Table of contents for 25-Nov-2021 in Chat

When Luna was 18, she stumbled across a family secret that explained the uncomfortable feelings she’d had her whole life. Now she’s asking for help to give back what was rightfully hers (p6). We delve into the murky world of a secret sex cult that tricked women into becoming members (p54). And Erica’s weird diet will definitely turn your stomach – needless to say, please don’t try this at home (p19)! We’ve got supermarket style, freeze-ahead feasts, health ce – plus two pairs of earrings, free for every reader (p14)! Stay safe and well this week.…

F&F at TESCO All sizes 6-22 STYLE TIP Add a lightweight roll-neck under this dress and wear with thick wool tights for extra warmth. NUTMEG at MORRISONS All sizes 8-22 STYLE TIP Midi skirts skim over bum and thighs while the vertical pleats elongate your figure. Add a chunky knit. TU at SAINSBURY’S All sizes 8-24 STYLE TIP A gilet is a great alternative to a coat. Keep to thin layers underneath to avoid adding too much bulk. GEORGE at ASDA All sizes 8-24 STYLE TIP Inject colour into your wardrobe with bold knitwear. Keep things plain on the bottom half to balance the look.…

In April this year, Mika Nishiyama, 40, was totally exonerated at her retrial at Otsu District Court. Judge Naoki Onishi ruled there had never been any ‘foul play’ and said the 72-year-old patient most likely died of natural causes, not murder. He was particularly scathing about the manner in which investigators had coerced Mika into making a confession. ‘[The investigator] wielded a strong influence over her and controlled her statements. We cannot rewind the time, but this case has raised a big question over how criminal justice works [in Japan],’ Judge Onishi added. Clutching flowers, Mika wept outside court following her dramatic acquittal. ‘I’m very happy. My parents shed tears of joy,’ she gushed. But it didn’t give Mika – who now works in a recycling plant – back the…

ARROW WORD WIN £1,000 puzzle 10 What is the state fruit of Wisconsin? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. Your answer: SUDOKU To solve the puzzle, each 3 x 3 box, each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9. Solve the puzzle and the numbers in the highlighted squares will give you the prize puzzle answer. WIN £60 puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH WIN £50 puzzle 12 What is the first name of House in the US TV show of that name? The answer is the one missing from the grid. ADRIAN BENEDICT CLEMENT FELIX FRANCIS GREGORY INNOCENT JOHN LEO MARTIN PAUL PETER PIUS URBAN VICTOR…

The in-laws hate me Q Seven years ago, I got together with my best mate’s brother. Ever since, she and her parents have been vile to me. My partner’s fabulous and we have a daughter, who has never been acknowledged by her aunty. I found out she got in touch with my ex-husband, because she’s desperate to split me and her brother up. I really want to tell her to do one. Should I? Annie, 32 A We all know in-laws can be difficult, but this is something else. Don’t expect this bunch to change, it sounds like they want to create unnecessary drama in your life. You’re far better than this nonsense, so remove yourself from the situation and bite your tongue. Tempting as it is to give them…

Head down, I hurried through the school gates. Only, sure enough, I felt the familiar tug of another girl’s hand on my arm. ‘What you got for me today?’ she snarled. Rummaging in my pocket, I pulled out 50p I’d sneaked from my mum’s purse. ‘I’m doing you a favour, you’d only spend it on more sweets,’ the girl laughed, running off. Aged 10, I’d been bullied for years. Twice the size of most girls in my class, I already weighed 10st 7lb. Mum Glynis, then 35, and Dad Mickey, then 33, had tried everything to help me. Swimming, long walks, a dietician. However, I had a partner in crime in my grandma, Catherine. Weighing 22st, she used a wheelchair after a stroke and encouraged me to sneak to the…

