfasts I'll make avocado toast for myself. I grab whatever bread we have, it's always healthy bread because I have children and so you try to do as much as you can. It'll be Dave's Killer Bread, wholegrain with nuts and texture and crunch and stuff. After I've smashed my avocado, I'll add Everything Bagel seasoning and an egg. Convenient lunches My husband and I are working at home, so if one of us doesn't have work, we will grab food for the other. It'll often be leftovers or something small and easy we had in the fridge. I do enjoy protein smoothies for lunch too. I get frozen smoothies delivered to the house – I put protein powder in it, add a non-dairy milk and then blend it…

Kneading the dough carefully with her tiny fingers, concentration was etched on her face as she leant over the bowl. Once the mixture had been shaped into a ball, she looked up at me and grinned in delight. Soon I was showing her how to roll out the dough and cut it into shapes. Side by side, just like any mother and daughter, the pair of us placed the cookies onto a baking tray and popped it in the oven. But Nicole wasn't my biological daughter. She was four when I'd married her dad, Jake, now 57, and I'd been thrust into a motherly role straight away. Nicole saw her mother, but she lived with Jake and me, and I grew to love her deeply. Jake and I had a…

TV interview For Loose Women star and comedian Judi Love, her forties have only made her more confident. On TV and on stage, the ITV star has no problem getting real about the ups and downs of life, whether she's rubbing shoulders with celebrities or parenting her two children. And now, Judi, 43, is preparing to share her confidence with other women. The stylish star has collaborated with JD Williams on a new collection aimed at empowering midlife women. The edits were curated by fashion guru Gok Wan himself, who picked out pieces for both Judi and fellow presenter Helen Skelton that would allow them to show their authenticity. Authenticity, after all, is something Judi has in abundance, as she reveals to Bella… You Loose Women love a party, don't…

She might be one of TV's busiest stars, but it was Alison Hammond's personal life that set tongues wagging last week as she teased a potential new relationship on social media. On her Instagram Stories, Alison, 49, shared a series of photos of her with a mystery man, who sported glasses and a hat. In the series of photos, the pair appeared close as they playfully posed and smiled together. The man has since been identified as Russian masseur, dancer and model David Putman – believed to be 20 years Alison's junior. Their relationship is yet to be confirmed.…

Alesha Dixon Embracing her Jamaican roots with a trip to her father's country of birth, Alesha, 45, doesn't appear to have aged since her Mis-Teeq days in the early noughties. Taking in the sunset at Flavours’ Beach in Runaway Bay, the Britain's Got Talent judge drank a beer in the sand. Alex Jones Recreating the iconic Baywatch intro in her low-cut red swimming costume, Alex, 47, enjoyed a dip in the sea whilst on holiday in Lanzarote with her three children - Teddy, six, Kit, four, and Annie, two – and husband Charlie. Kimberley Walsh Earlier this month, Kimberley, 42, treated her three boys, Bobby, seven, Cole, five, and Nate, three, to a trip to Barbados – where she and husband Justin Scott tied the knot in January 2016. A…

Tighten Specially formulated for a mature complexion with key components including Collagen Amino Acid Fractions, which help to firm your skin as it loses the density of youth. L'Oréal Paris Age Perfect 7 Day Cure Retightening Ampoules, £19.95 Restore The newest addition to Arden's capsule collection promises to nourish and restore your complexion. Powered by a new type of HPR – high performance retinol – that delivers a big dose that releases throughout the day without the usually harsh side effects. Oat and Bisabolol extracts help keep your complexion comforted and soothed. Elizabeth Arden Retinol + HPR Ceramide Capsules, from £54 Renew Rich in antioxidants, this day and night duo are a dream combination. The morning hit will hydrate and soften the skin, while the night-time treatment promotes cell regeneration,…

Tip When rolling, keep the dough as a rectangle, so you won't have to cut the edges and roll any dough, or you can place the dough onto a bowl to create a perfect round, which makes the traditional half-moon patty shape. Jamaican beef patties The history of patties can be traced back to Jamaica, where they were sold as street food. They're sure to become an all-time favourite. Makes 6-8 patties Ready in 1 hr 40 mins, plus chilling and cooling 1tsp garlic powder 1tsp onion powder  1tsp ground ginger 1tsp all-purpose seasoning  1tsp black pepper 1tsp salt  500g beef mince (15–20% fat) 2tsp vegetable oil  1 small onion, finely diced 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced  2 garlic cloves, minced 2 spring onions,…

Keep the scheme light and airy with blocks of colour and avoid too much pattern Indulge in the sweet life and try candycoloured prints on your wall…

