Innehållsförteckning för 11 January 2024 från Chat

Welcome to this week's Chat… Alice knew her marriage was on the rocks but it was only when she did some Instagram snooping that she realised why. Her hubby Kevin had met someone else – but the beautiful young woman he'd fallen in love with wasn't all that she seemed… (p10) Alice is a Chat reader and wrote in to share her shocking story with her fave mag. You can do the same – just use the contact details on p4. Have a great week, Kate Williams, Editor PS If you're entering the puzzles online, this is the link to use: comps.lifedeathprizes.com/puzzles…

Alice, 51 E yes glued to the big screen, I reached into the cardboard bucket on the arm rest next to me. Grabbing a handful of popcorn, my fingers brushed my date's as he did the same. A tingle shot up my arm. A spark?! I'd said no when Kevin first asked me out. He was the friend of a friend, and we often bumped into each other at birthday parties or the pub. I liked him but didn't want things getting awkward if it didn't work out. But eventually, I agreed, and now, sitting next to him in the dark, I knew I wanted to see him again. After the film, our conversation flowed easily. Kevin was a successful businessman, and he seemed dependable and sensible. After a few…

I t was an invitation no rising music star could refuse. A glitzy pool party in the Hollywood Hills. Hosted by none other than Keeping up with the Kardashians star and billionaire make-up mogul Kylie Jenner. Rapper Megan Thee Stallion – real name Megan Pete – had a coveted spot on the guest list. Megan, then 25, already had a string of hits under her belt, including Savage and Hot Girl Summer. Plus collaborations with music giants like Cardi B and Nicki Minaj. And as she joined the glamorous guests at the reality star's home in July 2020, she had her long-time friend and personal assistant, Kelsey Harris, in tow. Megan and Kelsey had been pals since university. The pair had also arrived at the pool party with Canadian rapper…

1 Wake up your body Before showering, dry-brush your skin with a body brush to boost your circulation and remove energyzapping toxins. ‘Work in small, circular movements upwards from your feet, using enough pressure so that it tingles but doesn't hurt,’ says holistic living expert Janey Lee Grace. Use invigorating shower gels with mint, citrus or tea-tree oil to stimulate your senses. 2 Strike a pose ‘Correcting your posture can help get more oxygen into your body,’ says physio Sammy Margo. ‘Sit tall in your chair as if you have a string coming from the top of your head to your tail bone, with your stomach muscles pulled in and ribcage lifted. Breathe down into your ribcage for a full intake of oxygen, with your legs uncrossed for good circulation.’ Do this for five…

OVER TO YOU Can you set a puzzle in this format? Send it, with a photo of yourself, to the address on p4. There's £20 for every one we use! This week's puzzle was compiled by Gloria Wilding, Prescot, Merseyside WIN 5 x £20 Puzzle 6 ACROSS 1 Group of performers 2 Edible grain 3 Knitted garment 4 Curved DOWN 1 Crustacean 2 English river 3 A quick glance 4 Cloth shelter Your answer: HALF & HALF Which monumental objects were traditionally erected on platforms called ahu? Cross out a letter in each square to get a grid filled with words. The uncrossed-out letters in the shaded squares give the prize answer. WIN 3×£50 Puzzle 7 Your answer: BRICK TRICK The earliest recorded use of cotton and which dye was found in 2016 at Huaca Prieta,…

WIN £100 Puzzle 14 According to scriptures, the Manasputra are sons created from the mind of which Hindu god? 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: FILL ME IN CIRCLE TIME La bonnotte, produced on the French island of Noirmoutier, is the most expensive variety of what? Fit the words into the grid, then read down the letters in the shaded circles. 3 letters AIR ALE ARE ART END ERA PAY POD POP RED 4 letters LAND LARD PLAN PLEA SPAT SPOT TALE 5 letters PESTO POPES TANGO 6 letters PADDLE PALEST PANTED PAPAYA PATTER POMADE 8 letters DETECTED Your answer: WIN £100 Puzzle 15 TO ENTER Turn to…