Q Are Black Friday discounts always a good deal? R Taylor, Edinburgh A Black Friday is on 26 November this year, although many retailers offer deals ahead of the big day. But don’t assume anything you see discounted is automatically a great deal. Always do your research. Use price comparison sites to check how much the item sells for at different retailers. See if you can find the item’s price history too, using sites such as pricespy.co.uk and uk.camelcamelcamel.com, which covers amazon.co.uk only. But even if it’s a great bargain, remember to focus on the price you’ll be paying and consider whether you really want the item.…

Aries 21 March-20 April Life might be feeling a little uninspiring. You’re strong and ready to tackle your issues, proving to colleagues you’re a much needed part of the team. • Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Your long-term future will be safe when a contract is extended, and you’ll be pleased to receive a pay rise and higher status. A friend brings exciting news. • Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June Pamper yourself and your partner while the Moon and Mercury enters Scorpio. Try a treatment you will both enjoy – acupuncture or a massage to help you relax. • Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July Your thinking is right on target, so ensure you write down…

Publicist Max Clifford was known as the ‘King of Kiss and Tell’, and helped to launch Simon Cowell’s public career. But, on 6 December 2012, he was arrested after an investigation by Operation Yewtree. Following a trial in May 2014, he was convicted of eight counts of indecent assault against four girls between 1977 and 1984. And was jailed for eight years. He died after suffering a heart attack in prison in December 2017, his reputation in tatters.…

Q I keep hearing people talk about skincare with niacinamide. What exactly is it? Jackie, 55, Devon A Niacinamide has been a beauty wonder ingredient for years, but it’s really taken off lately – and for good reason, too. Also known as Vitamin B3, it offers benefits for all skin types. If you’re spot-prone, you’ll love its oil-balancing abilities. If you’re dehydrated, it can help skin to retain moisture. Plus, everyone will enjoy its radiance-boosting powers. It’s hardworking but not overly harsh, like retinol or glycolic acid can be, so it’ll work for pretty much everyone. Boots Ingredients Niacinamide Serum, £5, Boots, is a great introduction. Apply before moisturiser day and night. For cleansing, try e.l.f Cosmetics Superclarify Cleanser with Niacinamide, £8, Boots, or Q+A Niacinamide Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser, £7.50,…

Dear Mum, How vividly I remember your face lighting up whenever you talked about your nursing-home job. ‘It’s not a job if you love doing it,’ you’d smile. You’d always been a carer in a home for the elderly, doing 12-hour shifts, early mornings and late nights. It wasn’t easy. You – Una – and my dad Brian were also bringing up me, my brothers Micheal and Anthony, and sister Maria. Making sure food was on the table, our school uniforms were laundered. Yet you did it all with that bright smile on your face. ‘Why don’t you come and work at the nursing home?’ you suggested when I left school at 16, in 1980. Seeing how fulfilled it made you, Mum, I agreed. Over the next few weekends, I…

What is the most expensive thing that comedian Greg Davies has ever bought? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the four-word prize answer. ACROSS 11 Shooting star (6) 12 Winter sport (3,6) 13 Social insects (4) 14 Hard-working (8) 15 African country (5) 16 Strategy (6) 17 Action film with Bruce Willis (3,4) 18 Favourite student (8,3) 20 Cut of beef (5) 22 Rocky actor, _ Stallone (9) 24 Tintin’s dog (5) 28 Turns to ice (7) 29 Baked pasta dish (7) 32 Japanese garment (6) 34 Leech (8) 36 The Queen’s late sister (8) 37 Join the armed forces (6) 39 Nutritional supplement (7) 40 Disregards (7) 45 Heavenly being (5) 47 Australian city (9) 48 _ Bakula, Quantum Leap actor…

Erica Dobeck, 23 Looking in the mirror, I felt self-conscious. Red, angry bumps covered my cheeks and forehead. My hair was thinning and my periods had stopped. Something needs to change, I sighed. It was October 2019 and I’d tried everything from harsh cleansers to drinking lots of water. But the cystic acne I’d developed in my early 20s – the most severe type – refused to budge. Linked to hormones, stress and dietary changes, it’d caused me to lose hair and had sent my menstrual cycle haywire. You look like a middle-aged man,’ one dermatologist said bluntly during an appointment. Looking at my receding hairline and the pus-filled cysts blighting my complexion, I realised she was right – even if it was a little harsh. You need to start…

