Table of contents for 25 June 2024 in Bella

Stepping onto the scales in the doctor's consulting room, my cheeks burned. At 5ft 5in and wearing a dress size 20 to 22, I already knew what was coming, even before the needle showed I weighed 16st 9lbs. I'd always struggled with my weight. By 14, I'd started skipping school lunches in a bid to fit in with my slimmer friends – the start of years of yo-yo dieting. After school I became a beauty therapist and while my job meant I took care of the way I looked, I could never seem to take control of my weight. I'd got together with my fiancé, Kyle, a barber, when I was 22 and a size 16. We knew one another from living in the same area and our paths had…

Add colour with furniture in soft shades for a fresh new look Summer crockery needn't cost the earth. This seaside design will add fun to your dining table We love this purse-friendly bedding with its funky print…

My son is doing too much! Q My son and his wife have two children under 10. My daughter-in-law is a lovely girl at times. She has been diagnosed with ME, amongst other things, and, whilst I sympathise, I do feel she is taking advantage of my son, and me. I am part of the childcare system and sometimes feel she is palming the boys off on me because she can't be bothered. My son has a stressful job, and when he is home, he has to be mum and dad because she needs to “sleep”. Amazingly, she can always find the energy to socialise and go shopping. My husband and I are both worried about our son. He doesn't seem to get any time for himself and is the…

PRIZE crossword WIN £200 Solve the crossword to find, reading from top to bottom in the shaded squares, the name of a British director. This is your competition entry answer. See the ‘How to enter’ panel, below right. Across 1 Mix up a deck of playing cards (7) 4 Nimbleness (7) 8 My Best Friend's - - -, romcom starring Julia Roberts (7) 12 Long French loaf (8) 14 Delphinium flower, anagram of RAP LURKS (8) 17 Straw survey? (4) 18 Wash through with water (5) 19 Just Can't Get Enough band, Depeche - - - (4) 20 Ellie - - -, comedian and TV presenter, pictured above (6) 21 Small smooth stone (6) 23 Mother-of-pearl (5) 25 Former member of One Direction now a solo artist, - - - Horan (5) 26 US band leader and composer, Duke - - - (9) 27 Knight's…

Geri Halliwell-Horner made a very bold statement last week when she referred to herself in a video for a Dior fashion campaign as Geri Halliwell. The Spice Girl had changed her maiden name for Horner when she married F1 boss Christian back in 2015. But following the recent scandals around her marriage, sources now reveal this is Geri's way of claiming her identity back and removing herself from the drama. “Geri has opened her eyes to just how unprepared she'd be if her marriage was to break down. She's decided she needs to get her ‘pre-Horner’ identity back and separate herself from being Christian's wife in the public eye,” our insider reveals. “She's ensuring that she's always got her identity as the star she was before their marriage, if things…

No Alia Waheed, 38, writer ‘It's aggressive and antisocial – let kids be kids’ Although I'm a pretty laidback kind of mum, when it comes to swearing, I am old-school. While some people may find potty-mouthed pre-schoolers dropping the F-bomb hilarious – the number of TikTok videos is proof of that – let's be real here, the reason why they get millions of views is the shock value because you know it's inappropriate. Using the odd expletive or three (usually when I've trod on Lego), is different for adults, as most of us know how to self-regulate our language. But teaching kids rude words is like handing over a hand grenade. It's called an F-bomb for a reason – it's likely to blow up a situation. It's not fair on…

Make this figureflattering dress work for a day in the office by pairing with court shoes and a blazer Wear shorts the grown-up way by opting for chic tailored styles in luxe linen textures These designer lookalike sandals will also look great with jeans Make outfit choosing a dream by packing an easy-to-wear jumpsuit WIN A £500 SHOPPING SPREE WITH COTTON TRADERS Looking to update your wardrobe with the latest must-have pieces this summer? Two lucky Bella readers are in with the chance of winning £500 to spend with British heritage fashion brand, Cotton Traders! The new collection is filled with lightweight patterned pieces including a variety of clothing from the Wrinkle Free Collection – the perfect creaseresistant styles available in bold, bright hues for the ultimate holiday getaway. There…

cookery Sticky hoisin beef Serves 4 Ready in 30-35 mins FOR THE SAUCE 6tbsp hoisin sauce 1tbsp sriracha ¼tsp Chinese 5-spice ¼tsp chilli flakes (optional) 2tsp rice wine or white wine vinegar FOR THE STIR-FRY 2 x sirloin steak, (approx 450g), thinly sliced 3tbsp cornflour ¼tsp fine salt Neutral oil, to fry 1 onion, sliced 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2tsp grated fresh ginger (approx. 4cm) 175g broccoli, cut into small florets Rice, 1 spring onion, finely sliced, and 1 red chilli, finely sliced, to serve (optional) 1 Mix together the ingredients for the sauce with 125ml water and set aside. 2 Place the steak in a dish or mixing bowl and add the cornflour and salt. Coat well, making sure every piece is separated out. 3 Heat 2tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high…