NO-FUSS FOOD Under 500 calories Top tip Cook on the hob to the end of step 2. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low for 7 hrs. Pot roast beef brisket An easy roast dinner, whack this in the oven and leave to cook! SERVES 4 PREP 15 MINS COOK 3 HRS, PLUS RESTING ● ½tbsp cooking oil ● 1kg rolled beef brisket joint ● 1tbsp plain flour ● 4 shallots, peeled and halved ● 3 carrots, roughly chopped ● 3 parsnips, roughly chopped ● 2 sticks of celery, snapped into pieces ● 100ml dry white wine ● 1tbsp wholegrain mustard ● 2 bay leaves ● Mashed potatoes, to serve For the topping: ● Small bunch parsley ● 2 garlic cloves ● Zest of 1 lemon 1 Heat the…

Letting my hair down, I bounced around to the house music. Living my best life, I thought. It was August 2019 and I was dancing at a rave with my mates. Through the mist of the smoke machines, I spotted a familiar face. A friend of a friend, William Graham, then 19. We followed each other online, but we'd barely chatted in real life. He was handsome, with a chiselled jaw, bright blue eyes and neat blond hair. Yet, despite his clean-cut image, William had a bad reputation and my pals didn't like him much. But… He's so good looking, I thought now. My tummy flipped every time his eyes met mine throughout the night. A few days later, we began messaging on Instagram. You're gorgeous, he said, showering me…

NUMBER JIG How many days elapsed from Dua Lipa first reaching No 1 in the UK Singles Chart with New Rules until Dance the Night from the Barbie soundtrack also reached No 1? Fit these numbers into the grid. One number doesn't fit. This is the prize answer. 3 digits 145 176 177 178 625 747 838 855 863 980 4 digits 1682 1801 2198 2591 2795 3330 4895 7824 8312 8409 8973 WIN £200 Puzzle 1 5 digits 22197 25793 27871 33194 39692 42714 45317 57679 67547 72818 83840 97911 6 digits 285733 348332 351668 410465 431153 519752 612078 7 digits 3019228 6763847 7264623 8 digits 34853192 Your answer: PIECEWORD François-Joseph Gossec's 1790 work Marche lugubre uses which instrument, thought to be a first in western classical music? The…

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Helen Tyler, 40, Shrewsbury True-life PATIENT CASEBOOK Watching my eldest jump on the trampoline, I smiled. ‘Mummy, your turn,’ she cheered. ‘No, let the others have a go,’ I said, lifting my youngest on next. It was July 2021 and my kids, then 7, 5 and 3, were always trying to get me on the trampoline. But I found an excuse. I suffered from stress incontinence – not helped by the fact I'd given birth to three children. My second, born in 2017, weighed 9lb 14oz, my third, born in 2018, wasn't far off at 8lb 8oz. No wonder my body felt the strain. I'd previously worked as a physiotherapist, so kept my pelvic floor exercises up throughout my pregnancies and beyond. But I'd still been left with stress incontinence,…

Language is a weird and wonderful thing. Throughout time, all across the world, each language has used idioms. Funny common phrases used to describe a situation or person. But while they sound perfectly normal to the native speaker, they translate into the most bonkers expressions! What the cluck? Origin: French What they say: Quand les poules auront des dents, which translates as when chickens have teeth. All it means is it's never gonna happen. gonna happen. What we say: When pigs fly! Bear faced Origin: German What they say: Jemandem einen Bären aufbinden, or tie a bear to someone. It's used when someone tries to trick or fool someone else. What we says: Pull a fast one. Tooth hairy Origin: Dutch What they say: Haar op de tanden hebben, or having hair on…

ARROW WORD WIN £500 Puzzle 10 In which city does the world's largest jazz festival take place each year? 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 2 x £30 Puzzle 11 Your answer: WORDSEARCH WIN £40 Puzzle 12 According to Guinness World Records, which of these volcanoes caused the largest-ever, modern-day landslide? The answer is the one missing from the grid. AGUNG BROMO COTOPAXI ETNA FUJI KILAUEA KRAKATOA MAUNA…