Discharge after delivery Q Since giving birth, l’ve had bleeding and a discharge. My GP found an erosion on my cervix. Is it serious? Joelle, Bromley A You have an area on your cervix, the neck of your womb, which is called an erosion because it looks as if the skin’s been rubbed away to leave a red, raw patch. In fact, it’s not rubbed or inflamed but is simply a patch of skin from inside your cervix which has spread on to its outside, usually due to the effect of oestrogen hormone following pregnancy or starting the oral contraceptive pill. Erosions are harmless, don’t hurt and often cause no symptoms, although they might cause a sticky discharge or slight bleeding from your vagina. Your doctor will confirm the diagnosis,…

Jagtar Singh and his wife Manjeet dote on their son Manpreet. Carrying him around safely in their arms, cuddling him. Sitting on the bed and teaching him about the cats and horses he loves so much. Like any parents would with a growing toddler. Only Manpreet isn’t growing. He isn’t a little boy, either. Born in India in 1995, he hasn’t grown even a millimetre taller in the past 25 years. And despite being 26 years old, he is only 23in in height. Trapped in the body of a toddler. ‘I am Manpreet’s father, he is my eldest son,’ Jagtar says proudly. ‘One year after his birth, we found out that he had stopped growing.’ Manpreet’s development stopped before he even had the chance to learn to walk or talk.…

Over the next weeks, Paul and I chatted nonstop. ‘We’re two of a kind,’ I said. We had lots in common. And not just our battle with obesity – we’d both lost a parent we’d been incredibly close to. Mum had died in my early 20s and Paul had lost his dad. The surgery was still working its magic, though, and the weight sliding off. By October 2014, I’d lost a staggering 12st. At first, it was hard adjusting to my new 12st, size 14 frame. I looked slim, but still felt like a fat person. Chatted up in a supermarket, I didn’t know where to look. No one had ever flirted with me! My marriage ended not long after – we’d just drifted apart – so I was alone.…

Chicken biryani This dish is a little more time-consuming, but definitely worth the effort! SERVES 6 PREP TIME: 30 MINS COOK TIME: 1 HR 30 MINS • 500g basmati rice, rinsed well • 60g butter • 4tbsp sunflower oil • 500g chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin on • 2 bay leaves • 25g grated fresh ginger • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed • Pinch of saffron • 5 green cardamom pods • 4 cloves • 1 cinnamon stick, halved • 2tsp cumin seeds • 2 large white onions, sliced • 1tsp cornflour • 1 large carrot, cubed • 300g cauliflower, cut into florets • 100g frozen peas • Handful of coriander, chopped • 4tbsp double cream • 250g shop-bought puff pastry • 1 egg, beaten, for wash • Pomegranate…

Rolf Harris was as beloved as Savile once was – until Operation Yewtree exposed his historic sex offences. The telly personality released hit songs, presented Animal Hospital and painted a portrait of the Queen. But in June 2014, he was convicted of 12 indecent assaults against four girls between 1968 and 1986. Harris was jailed for five years and nine months, but released in May 2017. He is now 91. One conviction was overturned on appeal.…

Pantene Pro-V Miracles Intense Hair Rescue Mask, £4.99 This super-concentrated treatment takes locks from straw-like to silky in just two minutes. Simply pop it on to wet hair before rinsing out. It’s the perfect weekly fix for a frazzled mane. Collection Gel Effect Spotlight Shine Nail Polish, £3.99, Superdrug Save on salon manis with this pro-worthy polish. It offers impressive lasting power and super levels of shine, as well as an easy-to-use wide brush. Love. Revlon 16Hr Longwear Colorstay Satin Ink Liquid Lipstick, £9.99, Boots This budge-proof lippie, in 10 shades, delivers full-coverage glossy colour with one seamless coat. Designed to move with your lips, there’s no cracking or flaking. Just the ticket for brightening up dull autumn mornings. Boutique Illuminating Drops in Pink, £4, Sainsbury’s This multi-tasking illuminator works…

