Table of contents for Bella 28 November 2023 in Bella

Dr Ranj Singh has stayed largely quiet since claiming he’d been “managed out” of This Morning in 2021, following his suggestion there was a “toxic culture” at the show. But now, the 44-year-old NHS doctor has revealed his thoughts on the future of the programme and opened up about his relationship with former hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield. Once good pals with Holly, Ranj revealed that he contacted the star after she announced her decision to leave last month, after 14 years on the show. “I messaged just to check she was OK. Everything that’s happened with her has been really tough for her. And like many people, we all reached out,” he said. “She replied and she’s good, and obviously it’s a really difficult place for her to…

As she stepped out at a charity gala earlier this month, Vanessa Feltz turned heads. The 61-yearold presenter wowed in a fuchsia floor-length gown at the Pink Ribbon Ball in London, in aid of Breast Cancer Now. The single star oozed confidence as she smiled for the cameras upon her arrival – and no wonder, as she looked genuinely happy after a difficult few months. Vanessa revealed that her glamorous outfit even gained extra attention from male guests. “When I rose to leave, quite a few gentlemen offered to accompany me home and undo my dress! I declined with thanks,” she said. In recent months, she has been sharing her outfit choices on social media, winning approval from friends and fans. “Looking sensational!” said presenter Trisha Goddard, with Lizzie Cundy…

After meeting my boyfriend Milosz Szcepanowicz, I was smitten. I was 25 and hadn’t had many boyfriends but he totally swept me off my feet. We hadn’t been together long when he came over as a surprise and wanted to take me out. “We’ve got family plans. You can’t go,” my dad said. “Come with me, or it’s over,” Milosz told me. When I hesitated, he stormed back to his car and sped away, tyres squealing. “He’s controlling,” Dad said. “I don’t want you seeing him.” But I ignored him. I was an adult and in love. Soon after, I got my own flat and before long, Milosz moved in with me. It caused a huge rift with my parents. “They don’t care about you,” Milosz insisted. One day, we…

Post-workout fuel “After my morning exercise I’ll blend up a protein shake, made with banana, peanut butter, oat milk and whey chocolate protein powder. With 29g of protein per serving, plus healthy fat from the peanut butter and glycogen-restoring carbohydrates in the banana and oat milk. It’s the perfect post-workout meal, that keeps me feeling full.” Healthy household favourites “I cook for me and my husband (Mark Wright), who tries to be healthy during the week, so I’ll make chicken or fish with some veg. It’s simple stuff, but I’ll always find a way to make it more flavourful, like roasting greens and sprouts with balsamic, a tip I picked up from a chef in LA.” Lighter alcohol alternatives “I try not to drink alcohol in the week unless I’ve…

BAKE IT Confident bakers will love making this little festive gingerbread greenhouse. Head over to Hobbycraft.co.uk to follow online instructions and free templates for how to get your bake on. KEEP IT FRESH Update the wreath effect and create a fresh foliage chandelier garland. Go foraging in the garden or public places and gather some greenery, ivy and berries. Tie them into bundles onto a frame or moulded chicken wire to make a wonderful display. Visit Dobbies.com for more information. STAMP IT! Designing your own wrapping will help keep costs low and add a personal touch to gifts. Use brown kraft paper as your base and start stamping with Christmas stamps and inkpads to create a fun design. It’s a great project the kids can enjoy too. Stamps from £9…

CAPRICORN 22 December - 20 January Take a back seat and step out of the limelight for a while, but you could still be very busy away from the public gaze. It will do you good to have a breather now and then, especially on the 25th when trying to make progress feels like wading through treacle. Theme of the week: And breathe 0906 650 7239 AQUARIUS 21 January - 19 February Now that the end of 2023 is in sight, it’s an opportunity for you to take stock of what you’ve achieved and what’s next. It’s important to consider the financial implications of your plans but try not to let any problems gain the upper hand on the 25th. Theme of the week: Dreams 0906 650 7240 PISCES 20…

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 US actress. This is your competition entry answer. See the ‘How to enter’ panel, below right. Across 1 Commercial (6) 4 Performer’s alias (5,4) 8 Spiky succulent (6) 11 Nunnery (7) 12 Pablo - - -, Spanish artist who painted Guernica (7) 13 Yellow grassland flower (9) 15 Religious principle, or Christopher Nolan sci-fi film of 2020 (5) 16 Stand-in doctor (5) 18 Cream-filled choux finger (6) 19 Blue Peter award? (5) 21 Paris landmark, - - - Tower (6) 23 Timothy Dalton’s final Bond movie with a theme by Gladys Knight, - - - To Kill (7) 24 Guy Fawkes Night blaze (7) 27 Sicilian gangster organisation (5) 28 Easy Rider writer…

