Table of contents for 30 April 2026 in Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… When a police officer knocked on Clare's door one night in 2004, he was there to deliver heartbreaking news. But a connection they formed on that terrible day was one that would end up saving her life (p38). I found reading about Clare and Tim's friendship one of those stories that makes you think there really is a plan for us all out there. Chloe and Josh's love story is another heart-warmer (p10). A chemo ward is not the most obvious place to fall in love, but it worked for them. Have a great week,…

What do actor Gary Oldman and former England football manager Gareth Southgate have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the six-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 _ and Recreation, sitcom (5) 4 Precious metal (4) 6 Purple gemstone (8) 13 Diplomatic (7) 14 Journals (7) 15 Chris _, radio DJ (5) 16 Cut of steak (4) 17 Capital of Germany (6) 18 Baby's toy (6) 20 Require (4) 21 Winona _, actor (5) 22 Assault (6) 25 Harry _, former football manager (8) 28 _ Grande, singer (6) 30 Entertain (5) 32 Tiny organisms (8) 34 Metallic element (6) 35 Dull pain (4) 38 _ 13, film starring Tom Hanks (6) 39 Banquet (5) 40 Taking on new staff (6) 43 Underground plant part (4) 44 Song by Robbie Williams (6) 45 Three-sided shape (8) 48 Oliver _, novel by Charles Dickens (5) 49 Most peculiar…

1 Begin small Keep it easy and comfortable. Your first jog could realistically last just a few seconds, in the middle of a brisk walk. ‘The NHS's free Couch to 5k app is perfect for absolute beginners. Starting with super-short jogs, it talks you through step-by-step and can be completed in as little as nine weeks,’ says Sam Quinn, personal training lead at Nuffield Health. 2 Stay safe Be mindful of your age, and current health and fitness levels. There's a reason it's good to start small and not overexert yourself. Sam recommends talking to your GP first, in case you have any injuries that could affect your ability to jog or a condition that might put a strain on your cardiovascular system. 3 Dress the part Wearing the wrong shoes to jog in could lead…

Pulling the Meat Feast pizza towards me, I tore off a slice, dripping with cheese and topped with pepperoni. Then I gobbled one slice after another until I'd finished the entire 10-inch pizza. It was January 2018, I was 35, and life had flipped upside down in the past year. A busy mum of three, with two jobs, I'd developed some strange symptoms. Slurring my words, I'd find myself temporarily unable to smile or lift my arms and legs. After tests, I'd been diagnosed with something called myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disorder causing muscle weakness. In November 2017, surgeons had removed a gland in my chest. After, tests had found that it was cancerous and I'd needed five weeks of radiotherapy. Now, while I was thankfully cancer free, the…

Top tip Swap prawns for thinly-sliced chicken, pork or beef. Curried prawn noodles Have dinner on the table in a jiffy with this veg-packed stir-fry. SERVES 2 PREP 5 MINS COOK 10 MINS 2 x 109g pack Nissin soba noodles (we used teriyaki flavour)  2tbsp mild curry paste 220g pack stir-fry veg 165g pack raw prawns, defrosted if frozen 50g toasted cashews or peanuts, chopped 1 Cook the noodles according to the pack instructions. Mix the curry paste with the sachet of flavouring from the noodles (if you've used a different brand without sauce, add in 1-2tbsp soy sauce instead). 2 Heat a splash of oil in a wok or deep frying pan, then stir-fry the veg and prawns for 3-4 mins, or until wilted/ cooked through. 3 Toss the…

Aries 21 March-20 April Now that both Mercury and Mars are in your sign, you can see to the heart of the matter. If you've been feeling unclear, the fog will soon lift. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May With the Sun now in your sign for the next month, you have the energy to pursue your key goals. Focus on your highest priorities and take inspired action. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Venus moves into your sign on the 25th, bringing focus to your financial life and romance. While you know what you want, perhaps it's time to take bold action! • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Though you prefer familiar surroundings, this…