Taking a deep breath, Sarah Edmondson tried to block out that she was lying naked on a massage table. Being held down by three other women. She couldn’t believe what was about to happen behind the doors of a chic house in leafy upstate New York. But she was ready. ‘Master, brand me. It would be an honour,’ she said. As the cauterising iron seared seven white-hot lines into the skin just below her hip, Sarah reminded herself that the agony was the last step in her initiation. It was March 2017 and she was about to join a sisterhood called DOS, a highly secret cult within the elite marketing scheme called Nxivm (pronounced ‘nexium’). It claimed to empower women by teaching them self-discipline and enlightenment. Just like the three…

Sitting in church with my family, I squirmed in my seat. Those are bad, dirty thoughts, I chastised. I was just 6, and scolding myself for wishing I could play with dolls. Have long flowing hair. Be a girl. Living in conservative Georgia, USA, I knew people wouldn’t understand. And I believed God would punish me. So I repressed my natural instincts. But I was a lonely child. I took more than one beating in school for being too ‘girly’. I just don’t fit in anywhere, I thought, feeling isolated. With no one to confide in, I spiralled into depression, hating that I couldn’t be the person – the girl – I really was inside. I spent my teens hoping I’d grow out of yearning for feminine curves. But I…

Sarah Eldilemi, 33 Peeking around the bedroom door, I smiled, watching my kids Kaeden, then 11, and Kailani, 8, snuggled up with our dog Rocket. ‘Wish I could be...part of that world,’ Kailani sang sweetly, while Kaeden hummed along. A song from her fave film, The Little Mermaid. They were close, with Kailani protective of her autistic big brother. Minutes later, my hubby Derick, then 41, popped upstairs to say goodnight, tell the kids he loved them. It was April 2018, and we looked like a happy family. Derick, a barber, was a doting, adored daddy. But when it came to me, he was different. We’d met when I was 16 and he was 28, and while he’d made me feel safe and secure at first, he’d soon become controlling.…

Jane Hill, 54, Keighley True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK As the virtual meeting began, I moved closer to my laptop. ‘I can’t see a thing,’ I sighed to my husband Graham, then 58, squinting at the screen. It was late 2020 and, like most, I’d been working from home since lockdown, in my NHS admin role. Only, with meetings and presentations now all online, I struggled to read the screen. It was just one of the ways my eyesight had deteriorated. I also couldn’t read aisle numbers in supermarkets. Found it difficult to make out people’s faces in the distance, relying on their voices instead. Even my reading glasses didn’t help. I’m, just getting older, I assumed. Only, one morning this March, I woke up with blurry vision in my right eye.…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p3. There’s £20 for every one we use! This week’s puzzle was compiled by Bailey McGuire, Cleethorpes ACROSS 1 Bright light in the sky 2 Scottish island 3 Mix of black and white 4 Latest info DOWN 1 Signal 2 Ripped 3 Once more 4 Lines of sunlight WIN 5x £25 Puzzle 6 Your answer: CHAIN WORDS What was the title of UK rapper Lady Sovereign’s 2005 debut single from the album Public Warning? Get from Start to Finish, making words by joining two boxes together as you go, eg: SEL + FIE, FIE +... you decide! When you reach Finish, two unused boxes join together to give you…

Award-winning Double Gloucester is a traditional, unpasteurized, semi-hard cheese made in Gloucestershire since the 16th century. It’s known as ‘double’ because it was traditionally made with the morning and evening cow’s milk. Actor Simon Pegg was born in Brockworth on Valentine’s Day 1970. The Shaun of the Dead star says, ‘When I can come back, I feel myself decompressing, coming down the A40 as I cross over down past the Air Balloon [pub], I feel myself going aaahh.’ Parts of Gloucester’s historic cathedral were transformed into the corridors of Hogwarts School for the first two Harry Potter films.…

