Table of contents for 10 September 2024 in Bella

Wrapping my arms around my son Billy, 23, I pulled him into a hug. Four months into his gap year after university, Billy had come home to visit us. ‘Tell me everything,’ I said in the car as I handed Billy a meal deal. ‘Thanks Mum, I'm starving,’ he said. As he wolfed down the sandwich, he told me about his travels – first to America, then a stop in Fiji, before heading to Australia where he'd been selling merchandise for the Grand Prix with pals. ‘Look after yourself’ Billy and I had always been close. He often rang me to have a chat on his way home from work or when he was out and about in Melbourne where him and his best friend Joe had been living. Their…

Bella PRO-AGE Beauty Awards 2024 SKINCARE Anti-Ageing Day Cream ❏ Liz Earle Superskin Advanced Firming Serum-in Moisturiser ❏ No7 Future Renew Day Cream ❏ Olay Regenerist Niacinamide SPF30 ❏ Q+A Collagen Face Cream ❏ Revolution Miracle Cream ❏ Avon Anew Skin Renewal Power Cream ❏ Curél Restorative Ageing Care Rejuvenating Day Cream Luxury Day Cream ❏ Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream ❏ Kate Somerville HydraKate Recharging Water Cream ❏ Tatcha The Water Cream ❏ Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Cream ❏ Rodial Bee Venom Moisturiser ❏ Emma Hardie Midas Touch Revitalising Cream Anti-Ageing Night Cream ❏ Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Resurfacing Cream with Fruit-Derived AHAs ❏ Q+A Snow Algae Intensive Face Cream ❏ RoC Line Smoothing Max Hydration ❏ Olay Retinol Night Cream ❏ Tropic Skincare Skin Dream Firming Night Cream…

BEFORE 16st 7lb Size 16-18 AFTER 11st 3lb Size 10-12 I'd always been aware of my weight. At 16st, 7lb and a size 16-18, I felt uncomfortable in my body. I wore baggy clothes and in photographs I'd hide myself behind my husband, Chris, and my boys Robbie and Callum, or take pictures from up high to cover my chin and body. As a catering manager, I spent the whole day cooking. So, by the time I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was turn the oven on and cook again. ‘Come on kids, I'll get us a McDonald's,’ I'd say. We'd spend the evening watching TV with a takeaway and there was always something sweet to have after. The turning point came on a holiday to…

Feel you're going through a slimming slump? With guided journalling, you'll learn to develop and apply unique insights into yourself and, using the confidence wheel pictured, start to work on the key areas that have a real impact on your weight-loss journey. It's a sneaky peek into the kind of deep thinking you'll be doing together with Slimming World – whether that's at your local group, or through the support you get as an online member. So, no matter if you're just starting out on a weight-loss journey or you'd love a quick reset, let's dive in! Identify your slimming strengths FOOD OPTIMISING Food Optimising is Slimming World's healthy eating plan and helps you make healthier food choices. Are you confident in choosing and cooking with healthy foods? Does it…

BUYING…. Florette, the UK's number-one salad brand, has launched a new range of slaws. Highly versatile and available in three flavours – Korean Gochujang, Indian Spiced, and Chinese Inspired, they are an escape from the usual boring mayo-based coleslaws. RRP £1.80 From Sainsbury's and Tesco. STOCKING UP ON…. It's often the little extras, such as sauces and seasonings, that add extra salt and sugar to our meals. Switching to Real Good Ketchup, which contains 80 per cent less salt and 75 per cent less sugar than regular ketchups, is a great way to reduce salt intake for the whole family. £2.40 from Amazon and Ocado. Visit Realgoodketchup.com for more information. COOKING… Celebrate rice week (9-15 September) by cooking up a delicious recipe to highlight the versatility of short, medium and…

Storage and play spaces in fab colours add fun to your scheme Keep books neat and tidy with wall-mounted storage Funky neutral wallpaper is a simple update to grow with your child We love this clever clothes rail and storage combo…

