Table of contents for Bella 17 October 2023 in Bella

The Sussexes’ continuing estrangement from the royals has brought the rest of the family closer together, according to sources. Insiders reveal that the fractured relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the other senior royals, following reports that King Charles offered the pair a place to stay in Kensington Palace after they were asked to give up their UK home, has led to an unlikely heart-to-heart and secret conversations between Princess Kate and Queen Camilla. While their relationship was thought to be strained before the Coronation in May, with Camilla worried Kate would overshadow her on the big day, things are said to have improved in recent months as they bond over their shared feelings on the situation. With Charles and his eldest son William in talks over offering…

Clare Balding has been a regular on our TV screens for decades – whether it be presenting Olympics coverage, Crufts or Sports Personality of the Year, amongst many others. However, her true passion is her pets. She and wife Alice Arnold, whom she married in 2015, lost their dog Archie a few years back, and have been without a pooch since, but the pair have cats and are looking at adopting a new dog in the future. With animals in mind, Clare has recently been working on a new book, entitled Isle of Dogs. We caught up with the 52-year-old TV legend to talk pets, partnership and holiday plans… You’ve written a lot of books now… I’ve written four for adults and four for children and have another one for…

After suffering with numbness in my legs and not being able to move my right eye, I was shocked when hospital tests confirmed what was wrong. “You have MS,” a neurologist said. I was thrown for a loop and it was like a light switch suddenly went on in my brain. “I have to change my lifestyle,” I thought. At 24 stone, I was a size 26 and the heaviest I’d ever been. I’d struggled with my weight since childhood, but after six miscarriages and a recent divorce, I’d been plunged into depression. I’d started comfort eating more, scoffing two sharing-size chocolate bars a day with a cuppa, as well as crisps and takeaways. I’d became a couch potato, shutting myself away from the world. With my new diagnosis, I…

Super smoothies “I’ll have my breakfast smoothie with two scoops of chocolate collagen, some flaxseeds, chia seeds, unsweetened almond butter, spinach, blueberries and some ice. Then I blend it all up.” Hearty salads “I have the same lunch every day, I have a big fat salad. I’ll have green beans cut up, broccoli, a hearty veggie and lots of dark greens. I have half a sweet potato, some chopped nuts, cheese. I’ll have anything in my salads, they’re big and hearty and full of good stuff.” Simple dinners “A typical dinner would be ‘mum food’ during the week. I don’t consider myself a good cook or baker, but I do like to cook and bake for people I love. When my kids are having pizza what I love to do…

Rifling through my mum Ann’s wardrobe, a gorgeous jumper caught my eye. “Mum, do you still wear this?” I asked, cheekily. “Oh go on, you can have it,” she said. Mum was packing her suitcase to go and visit my sister Sarah in Australia, who was pregnant with her second baby. “When I’m back, we’ll focus on your wedding,” she told me. My fiancé Sean and I were tying the knot in ten months’ time and I couldn’t wait. But when Mum arrived home a few weeks later, she told me she was going for some hospital tests. “I’ve got some back pain and tiredness,” she said. Later, my dad Andrew called with devastating news. “Your mum has stage four pancreatic cancer,” he said. I burst into tears. Sean and…

YOU could be in with a chance of winning £200 PRIZE crossword WIN £200 Solve the crossword to find, reading from top to bottom in the shaded squares, the name of a British singer. This is your competition entry answer. See the ‘How to enter’ panel, below right. Across 1 Magic, witchcraft (7)  4 Exact copy, duplicate (7) 8 Martin Scorsese film about Howard Hughes, The - - - (7) 12 Dark vinegar variety (8) 14 Forebear (8) 17 ‘A - - - off the old block’, expression (4) 18 Brown earthy mineral used as a pigment, anagram of BE RUM (5) 19 Labyrinth (4) 20 Person who shoots from a hiding place (6) 21 Lasso (6)  23 Cairo’s country (5) 25 Graded, assessed (5) 26 Point at the middle of an earthquake (9) 27 Swarming insect (6) 29 Baltic state with…

Style a statement pair of trousers with more laid-back items Nod to the trend with large pockets and drawstring details A shirt is the perfect complement to a cargo skirt Keep it simple and easy with a utility-style dress…

A simple chocolate cake Makes 1 22cm cake Ready in 1hr 30 mins-1hr 40 mins, plus cooling 125g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing 200g self-raising flour 65g Dutch cocoa powder ½tsp baking powder ¼tsp salt 220g caster sugar 300ml soured cream 125ml whole milk 3 eggs 1tsp vanilla bean paste Sprinkles or dried edible flowers to decorate (optional) CHOCOLATE ICING 200g icing sugar 30g Dutch cocoa powder 25g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C Fan/ gas 4. Grease a 22cm round tin with butter and line the base and side with baking paper. 2 Place the flour in a large bowl. Sift in the cocoa and baking powder, before adding the salt and caster sugar and whisking to combine. 3 In a separate bowl, whisk the soured cream, milk, eggs,…

better health You used to know all your loved ones’ phone numbers, but these days, if your phone battery died, you wouldn’t even know your partner’s. We no longer need to remember landmarks to navigate journeys, what time a meeting is or a friend’s birthday – it’s all just there on our devices. In many ways this can feel like a blessing, freeing our minds up to focus on other stuff. But what about the impact on our memory? A recent survey found that 80 per cent of people felt their memories had worsened since the pandemic, and whilst some of that might be put down to stress, could there be another reason? The pandemic led to a considerable surge in our use of digital technologies and many experts believe…

