Table of contents for 04-Apr-2019 in Chat

Anna had tolerated so much terror at the hands of her partner, but what he did to her best friend was the sickening, final straw (p10). When Maya arrived home to find the police searching her house, she knew the day she’d feared for 25 years was finally unfolding (p56). And Georgia’s unborn baby had to have surgery while she was still in the womb. Now she’s paid an incredible tribute to the clever doctor who stepped in (p20). We’re packed with even more real-life stories, puzzles, homes (p26), fashion (p12), food, health and more. Have a great week!…

GUILTY The jury took six hours to find Thomas Clayton guilty of first- and second-degree murder after offering Michael Beard $10,000 to kill his wife. In April 2017, Clayton was jailed for life without parole. ‘I had absolutely nothing to do with the murder,’ he yelled in court, after sentencing. Last October, he lodged an appeal against his conviction. Michael Beard is also said to be planning an appeal. Meanwhile, Kelley’s children are still suffering. Cullen, now 6, is said to cry out for his mum at night, while Charlie, 10, suffers PTSD after witnessing the attack.…

Am I going deaf? Q Since falling pregnant, I've struggled to hear. My mum went deaf through otosclerosis - could I have it, too? Louise, Hoxton A It's possible, as it is usually inherited, and pregnancy can worsen it. The junction between your eardrum and the tiny bones inside your middle ear becomes stiffened, causing increasing deafness. Treatment means hearing aids, or an op. Icy drama! Q I slipped on ice and hurt my foot. My doctor diagnosed a sprain, but it still hurts... Peg, Amersham A Your foot contains 26 bones, joined by ligaments. A sprain means that you've torn or damaged some of these ligaments. Usually, they heal without treatment - other than rest and painkillers - but it may take weeks. See your GP if you are…

Teriyaki beef stir-fry Serves 4 Prep: 10 min Cook: 15 min • 2tsp oil • 1 x 350g pack prepared stir-fry vegetables • 450g thin-cut beef steaks, cut into narrow strips For the teriyaki sauce: • 1tbsp light-brown sugar • 2tbsp lime juice • ½tsp Chinese five-spice powder Or • 4tbsp shop-bought teriyaki or hoisin sauce • Cooked rice or egg noodles, to serve 1 Prepare teriyaki sauce if making from scratch. In a small bowl, mix all sauce ingredients together and set aside. 2 Heat oil in a large, non-stick frying pan or wok on moderate heat until hot. Add stir-fry vegetables and cook for 3-4 min. Add beef and cook for 3-4 min more. 3 Add prepared sauce, or use shop-bought, toss gently and cook for 2-3 min…

Aries 21 March - 20 April After a long day trudging round the shops, unable to find what you want, you could be tempted to spend more on a substitute, reckoning that anything’s better than nothing. No, it isn’t! Call 0905 817 0690* for more Taurus 21 April - 21 May Planetary influences which have made you impatient in recent weeks are fading. If you’ve been pulling at a door that won’t open, try pushing it instead. The gentlest pressure is all that’s needed. Call 0905 817 0691* for more Gemini 22 May - 21 June Negotiations at work, which have been going back and forth, are finally coming to an end. This week you’ll get the final offer. So if you want it, go for it - before anyone…

Sara Pedlingham, 46, Ludbury, Herefordshire Standing in front of the mirror, there was only one part of my body that I could focus on. My stomach. And I have to say that it wasn’t a pretty sight. It’d started way back in 1994, when I’d needed an emergency Caesarean while delivering my eldest son Jan-Michael. My next three babies meant three more Caesareans. I don’t have to avoid the mirror any more! Then I was diagnosed with endometriosis, where the lining of the womb grows on other organs. It meant I’d needed two bowel surgeries and, eventually, a hysterectomy. I’d also had surgeries to remove my appendix and my ovaries. Shocking, I know. My poor tum had been opened and closed more times than I cared to remember. Unsurprisingly, the…

1 Should I wash every day? ‘I don’t have an issue with daily washing, as removing excess oil and pollutants is important for hair health. If washing every day is affecting the condition – for example, if your scalp is irritated – then wash less and use a gentle, dry shampoo in between.’ 2 How about brushing? ‘I recommend my clients don’t excessively brush hair, as it can cause damage. If you have curly or knotty hair, wet it and leave in some conditioner before you brush. Be careful after excessive styling, such as backcombing, as the product build-up can cause breakage.’ 3 Can I refresh my colour at home? As the seasons change, you don’t necessarily want to change the colour, just the tone. Coming out of winter, hair…