Fun and free-spirited OBLU Xperience Ailafushi is a newer, more modern resort, focusing on solo, group and family-friendly holidays. It has plenty of two-bedroom and two-bathroom apartment-style villas, meaning it's a more affordable option. A 15-minute boat ride from the airport, it has a buzzy vibe and fun, friendly service, which feels different to some of the other resorts, which traditionally focus on couples. One of our highlights was dining at Only Blu, the largest underwater restaurant in the Maldives. Spotting sharks swim by while tucking into a delicious shrimp curry is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime moment. There are plenty of free activities available, such as paddle boarding, canoeing, huge water slides and inflatable trampolines in the sea, and a lively night scene with a poolside DJ. Paradise found If you…

Kara Tointon has lit up our screens for the past two decades, starring as EastEnders’ Dawn Swann between 2005 and 2009, dancing to victory on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010 and last year appearing in Archie, the biographical drama about Cary Grant, playing the actor's mother Elsie Leach. Her latest drama project is The Teacher – back for another instalment on Channel 5, in which she plays art tutor Dani. Her life unravels when she neglects the pupils she's meant to be supervising on a school trip to enjoy an elicit liaison with work colleague Jimmy (Will Mellor). She returns from their tryst to discover a child is missing, who later turns up dead. Here, the 41-year-old reveals all about her gripping new series… Tell us about your character, Dani.…

Kate Upton The blonde beauty recently headed out in New York, where she looked incredible in a smart navy matching set. Lisa Snowdon This Morning's fashion expert stole the show at this year's Wimbledon tournament. The 52-year-old rocked a cream three-piece suit with black stripes from ME+EM. Sharon Stone Proving the timeless pinstripe will never go out of style, the Basic Instinct star was the picture of glamour in a beige Ermanno Scervino outfit with blinging stripes. Halle Berry The star wore a two-piece Alberta Ferretti suit on a recent talk show appearance, with flattering wide-leg trousers and classic grey stripes. So '90s! Awkwafina The performer chose a breezy blue and white button-down co-ord, accessorised with a pair of chunky platform Mary-Jane shoes for a stylish daytime look. Hailee Steinfeld…

Cheryl's holiday Treating herself after the Girls Aloud reunion tour, Cheryl enjoyed a break in Cumbria. The singer, 41, said that the holiday with son Bear, six, had allowed her to ‘sit in silence with only the occasional nature sounds’ and reflect on how ‘grateful’ she was. Baby, baby, baby, oh! Congratulations to Justin Bieber, 30, who has welcomed a baby boy with wife Hailey, 27. The singer shared the news by sharing a photo of the baby's foot, revealing they'd called the child Jack Blues Bieber. Salma's bikini body Salma Hayek looked stunning in a yellow bikini on holiday in Ibiza last week. Proving that she was embracing her age, the actress, 57, showed off not only her enviable figure, but her naturally greying hair.…

As we start gearing up for the back to school routines, many of us will be thinking about setting new goals. This 7-day healthy eating plan from Slimming World is full of delicious and filling food that will help you get off to a great start. HOW IT WORKS 1 Follow the menu. Feel free to repeat any days you enjoy! 2 Slimming World's eating plan, Food Optimising, is based on the science of energy density (the calories per gram in food), of satiety (how filling a food is) and how easy a food is to overeat. It's a simple way to cut calories without counting them and lose weight without going hungry. 3 Free Food is at the heart of the Slimming World plan. These are the foods you can enjoy…

BEFORE 17st 3lbs Size 24 AFTER 12st 3lb Size 12 For most people, the clocks going back was exciting – it meant longer nights and sunny days ahead. But for me, I dreaded the summer months. I wasn't confident in my size 24 body. When everyone else was wearing shorts and skirts, I'd be covering myself up with maxi dresses. I was so conscious of being bigger, I didn't like my legs or body and I'd get so hot and sweaty. I just wanted to hide away. I was overweight as a child and as a teenager I was always aware that I was bigger than my friends. I was the child who always deliberately forgot their PE kit because I was embarrassed about my weight, and I hated doing…