£50 Star letter A courageous woman Tracy Stark has shown a huge amount of courage and dignity in the face of unimaginable adversity (issue 23). How she must have felt at being told her two boys had been killed by their own father, none of us would wish on our own worst enemy. She could have been forgiven for hiding away and completely withdrawing from life; instead she has set up a charity in her children's names so they will not be forgotten. I wish her the best. Jenny Beeson, Norwich Amazing Stacey Watching Stacey Solomon with her son Zach on Sort Your Life Out, was wonderful to see – she must be a great mother. After reading the article in Bella issue 23 on how Stacey wants to be…

CANCER 22 June – 23 July This is the start of a phase in which you're caught up in your own concerns and interests, and on the 21st you're eager to get the ball rolling. Even so, you've got to juggle your own needs with those of others from the 22nd, so make sure that everyone gets a look-in. Theme of the week: Flexibility 0906 650 7233 LEO 24 July – 23 August It will do you good to withdraw from the world every now and then, simply so you can recharge your batteries and have a little time to yourself. However, you need to be fully present and mentally on your toes on the 21st. Theme of the week: Pay attention 0906 650 7234 VIRGO 24 August – 23…

KATE MIDDLETON Is known for her poise, grace – and sporting ability! Mostly, we're just impressed at the Princess of Wales’ ability to kick a ball in wedge heels. Now that's a skill! VICKY MCCLURE Line Of Duty star Vicky McClure is a football lover on and off the pitch. In addition to taking part in Soccer Aid, Vicky is a hardcore Notts County fan, and can often be seen celebrating (and swearing) in the stands. MILLIE BOBBY BROWN It was Millie Bobby Brown's talent and beauty that helped her win over husband Jake Bongiovi, but the newly married Stranger Things star also has some silky skills up her sleeve. Her player number? Eleven, surely. OLLY MURS Before he was a pop star, Olly Murs was a semi-professional footballer for…

Royal reconciliation for Charles & Harry? Kylie's seven-figure documentary She has an Ao (Order of Australia), an OBE, multiple Grammy and Brit Awards and is known as the Princess of Pop, so it's no wonder that Kylie Minogue has reportedly been at the centre of a major bidding frenzy for the rights to film a flyon-the-wall documentary about her life. A source has revealed, “There was a serious bidding war over this. Kylie's had an incredible life, from starring in Neighbours to becoming a pop icon and still dominating the charts decades later. “She has a massive fan-base so there's no question it will attract a huge audience. That's why the offers went so high – everyone's very excited.” In the end it was Netflix that the 56 year old…

Richard Madeley has claimed that his wife Judy Finnigan is “happy to call it a day” in a shock confession. The TV star, who has been married to Judy for 38 years, also revealed that the couple now often sleep in separate bedrooms. The revelation came as Richard, 68, sat down with fans to give a talk on his latest novel. But chat quickly turned to his marriage and whether or not the golden TV couple would ever co-host a show together again. “We did 13 years on This Morning, which is a heck of a long time – seven years in Liverpool, six years in London. And then Channel 4 poached us so we did eight years of Richard & Judy on Channel 4. That was a total of…

Grabbing our mugs of tea and a packet of biscuits, my sister Banaz and I sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor. We chatted and laughed until our cheeks hurt. It was our favourite ritual. I was 11 when I moved from Kurdistan, Iraq, to London in 1999. It was a completely different world to what I was used to, and I was in awe of it all. Our parents were strict, not allowing us to talk to boys or socialise outside of school, so it was difficult to make friends. But it didn't matter, because I had Banaz. She was only 17 months older than me, so we went through everything in life together. We shared a love for pop music, but while I was a chatterbox, Banaz was reserved…

TV interview Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is happily flamboyant when it comes to interior design, but in new series Outrageous Homes, he's meeting Brits whose houses make his maximalist designs look frankly pedestrian. From an interactive pirate ship to a home with a Venetian canal system and even a would-be medieval castle in the suburbs, Laurence, 59, has been gobsmacked and inspired in equal measure. But, most of all, he is thrilled to celebrate the quirky confidence of ordinary people with extraordinary taste in home designs. We caught up with the always enthusiastic host to find out more. What excites you most about this series? There are so many eccentric, outrageous homes in the UK. I found it heartening that we are now looking at a population who feel so good in…