Why won't he get a job? Q My man used to work before COVID but he lost his job and hasn't worked since. I'm paying all the bills now for the house we share. And doing all the cooking and cleaning! He controls the TV, he has outbursts and tantrums when I tell him to get a job. I just don't know what to do any more. Lauren, 39 A The fact he's having tantrums is a massive red flag, pet. It's so unfair you're taking on so much and you should be able to raise concerns with your partner. And if you can't do this, then you need to get out, love. It sounds to me like the love, trust and respect has gone. Ask yourself – what's left…

3 ways to… SAVE ON HOLIDAYS Act now to get a good deal on your summer break… 1 Put the legwork in To save when booking a holiday, the key is doing research. If you're planning to book flights separately, try using flight comparison site Kayak (kayak.co.uk) to help you find the cheapest dates to travel. For example, you'll often find it's cheaper to fly mid-week than at the weekend. Before booking a hotel, spend time looking for the best deal on the hotel you want to stay in. It's then worth contacting the hotel directly to see if they'll beat the best price you've found. However, depending on where you're going and for how long, you may find booking a package holiday is cheapest. Similarly, shop around for the best…

WIN £500 Puzzle 18 The answers to all but one of these quiz questions can be found hidden in this wordsearch grid, reading forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. To help you, we'll tell you that the answers are in alphabetical order in each section. However, one answer can't be found in the grid. This is your prize answer. See page 56 for entry details. CARROT 1 Which decorative material completes the alternative name of the wild carrot; Queen Anne's _? (4) 2 Carrot jam, pastel de nata (a custard tart), porco preto (Iberian black pork) and bacalhau (salted cod) are delicacies from which country? (8) 3 Tottington Hall's annual vegetable competition for the Golden Carrot trophy features in the 2005 animated film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the _? (4-6)…

Sophia Giraldo made no secret of how bad her marriage had been. Openly called it ‘toxic’ in her 2022 podcast, Unfiltered and Free. Sophia had filed for divorce from her bus driver husband Stephen that August. But she'd left him three years before that. Moved into a domestic violence shelter with their three boys, where they stayed for nine months before getting a flat. And as she tried to move on, she didn't shy away from the truth. As a life coach, the mum of three specialised in helping survivors of intimate partner violence. She spoke about finding out that her husband was a sex addict in 2012, shortly after the birth of their first child. This, she told listeners, sparked years of escalating physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse.…

Your dream holiday? Definitely a week in the Maldives followed by a trip to Sri Lanka – would be rude not to while I'm in the area! But the best destination I've been to is Costa Rica. I love the wildlife, especially coatis. They're a member of the raccoon family, and I'd never heard of them before. What did you want to be when you grew up? As a young girl I wanted to be an air hostess, but never followed it up. Mind you, would have made it easier to pop to the Maldives! First concert you went to? My first concert was The Sooty Show at my local theatre when I was 6, I had a great time. I actually haven't been to another concert since! Do you…

What do actors Daniel Craig and Christopher Eccleston have in common? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to find the five-word prize answer. ACROSS 1 Watchful (5) 4 Tub (4) 6 Woodwind instrument (8) 13 Prisoner (7) 14 Common black and white birds (7) 15 Oak tree seed (5) 16 Repair (4) 17 Greek god of the Sun (6) 18 Realm (6) 20 Wild animal's den (4) 21 Sketches (5) 22 Commands (6) 25 Saying words (8) 28 Place where horses are kept (6) 30 List at the back of a book (5) 32 _ Johansson, actor (8) 34 Gets on a horse (6) 35 Wander (4) 38 Owns up (6) 39 Makes a noise like a dog (5) 40 Breakfast food (6) 43 Unmixed, untainted (4) 44 Piece of jewellery (6) 45 Artist, _ da Vinci (8) 48 Large serving spoon (5) 49 Disappear (6) 51 Disadvantage (8) 54 Older…