Q I never like showing my legs, but I want to change that this summer! How can I feel more confident? Janine White, Aberdeen A Everyone can wear shorts or a skirt, but sometimes it takes a bit of bravery to feel comfortable in those first few outings. Taking some time to pamper yourself will help you look and feel great. In the shower, use a gritty scrub like Ciroa Strawberry and Fig Body Scrub, £8.95, Boots, paying particular attention to knees, ankles and any areas prone to dry patches. It'll buff away dead skin and reveal smoother, silkier pins. Then use an oil for deep hydration – it also leaves your skin with a flattering sheen. Aveeno Skin Relief Body Oil Spray, £9.49, Superdrug, is not heavy or greasy,…

What's the first thing you'd buy if you won the lottery? Another dog. I already have Winnie, who's 2 and a rescue dog. Sadly, she was used for illegal breeding. She's the most loving little dog and my best friend. Do you have a celeb lookalike? People say I look like Alex Jones from The One Show, which is very flattering. But I don't see it at all! What would be your ideal superpower? Invisibility. It's the only time I'd get a rest and I'd love to be a fly on the wall in places like the prime minister's office! Seen any good films lately? The Housemaid, a thriller starring Amanda Seyfried and OS: ALAMY Sydney Sweeney. It was brilliant. I loved it. Are you a sweet or savoury person?…

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In computer networking and internet browsing, for what does the P in ‘PAC file’ and ‘WPAD protocol’ stand? The number next to the clue tells you which line the answer's in. We've put a section in for you! There may be two Across answers in one line. Down words fill themselves in. The shaded squares spell out the prize answer. WIN £100 Puzzle 2 2 One not often found in company As well 4 Lout Search for water with a rod 6 Wonderwall band Slack 8 Large expanse of water Additional feature (3-2) Your answer:…

As my new man prepped a couple of steaks, I sat with a glass of wine and couldn't believe my luck. ‘How do you like yours?’ Josh, then 26, asked with a grin that made my tummy flip. It was May 2021 and we'd been seeing each other for a few weeks after meeting through our work at a construction company. A real go-getter, Josh was handsome to boot. He got on brilliantly with my 10-month-old son Oscar. Now he was cooking me up a gourmet dinner. The perfect man! For our first date Josh had flown me over our home town of Doncaster in a small four-seater plane he'd hired. I was impressed by his private pilot's licence. Tonight's date was more chilled. Josh was feeling unwell, struggling with…

In a million-dollar home at the end of a wealthy cul-de-sac in Virginia, USA, lived Christine and Brendan Banfield. Christine, 37, worked as a paediatric nurse while Brendan, 38, was a revenue agent for the government. The married couple had a four-year-old daughter and, leading busy lives, they'd decided to hire an au pair. A young Brazilian woman called Juliana Peres Magalhães. It was Juliana who'd made a 911 call on 24 February 2023. A friend had been hurt, the 22-year-old told the operator. But then Brendan had taken the phone, saying there was a man inside their house who'd attacked his wife. ‘I shot him,’ Brendan said. ‘He stabbed her. There's several marks on her neck. What do I do?’ Sordid details Officers arrived to carnage. Christine was bleeding…

Smarty pants Do you slip into your lucky pants when you need a boost? You're not alone. A surprising 18% of Brits* own a pair of kecks that they believe brings good fortune, with black apparently the luckiest colour. But one in five refuse to wash their clothes if they're on a lucky streak. We shudder to think of the state of their knickers! Rabbiting on Seen on keychains as a talisman, the left hind foot of a rabbit is thought to ward off evil. This not-so-charming ritual dates back to 600 BC when folk believed that witches shapeshifted into animals. Modern lucky rabbit's foot charms are usually synthetic, so no need to get hopping mad on behalf of the bunnies. Getting salty Chef Gordon Ramsay does it. Your grandma…

Can I be a stay-at-home mum? Q My career was everything to me. I spent years working overtime and doing courses to stay on top of my game. Then I had a baby. Now, I don't want to go back to work when my maternity leave ends. I feel guilty, but my priorities have changed. How do I tell my husband this, and how will we survive financially? Penny, 24 A Tough question, petal. Surviving on one income feels impossible for many, especially with a growing family. But people do make it work. The good news is that you don't have to figure it out on your own. Include your partner in your thinking, draw up a budget and be realistic about what you have to give up in order…