When is a grandpa not really a grandpa? Q My husband’s parents got an ugly divorce when he was 12 and his mum remarried pretty quickly. We have a daughter who’s nearly three and she’s the cutest little button. My husband has never felt close to his mum’s husband but this man has shown nothing but love to our daughter. He reads her books, buys her gifts, and him and my mother-in-law have her for sleepovers so we can go out. They also pick her up from nursery if we have to work and he is very involved in her life. My husband said the other day that I need to tell our daughter to stop calling him “Grandpa” as he’s not related to her. She does also call his real…

Shouldering the pain Fern Britton has revealed that she’s had a shoulder replacement, following months of crippling pain. The 66-year-old presenter, who has been suffering from arthritis, had been waiting for surgery. Sharing a photo of her right arm in a sling, she said, “Shoulder replacement done and a success.” She added, “I can’t thank the staff at St Michael ’s NHS hospital in Hayle, Cornwall, enough. Such care and kindness.” Fern also praised her daughters Grace, 26, and Winnie, 22, who are helping to look after her at home. “I’m very lucky,” she added. Fern revealed that she had been suffering from shoulder pain last year. “I’ve got arthritis settling in everywhere. My knee is really bad and so is my shoulder,” she said. “I’m waiting on a list…

After more than three years of caring for her stricken husband Derek Draper, Kate Garraway has revealed that she’s learning to give herself moments where she puts herself first and shuts out everything else. The GMB star, 56, has been juggling her TV and radio work in between parenting their children Darcey, 17, and Billy, 14, and looking after Derek in his slow recovery from Covidrelated illnesses since his diagnosis in March 2020. “I’ve been experimenting with ways to take control of my own happiness. I now deliberately carve out time to give myself the gift of doing something that only helps me,” she said. “It might be only ten minutes of something physical, such as stretching, pottering in the garden with a mug of tea or reading something not…

Deep clean Whether you suffer from dryness or just find your skin feels tighter during winter, switching to a cream cleanser like Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser, £38, will help. It deeply cleans without stripping essential moisture for a hydrated, luxury feel and won’t leave a greasy residue. Oil-based cleansers are perfect for the winter months, especially as a first cleanse – the oily base will remove make-up with ease, while combating dryness. Byoma Milky Oil Cleanser, £13.99, is one of our favourites, leaving your complexion soft, supple and refreshed. For a luxurious cleanse, a balm is our go-to. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, £30, is packed with hydrating safflower seed oil and will slough away make-up and grime build-up to leave skin feeling like it’s had…

With Nutracheck, the top app and website, getting results isn’t about depriving yourself. You can still enjoy occasional treats alongside a healthy balanced diet – just be sure to log all foods to stick within your personal targets. “Autumn is a great time to renew your weight loss motivation. Fill up on warming meals – soups and traybakes are perfect for packing in low energy density, vitamin-rich seasonal veggies,” says Nutracheck nutritionist Emma White. Track your diet with ease by downloading the Nutracheck app or track online at Nutracheck.co.uk. The app scans barcodes, so it’s superfast to add what you ate to your diary – see our special reader offer on p34. YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS PLAN Emma has put together a selection of healthy, calorie-counted meals and snacks. Choose a breakfast,…

GET IN TOUCH Write: Have Your Say, Bella, The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London, NW1 2PL. Email: bella.letters@bauermedia.co.uk facebook.com/bellamagazineUK twitter.com/bellamagazineUK instagram.com/bellamagazineUK £50 Star letter Well done Brooke! A huge well done to Brooke Mills (issue 39) for her amazing 7st weight loss after not realising she was 20 weeks pregnant! It can’t have been easy as a single mum of three kids. It just shows what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. Great work Brooke! Emily Bulman, Bishop’s Stortford Lovely Nadia What a special person Nadiya Hussain is, being so honest about her panic disorder (issue 39). Such an inspiration to others with what she has achieved so far in her life. I loved the quote, “I do sometimes lack inspiration or motivation but I still…

SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November After a quiet phase you’re raring for action and don’t want anything or anyone to get in your way. As a result, you’ll be impetuous at times and eager to charge full steam ahead. Bear this in mind on the 15th when you’re easily frustrated by delays. Theme of the week: Feeling driven 0906 650 7237 SAGITTARIUS 23 November – 21 December Friendships have so much to offer from the 14th. You love being with existing chums but you’re also excited at the prospect of meeting new people. Gravitate towards a group that fits in with your interests or promises to open your mind to something new. Theme of the week: The future 0906 650 7238 CAPRICORN 22 December – 20 January There’s been…