My baby's changed my body Q Since having my baby the skin around my nipples has turned dark brown. Will it ever fade? Alicia, Guildford A Hormones during pregnancy and breastfeeding stimulate skin to produce more of the brown pigment melanin. This produces a brown line down the centre of your abdomen from your belly button besides darkened skin in the area around your nipples (your areola), your vagina lips and groin. Almost all pregnant women experience these changes, though they're more marked if you're naturally darker skinned. The colour will fade over many months, though might not disappear completely. There's no need for any treatment and although skin lightening creams or laser therapy might help fade some colour, you should check with your doctor before using them on such…

Pulling out a tray of freshly baked cinnamon buns, I breathed in their deliciously sugary smell. ‘Yum,’ I grinned, my tummy rumbling. Grabbing one from the line, I scoffed it in two bites. The dinner guests will love them, I thought. It was November 2019, and for the last 10 years I'd worked as a pastry chef. Baking my own unique, tasty treats including buns, cakes, sweets and ice cream. And since 2016, I'd worked on a luxury cruise ship. Sailing around exotic locations like Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean and Alaska. It wasn't as glam as it sounds – most days I was up at the crack of dawn. On my feet in the kitchen for hours, rarely stopping for a proper meal. Instead, I'd tuck into leftovers, or my…

Sitting in my doctor's office, I clutched my stomach in terror. ‘I'm calling an ambulance,’ the GP said. It was March 2019 and I'd been suffering from pneumonia for months. Racing heart, constant cough, struggling to catch my breath. It wasn't getting better and now I had chest pains and bleeding, too. Rushed to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, I was kept in overnight. Only, in the early hours of the morning, the doctor woke me with news. ‘You're pregnant,’ he said. I was lost for words. Scans had confirmed I was 16 weeks gone with a healthy baby boy. I'd always pictured myself having kids one day. It hadn't looked quite like this – unplanned and a single mum at 37. Yet it felt like a chance to make…

5-11 January 2024 Aries 21 March-20 April Embrace 2024 with confidence! Pursue financial ventures wisely and don't take too many risks. Your relationships will thrive with open communication. ● Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April-21 May Jupiter in your sign is now direct again, which is great news for your career. Set practical goals you can steadily work towards. Luck is on your side. ● Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May-21 June With Mercury, Venus and Mars in your opposite sign, this could cause tension. Before you communicate, ask yourself, is it kind, necessary and honest? ● Call 0905 817 0692* for more Cancer 22 June-23 July The full moon in Cancer last December shone a light on your sense of security and ambitions.…

Q I want to try a new haircut – how do I know which style will flatter my face shape? Helena Bowman, Bristol A It can be overwhelming trying to choose a new hairstyle. Generally speaking a bob suits most face shapes, ages, hair types and colours. Whether it's a long, asymmetrical, relaxed or layered bob, this cut has a style for everyone. The best thing to do is speak to your hairdresser first and they'll help you choose one and keep pictures of hairstyles you like to show them when you visit. If you aren't looking for something quite so dramatic, then a fringe can be a great way to update your look without taking the plunge. Use Lee Stafford Messed Up Putty, £5.99, Boots, to add texture and…

Solutions to Chat issue 48/49 (7 December 2023) Puzzle 2 Maize Puzzle 3 Raid Puzzle 4 Carried the Olympic torch Puzzle 5 1A,1C,2C,3D,4B Puzzle 6 Cede Puzzle 7 Heat Puzzle 8 Sting Puzzle 9 Helicopters Puzzle 10 Seattle Puzzle 13 Tulsa Puzzle 14 Tyrone Puzzle 15 Apple Puzzle 16 Non-alcoholic beer Puzzle 17 Orchid Puzzle 18 Whitfield WE WON! Anyone from your town in the list this week‥? Chat winners issue 39 (28 Sept 2023) £1,001 CASH S Kaniuk, Rochdale £500 CASH N Elston-Thomas, Minehead J Jarvis, Pontefract £250 CASH M Pilling, Coventry S Currie, Ruislip £200 CASH M Johnstone, Alness £100 CASH A Porter, Doncaster D Larner, Chesterfield £75 CASH K Roebuck, Chatteris £50 CASH L Haden, Luton E Kirk, Consett C Kennewell, Lincoln £40 CASH J Underhill, Basingstoke…