3 ways to… Avoid scam websites Don't fall victim to online con artists. Here's what to watch out for. 1 Check it out Start by checking the domain name. Many fraudulent websites use domain names that reference well-known brands. For example, a domain such as discountnikeclothes.com should ring alarm bells. Visit the site's homepage or ‘about’ us page and look out for spelling and grammar mistakes. Check for contact info: any website offering goods or services should list a place of business and phone number or email address. If none of this is available, you should treat the site as highly suspicious. Beware of any pushy language piling on pressure to buy quickly, and of too-good-to-be-true prices. Scam websites often lure shoppers in with low prices in order to sell fake, counterfeit or non-existent…

My daughter belted out Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On as she came into the kitchen. She'd been practising non-stop. ‘I can't believe I'm going to be on the telly!’ she declared. It was December 1999 and a few days earlier, Lizzie, then 15, had won a local singing competition. And her promoter was confident he'd be able to get her on TV the following year. A dream come true for our girl, who longed to be an entertainer. She was beyond excited. Her dad David and I had split up a few years before, but we were still close. And ever so proud of Lizzie, who was our youngest of five. She was so talented, she'd already appeared in local theatre productions. But on Saturday 15 January, Lizzie…

Hask Repair + Argan Oil Deep Conditioner, £3.50, Tesco If your hair looks frizzy and frazzled, swap your conditioner for a more intensive treatment, like this rich formula. It's a fastacting mask that will leave hair looking smoother, and feeling softer and more manageable. It works on all hair types, from fine, straight styles to waves and curls. Essence 8H Matte Comfort Lip Liner, £1.79, Boots A good lip liner is the secret behind perfect lipstick application – it stops lipstick from feathering or fading, and helps define your lip shape. This long-lasting pencil is available in 17 shades and can be worn with matte lipsticks, high-shine glosses, or even worn all over the lips for long-lasting colour.…

I was at home watching TV when there was a knock on the door. I wheeled over and opened it. Two plumbers were standing outside. ‘We're here to fix the leaks,’ one of them said. It was a Friday in June 2025, and I was having plumbing issues in my three-bed house. I lived alone, so having strangers in my home made me feel a bit uneasy – especially as a wheelchair user. I'd used a chair since childhood, after complications when I was born breech. But I managed my disability well and led an independent life. Enjoyed going to concerts, meals out and football games. I didn't need a carer. Instead, friends and family took turns to pop round daily to help me get dressed. And up and down…

In printing, what term can refer to a deliberate overlap between two areas of colour to avoid the gaps left if the two coloured areas are not fully aligned? To find out, solve the puzzle… The three answers in this puzzle read the same across and down. The clues are given, but not in the right order. Read down the shaded squares to spell the prize answer. WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 3 CRAWL THEME STOP Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

STYLE TIP Fan of the barn jacket? Try this sweet spring upgrade. When wearing a printed jacket, let your top half do all the talking and pair with simple separates. STYLE TIP Polka dots paired with ruffles feel effortlessly occasion-ready, while soft buttermilk yellow adds an elegant touch. Finish with ladylike accessories for a polished look. STYLE TIP A chic co-ord takes little styling effort and will maximise your budget with countless outfit options. Chocolate brown and cream are a winning combo. FROM £9 STYLE TIP The polka-dot blouse is a wardrobe staple for spring. Smarten it up with tailored trousers or team with denim on off-duty days.…

The alarm buzzed at 6am, just as my baby was stirring in his cot. Still half asleep, I reached for my glasses on the bedside table. Everything was a blur without them. Slipping them on, the room came into focus. It was July 2024 and I'd worn glasses on and off for years. But during my pregnancy with Billy, then 5 months, my eyesight had got worse. By the time I returned to work as a healthcare support worker, I needed specs all the time. But my eyesight wasn't the only problem. I'd had headaches for years, but now they were more frequent and intense. Even scarier, I'd started experiencing a strange numb sensation down the right side of my body. ‘You should go to the doctor,’ my partner Billy…

Protection from HPV Q My recent smear showed as ‘HPV positive’, but my cells were normal. I had one HPV vaccine dose in 2022 when I was 16, but never finished the course. Can I still get vaccinated now? Imogen, High Wycombe A Yes, you can still get the HPV vaccine even if you're HPV positive. It protects against other HPV types and lowers your risk of future infections and related cancers. The recommended vaccine is Gardasil 9, which covers nine HPV types, including the most common high-risk ones. As you were over 15 for your first dose, you need a three-dose series in total – so as you've already had one dose, you just need two more. These can be given privately at intervals of about two and six…