Even if you haven't heard of ‘microstress’ you will certainly have experienced it. Microstresses are the little things that add up – when you can't find a parking space at school drop-off. Then you realise your child's PE kit has been forgotten. Perhaps you see your friend has sent a stroppy text because you forgot to message her back. Or you're late to log in at work and see your boss has sent a snarky email asking where you are. While none of these irritating occurrences would count as a major stress, that won't stop you feeling edgy and strained. ‘A microstress is the relentless accumulation of unnoticed small stresses from routine interactions with people in our lives that are so brief, we barely register them,’ says Rob Cross, co-author…

Plonking ourselves down, my husband David and I flicked open our books. ‘That's brilliant,’ he said, pointing at my science-fiction novel. ‘No spoilers!’ I laughed. I loved how David was shy and geeky like me, with a wide smile beneath his mop of brown hair. We loved to read side by side as we got lost in tales of robots and Martians. We were studying physics at university and David told me I was his perfect woman. ‘Beautiful and a scientist,’ he'd say. In January 1992, when we were studying for our PhDs, I was delighted when David proposed. We had a traditional wedding and invited 150 guests. It was a perfect day. We both wanted children, and had a daughter and two sons together. David worked as a science…

The winner is…. The National TV Awards, Wednesday 11 September, ITV1 The National TV Awards is in Joel Dommett's safe hands for the fourth time, with Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks taking over the Red Carpet at London's 02 Arena. The past year in television will be celebrated, with the agenda-setting Mr Bates vs The Post Office and boundary-pushing Baby Reindeer vying for the top prizes. We can expect the arena to be filled with Traitors and Strictly stars and perennial favourites Ant and Dec, who are up for the TV Presenter gong for the 23rd year running! And one lucky guest will be receiving the prestigious Special Recognition Award. ROOM SERVICE Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby, Thursday 12 September, BBC2 Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder are getting their hands…

Jenny Ryan might be best known as The Vixen from The Chase, but the star has a lot more strings to her bow. The beehive wearing quizmaster also has an incredible talent for singing – which she showed off to the nation back in 2019 when she starred on The X Factor: Celebrity. Jenny, 42, started her career writing questions for TV quiz shows and competing in her local quiz leagues, before she was eventually asked to audition for The Chase and she jumped at the chance to become a TV villain. Now, she is fusing her two skills together in her upcoming show, Jenny ‘The Vixen’ Ryan: Out of the Box, which goes on tour in September. She chats to Bella about her journey to fame and whether fans should…

As the summer holidays draw to a close and the new school term begins, it's back to a simple new routine for the Waleses. When it comes to parenting, the Prince of Wales is doing it differently to those who came before him – setting new royal rules for the rest of the Windsors as he and Kate embrace a simpler way of living. While their royal duties are hectic, Prince William and Kate, both 42, prefer a more lowkey home life. Last year, the couple downsized their London abode to Windsor-based Adelaide cottage -with the four-bedroom property having no extra space for live-in staff. Now, an insider tells Bella that the royal couple are setting a precedent inside the palace by proving that being a royal doesn't have to…

bella debate No Jo Dunbar, 41, journalist ‘Do you want to have to explain that sight to your kids?’ Did I blink and find that the UK had suddenly developed a Mediterranean climate? Quite apart from anything else, I'm not sure the British weather warrants us considering sunbathing starkers. Even on the rare occasions when the temperatures reach the dizzy heights of 30 degrees, we swelter and sweat and yearn for the shade. If you ask me, sunbathing isn't particularly enjoyable on a hot and sticky summer's day in the UK, so why risk extreme sunburn to do it? It might sound incredibly liberating and relaxing to bare all in the garden – but let's take a reality check: we live in close proximity to our neighbours and many of…