Josie Gibson may have entered the Australian jungle all smiles, but she was hiding a secret heartache. As she arrived Down Under in Brisbane, she admitted the one thing she was going to miss – her son Reggie, five. When asked, she said, “My little boy, he’s only five. It was emotional saying goodbye. I can’t talk about it.” Despite that, the 38-year-old presenter – who is an early favourite to win I’m A Celeb – has been having a good time of things of late. As well as being in the running to replace Holly Willoughby as the lead host on This Morning, she is selling her home – at which she is said to be making a tidy £150k profit – and has even found love! Five years…

Crispy bourguignon pie Serves 4 Ready in 1 hr 5 mins, plus cooling 2tbsp sunflower oil 300g chestnut mushrooms, brushed clean and halved Pinch of smoked paprika 6 shallots, halved 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into half rounds 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2tsp plain flour 300ml good-quality red wine (ensure vegan) 200ml hot vegetable stock 1tbsp tomato purée 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 1 sprig of fresh rosemary 2 bay leaves Sea salt and black pepper 6 sheets of shop-bought filo pastry (ensure vegan) 1 Heat 1tbsp of the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then throw in the mushrooms and smoked paprika. Cook for 5 mins until fragrant. Tip the mushrooms onto a plate and set aside. 2 Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the shallots and carrots, and…

The first time I met Shawn, when I was 18, I was instantly drawn to him. His jokes left me in stitches and there was a clear connection between us. But the timing to get together was never right. Over the next eight years, we’d weave and out of each other’s lives as friends. Then one evening in February 2015, I ran into Shawn at a local bar where we lived. We hung out all night, laughing and chatting. “Could you ever see yourself being my girlfriend?” he asked me. “Yes… if you were single,” I replied. The next day, Shawn broke up with his girlfriend and from that moment on, we were inseparable. I imagined us getting married and spending our lives together. But not everything was perfect. Four…

Perfect proposal Scarlett Moffatt is engaged! The former Gogglebox star’s boyfriend Scott Dobinson popped the question in the most adorable way – with their four-month-old son Jude taking centre stage. “Mondays are my new favourite day,” she said. “Walked in to find my soulmate on his knee, with baby Jude wearing the cutest outfit asking the question, ‘Mammy will you marry Daddy?’. The most perfect proposal in my favourite place, our home.” She added, “I feel so lucky. My baby boy Jude and becoming engaged to Scott.” Celeb pals including Kate Garraway and Vicky Pattison congratulated the pair. “Fantastic! Huge congrats!” said Kate, with Vicky adding, “Congratulations gorgeous girl!” Scarlett, who turned 33 last month, and police officer Scott, 37, started dating in 2018 having known each other since they…

Snuggly knits give sequins a softer and more wearable spin for daytime Make double the statement by wearing sparkle in a shouty citrus shade A textured co-ord will look gorgeous for a special occasion, then mix and match each half A bobby-dazzler bomber jacket will add some fun to even the simplest of outfits…

"NOT MARRIED YET?" Even if you feel relatives are genuinely making a bad faith comment, don’t reveal you care by blowing your top. Bring in a bit of humour with a quip. “Not yet… unfortunately, Idris Elba’s taken!” "GET A MOVE ON IF YOU WANT KIDS!" Don’t want to discuss it? Just change the subject. Use this NLP (neurolinguistic programming) technique to stop it bugging you: imagine having a bit of a force shield around you. Comments just ping off it. You don’t need to act defensively. Just draw the magic shield around. "YOUR KIDS ARE SO BADLY BEHAVED! CAN'T YOU CONTROL THEM?" Lighten the interaction by jokily colluding with the criticiser to take the wind out of their sales. “Aren’t they horrors! The behaviour’s just awful, isn’t it? What…

He'd better hurry up, or I'm leaving! Q I’ve been with my boyfriend for over a year, and I’m very keen to get married as I’m 39, (he’s 41) and can feel my biological clock ticking. We both really want to have children, so I want to get married next summer. My boyfriend doesn’t want to rush things, and doesn’t understand that the longer we wait, the less likely it is that we’ll be able to have children naturally, or even at all. I really need him to get on board with this and am thinking of giving him an ultimatum – either we’re married by next summer, I’m pregnant, or we split up. I can’t understand why he’s dragging his feet. He says he wants us to have more time…

TV interview Are our memories ours to own? And if we can’t remember a terrible event from our younger years is it OK for someone else to tell our story? One Night tells the tale of three friends, Tess (Jodie Whittaker), Simone (Nicole Da Silva) and Hat (Yael Stone), whose bond was all but destroyed by the traumatic events of one night 20 years ago. Since then, Simone has harboured hopes of becoming an author, and now, she has finally written her debut novel, which is about to be published. It becomes apparent, though, that the devastating story that Simone’s book tells doesn’t exclusively belong to her – and at the heart of the novel is a tragedy that happened to Tess. Jodie, 41, was immediately hooked when she read…