Collapsing on to the sofa, I let out a sob. ‘How do you mend a broken heart?’ I cried. It was February 2019 and, aged 32, I'd just split up with my boyfriend John, then 32. We'd been together four years, but we'd fallen out of love with each other. ‘We'll always be friends,’ he'd said, but I still took the break-up hard. I dealt with it by starting a relationship with another man, also called John. Turned out, two Johns didn't make a right. Six months later, we split and I found myself back crying on my sofa. I hadn't healed from my first break-up. Now another relationship had come crashing down. I need some me time, I thought. To distract myself, I flicked through social media. I was…

Used as a filming location for The Princess Bride and the Harry Potter films among others, the Cliffs of Moher are in which Irish county? Solve the crossword, then read down the shaded squares to find the prize puzzle answer. ACROSS 1 Tin for food (3) 3 Ancient (3) 5 River barrier (3) 6 Breathable gas (3) 7 Crimson (3) DOWN 1 Drink made from apples (5) 2 One who wanders (5) 4 Lacking light (4) WIN 4 x £20 Puzzle 10 Your answer: TO ENTER Turn to page 56 for details or visit comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

From the moment Michael laid eyes on Sam, at a party, he was smitten. With her long, dark hair and voluptuous figure, he'd spotted her in the crowd and thought she was gorgeous. ‘She caught my eye quick,’ he says with a smile. But Sam was unaware that she'd attracted an admirer. Because while Michael stood head and shoulders above the rest of the partygoers, at 6ft 2in, Sam, who is just 4ft tall, didn't have quite the same viewpoint. ‘I have a dwarfism called chondrodystrophy,’ Sam explains. The genetic condition causes abnormal cartilage development and stunts bone growth, resulting in short-limbed dwarfism. ‘It affects me a lot,’ Sam says. Especially when it comes to her love life. ‘With me being a little person, a lot of people wanted to…

Little arms wrapped tight around me and my son Ashley, then 4, gave me a kiss. ‘Love you, Mum,’ he chirped. Full of fun, Ashley kept us all smiling – me, his sister Melissa, 7, and his dad, my husband Ivan, 29. All too soon, my tiny little lad was a big strapping man. After leaving school, he started doing building work with Ivan. Living at home, aged 19 in 2003, he'd go out every weekend with his mates. But we were close, and he still gave the tightest hugs. Especially when I fell ill later that year. I felt woozy and tired, and just couldn't shake it off. ‘You have severe kidney damage,’ a doctor explained after hospital tests. A huge shock, nobody could tell me the cause. I…

Collection Cosmetics Lasting Perfection Concealer, £4.99, collection cosmetics.com This is the same much-loved Lasting Perfection formula, but it's now available with a handy built-in sponge applicator to make coverage even more seamless. Noughty Wave Hello Moisture Sealing Oil, £11.99, Superdrug Help curls and coils look shinier with this oil, made using 97% natural ingredients. It can be used as a scalp-soothing treatment or on ends to help smooth away frizz. Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Soothing Hydration Shampoo, £5, Boots Dove's new shampoo and conditioner range is designed to care for the scalp. This wash leaves hair feeling super-clean and softened. Urtekram Find Balance Fragrance Free Hand Cream, £5.35, Superdrug Dry, sore hands? Sensitive skin will benefit from this fragrancefree cream, which nourishes and soothes in seconds. It's made using fully organic,…

He was a smiling 2-year-old with an ‘independent spirit’. And in June 2021, Ethan Ives-Griffiths went to live with his grandparents Michael and Kerry Ives in Garden City, Flintshire. His mum Shannon, then 24, soon followed. She'd recently split from Ethan's dad Will Griffiths. But Michael, then 43, and Kerry, 42, were no doting grandparents. At the house, terrible things were happening. On the evening of 14 August 2021, Kerry called for an ambulance. Paramedics raced to the scene and found little Ethan unconscious. Unable to breathe unaided, he'd suffered a catastrophic head injury. Medics at the Countess of Chester Hospital, Chester, noticed he was bruised and dehydrated, with cracked, bloodied lips. He was also malnourished, with ‘prominent’ bones and ‘sunken’ eyes. How had he ended up in such a…