FILL ME IN WIN £100 puzzle 14 Bass Rock, an island in the Firth of Forth, is home to the largest breeding population of the ‘northern’ species of which bird? Solve the puzzle by following the arrows and writing in your answers. Then read down the letters in the shaded squares to find the prize answer. Your answer: CIRCLE TIME The most productive platinum mine in the world in 2020 was in South Africa’s North West Province and is named after what animal? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters AIR ASH END ORB ORC OVA SAD SIR SPA 4 letters AMID ASKS BALD LOSS SAGA TOSS 5 letters ALIVE ALPHA CLEAR YEAST 6 letters RABBIT SAMOSA SIRENS SUBMIT 7…

3 ways to... protect your stuff when you’re out Reduce the chance of being a victim of theft outside the home by following these tips, says Aviva. 1 Leave it at home If you’re heading out, think about exactly what you need to take with you, says the insurer. Do you need to take a laptop, phone, wallet, tablet? If the answer is no, leave the items at home – and limit the amount of cash you carry, too. And don’t leave items unattended. Sadly, even if you leave possessions for just a few seconds, they could be taken. Also, beware of distraction techniques: professional thieves may try to distract you by getting you chatting while they or an accomplice makes off with your possessions. 2 Plan ahead Use a…

I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! ITV Ant and Dec host the 21st series of ITV’s celebrity survival show, but once again the pandemic has put paid to the show setting up camp in the Australian jungle, so it’s off to Gwrych Castle near Conwy in Wales for the second year running. Rumoured to be among this year’s celebs are TV presenter Richard Madeley, former Strictly judge Dame Arlene Phillips and Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge. Who will follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner, Giovanna Fletcher, to be crowned King or Queen of the Castle? DON’T MISS DON’T MISS Robin Robin NETFLIX This charming animation from Aardman’s famous studios tells the story of Robin, who’s raised by a family of mice after she hatches from her egg,…

There was an outpouring of grief at Jimmy Savile’s death at 84, in October 2011. We mourned the loss of the ‘eccentric’ king of kids’ telly. He was a bloke who’d entertained us and our families for decades. Made thousands of kids’ dreams come true on Jim’ll Fix It. Raised more than £40 million for charities. He was knighted in 1990, but, in 2012, a year after his death, ITV documentary Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile blew the lid on the entertainment industry’s most-shameful yet best-kept secret. Savile was revealed as a prolific sex offender. Scotland Yard launched Operation Yewtree, investigating claims of historic child sex abuse made against Savile, as well as others. It emerged that Savile had abused an estimated 500 innocent and vulnerable children as…

Faith in Nature Dragon Fruit Shampoo Bar, £5.79, Holland & Barrett I love that this bar comes in different fragrances. The plant-based blend lathers up well and is brilliant for dialling up the gloss in dry, lacklustre tresses thanks to argan and camellia oil. Eco Warrior Sensitive Facial Bar, £4.50, Sainsbury’s Forget harsh soaps, this solid cleanser calms irritation while whisking away grime. Pop it in a soap case and sling it in your gym or travel bag. Ethique Untangled Solid Conditioner, £11, ethique.co.uk Solid conditioners can be hard to get right with many leaving locks lank. Not this one. Promising to save five plastic bottles, it nourishes and calms frizz without a greasy feeling.…

PLEASE USE BLOCK CAPITALS THROUGHOUT HOW TO ENTER TEXT Simply text CHATB followed by a space and your answer/s (spaces between answers please) full name, door number and postcode to 63333 Texts cost 50p plus standard network charge (maximum 160 characters per text). When you enter by text, you may in future get SMS marketing messages from Future plc and Chat. If you want to receive these, please end your text with OPTIN. Texting tips • Don’t put any spaces in an answer that has several words: eg: CHATISTHEBEST not CHAT IS THE BEST. • If the answer is a name, you need only give the surname: eg: CLOONEY not GEORGE CLOONEY. • You can use capitals or small letters, but don’t use any commas, etc. • Leave out answers…