Write to Dear Kate, Bella, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PL, or email bella.advice@bauermedia.co.uk. Kate will attempt to respond to as many letters as possible through her page Am I a horrible daughter? Q I don't know if I'm being a bad daughter, or my mum is asking too much of me. I feel like no matter how much I do for her it's never enough. She's 79, but still fairly active, still drives, takes herself to the shops and plays cards with her friends. I call her regularly, usually every day unless I'm very busy. I'm an A&E nurse so as you can imagine, sometimes I don't get a second to myself. If I miss a day, I don't hear the end of it. She refuses to…

PRIZE crossword WIN £200 Solve the crossword to find, reading from top to bottom in the shaded squares, the name of an Australian actress. This is your competition entry answer. See the ‘How to enter’ panel, below right. Across 1 Coffee-flavoured Italian dessert (8) 7 Cindy - - -, supermodel, pictured below (8) 11 American whisky, or a chocolate sandwich biscuit (7) 12 Concealed gunman (6) 15 Handsome youth of Greek myth (6) 18 - - - The Parents, Ben Stiller comedy (4) 19 Big cat which represents the star sign Leo (4) 20 Sausage dog (9) 21 Ricky Gervais sitcom, The - - - (6) 22 The Father actress, - - - Poots (6) 23 - - - Fleming, James Bond creator (3) 24 Surname of US presidents Franklin D and Theodore (9) 27 My Big Fat Greek Wedding lead, - - -…

CELEB NEWS & GOSSIP Sharon Osbourne broke the internet last week with a scathing retaliation to Amanda Holden calling her and Louis Walsh “bitter and pathetic”. During their appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, former X Factor judges Sharon and Louis, both 71, did not mince their words about music tycoon Simon Cowell, saying he “doesn't know how to keep friends” and they would not work with him again “for all the money in the world”. Amanda, who has been a long-time pal of Simon's and worked alongside him on Britain's Got Talent for 14 years, took a swipe at the duo for their remarks, claiming that Simon is the person “who's given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and a lifestyle they probably wouldn't have had.”…

She may have been all smiles as she supported her husband Prince Harry at the polo earlier this month, but behind closed doors, Meghan Markle is said to be harbouring a secret upset. The Duchess of Sussex is thought to be fuming at the royal family's double standards as they appear to have welcomed Prince Andrew back into their circle, while she continues to remain an outcast. “Meghan is finding it very difficult to understand how Andrew has managed to return to the royal fold,” a source tells Bella. “The fact that he's getting invites to gatherings and has wormed his way back into the inner circle of The Firm, after all the sleaze and chaos that he's been associated with, is infuriating. Meanwhile, Meghan feels that she's been cast…

Fashion If you're looking for a forever-stylish staple, you can't beat a Breton top If pillar-box red is too bright for you, swap in a coral shade that will warm any complexion The denim maxi skirt is having a moment – a perfect alternative to jeans…

better health There's no shortage of advice around when it comes to the question of what makes us happy, but not all of it is based on research and scientific observation. However, the 80-year-long Harvard Study of Adult Development is as close as we are going to get to discovering the secrets of what bring us closer to joy. Researchers Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz have captured the factors that make us feel fulfilled and at one in The Good Life: Lessons From The World's Longest Study On Happiness (Rider, £9.19). The study began with 724 male participants, and then, as they married, included their wives and more than 1,300 descendants of the initial group, with the researchers attempting to drill down to discover the magical elements. “A huge range…

GET IN TOUCH Write: Have Your Say, Bella, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PL. Email: bella.letters@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/bellamagazineUK twitter.com/bellamagazineUK instagram.com/bellamagazineUK £50 Star letter Unexpected love What a lovely story from Samantha: ‘I married the man who saved my dad's life’ (issue 15). You never realise the effect paramedics have on people. They are a truly fantastic service. But it is more than that – they stay calm in a crisis, comfort people who are in a state of panic. It's not just a job to them. I wish Samantha, Mike and their daughter a happy life together. Elle Webber, Cheshire Dealing with grief Jane McDonald is such an inspiration. Not only has she dealt with the death of her mother and partner, but she's kept a smile on her…

GEMINI 22 May — 21 June Conversations with kindred spirits have had a stop-start quality recently, but luckily they begin to run more smoothly from midweek. Have faith in yourself on the 27th, avoid needless self-criticism and try not to allow anyone to dent your confidence. Theme of the week: Spare-time interests 0906 650 7232 CANCER 22 June — 23 July Make time for enjoyment early in the week when you're feeling gregarious and outgoing. Midweek is best for getting on with important or urgent tasks. From the 29th, existing friendships bring you joy and new ones beckon as well. Theme of the week: Keeping the peace 0906 650 7233 LEO 24 July — 23 August Domestic concerns keep grabbing your attention. You may need to do some trouble-shooting. A…