Glow Getters For a fresh-faced complexion year round, fill your skincare routine with brightening products. Exfoliate with the REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic, from £17, which is powered by AHAs and BHAs to banish dull and uneven skin, for visibly radiant results. Liz Earle Revitalise & Glow Illuminating Gel Moisturiser, £30, uses naturally exfoliating and brightening ingredients, including prickly pear and acerola cherry, to leave skin glowing. For a sun-kissed look no matter the weather, mix up to 12 drops of Tan-Luxe The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops, from £15, with your moisturiser – the more drops the deeper your tan. It's brimming with skin-loving ingredients to leave your complexion looking positively radiant. Body Boosters Ensure your limbs stay silky smooth with Q+A AHA Exfoliator Body Scrub,…

AFTER 12st Size 12 BEFORE 17st Size 20 Throughout my 20s I was a natural size 12, but when I started working at Alder Hey Children's Hospital as a paediatric nurse, stressful shifts and long hours meant I crept up to a size 18. In 2014 I met Paul on a night out and I went on to have our daughter Sophia, now eight. After I'd given birth, I was at a healthy weight, but baby play dates often meant milky coffees and slices of cake, and we ate a lot of burgers and oven chips or pasta ready meals because I told myself I didn't have time to properly prep dinner. When I went back to work after maternity leave, I'd go to the cafeteria and get crisps and…

BEFORE 17st 5lb Size 24 AFTER 11st 8lb Size 14 It was after having my children, Christopher, now 35, Holly, 24, and Poppy, 22, that I began to pile on weight. I was quite young when I had them and money was tight. Their dad didn't have a job at first so it meant I was a new mum, supporting him and our family and, as a newly-qualified solicitor, I wasn't earning much. I would buy junk food like frozen crispy pancakes and sausage rolls, and we'd have them with chips and beans. It was cheaper than buying fresh and I would eat what they did for ease too but it meant the weight started creeping on. Over the years I tried to diet, but there was always a reason…

STRESS: Coping with a mercurial boss whose daily mood permeates the entire office. MICROSTRESS: The moment your well-intentioned boss shifts your priorities, yet again. SECONDARY MICROSTRESSES: When you call your team to regroup because the work you've all been killing yourselves to get done is no longer a priority and you have to realign. Again. STRESS: Realising that your ageing parents can no longer live on their own and having to rearrange your life to help them. MICROSTRESS: Trying to schedule family calls about caring for your ageing parents. SECONDARY MICROSTRESSES: When you brief your partner on the latest passive-aggressive conversation with your siblings and your partner further fuels your irritation by pointing out they don't appreciate you enough. STRESS: Dealing with a child who is struggling with serious mental…

NEW FLIGHT ROUTES FROM DERRY EasyJet has announced it will be operating from City of Derry Airport for the first time, as it introduces two new routes to and from Edinburgh and Liverpool, which will run twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays, commencing 4 November. The city of Derry, in Northern Ireland, is home to the Derry Girls TV series, a vibrant food scene and award-winning museums, and is the perfect hub for exploring the Wild Atlantic Way and the Causeway Coastal Route. Seats are now on sale, with fares starting from £17.99 one way. Book at easyjet.com. CARIBBEAN CRUISING Starting mid-December, TUI's Marella Discovery cruise will operate new ports of call on a ‘Tropical Isles’ itinerary. The ship will depart from La Romana in the Dominican Republic and visit…

BY PHONE: 0901 130 0237 When asked for the issue number, key in 36. Calls cost 50p per call, plus your network access charge. (UK readers only.) You must be 18 or over and have the bill payer's permission. BY TEXT: 65115 Text BEL36 then a space followed by your name, house number or name, your postcode, then your answer(s), all separated by a space, to 65115, eg Jane Smith 10 SL5 9JN Answer(s). Texts cost 50p plus your standard network rate. Keep texts under 160 characters or you may be charged for more than one text. • If you enter after the closing date, you will not be entered but may be charged. Not available in Eire. Please ensure your entry is completed correctly, as incorrect entries may be…