Celebrity Painting Challenge BBC1 DON’T MISS!  Famous faces flex their artistic muscles in this four-part contest hosted by Mariella Frostrup. Taking part in a range of painting challenges will be actress Jane Seymour, former Union J singer George Shelley, retired cricketer Phil Tufnell, TV presenter Josie d'Arby, DJ and model Amber Le Bon and Changing Rooms legend Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen. Who Killed Jill Dando? ITV On 26 April 1999, BBC newsreader and presenter Jill Dando was fatally shot outside her home in London. A year later, the police were still looking for her killer, and focussed their attention on a local man, Barry George. Despite being convicted of Jill’s murder in 2001, George was eventually acquitted in 2008. This one-off documentary reinvestigates the case, which remains unsolved… Unicorn Store NETFLIX Captain…

1 Lisbon  With its famous Azulejo tiles, it’s an Instagrammer’s paradise. The Time Out food market is a  mandatory stop. With food available from famous and award-winning chefs, the best of the city is all under that one roof. 2 Barcelona  The cosmopolitan city boasts world-famous landmarks, including the fantastical  Sagrada Família church. There are also beaches aplenty! 3 Nice  Studded with cafes and bars, full of antique and flower markets, and bearing some incredible art  and architecture, this seaside city – the capital of the French Riviera – is a vibrant must-see.…

Janice Burton, 60, Stoke on Trent Crouching down in front of me, my mum Mary, then 31, took my face in her hands. ‘Look at me, sweetheart,’ she soothed. ‘I am,’ I said. Only, my right eye wasn’t focusing, kept blurring and giving me double vision. Back and forth to doctors, nobody could diagnose me. But when I was just 8, the eyesight in my right eye had gone. Finally, the following year, we got a diagnosis. ‘It’s Coats’ disease,’ a doctor told us. An incredibly rare condition affecting the blood vessels at the back of the eye. I was told I was one of only two female sufferers in the world, that there’s no known cause and it’s incurable. In 1976, I was devastated when my left eye started…

No periods? Q I've read you can take the Pill without a break and never have a period. Is that safe? Steph, Inverness A We've always recommended taking the common combined contraceptive Pill daily for three weeks followed by a Pill-free week during which you bleed. But many experts now recommend that it's safe and effective to take it continuously, avoiding bleeds, though you may experience spotting. Sex hurts! Q I've re-started sex after a five-year break, but now it leaves my vagina sore! What's wrong? Kristen, Kirkby Lonsdale A It may be thrush - ask your chemist for treatment. Or it could be you're not producing as much lubrication. Perhaps you're uncertain about sex or approaching the menopause? If gentle sex with plenty of lube doesn't help, see your…

Robin Marie, 48 As huge arms wrapped around me, I was warm, safe and cosy. ‘How’s that for you?’ I asked. ‘I feel so at ease,’ my cuddle partner said, nuzzling into my neck. It was lovely... Even though the man wrapped up in a hug with me wasn’t a boyfriend, partner or even somebody I knew... In fact, we’d just met. It was February 2018, my first-ever day as a professional cuddler, where I charged £60 an hour for people to embrace me. Strictly platonic, through the website cuddlist.com, I offered my services of spooning, hugging and snuggling. But the cuddled person has to be fully-clothed and agree to all my terms stipulated on the website. It wasn’t until August 2017 that I was aware professional cuddling even existed...…

Celine Centino, 24 Walking along the school corridor, towards my locker, I suddenly fell to the ground with a thud. ‘Celine looks like a boy, she has no boobs!’ I heard a mocking male voice. ‘You’re so ugly,’ sneered another one. It was May 2010 – and sadly, then 16, I was used to being pushed around. I was bullied by kids nearly every day for the way I looked. With my big nose and small boobs, I wasn’t as pretty as other girls in school, and was constantly made fun of. When I got home, upset, my mum looked worried. ‘What’s wrong, sweetheart?’ she asked, concerned. I tried my best not to cry. ‘It’s nothing,’ I told her, running to my room. Feeling low, I climbed under the duvet…

2017: Orphan turns murderer Troubled Aaron Barley, 24, killed a mum and son on 29 March 2017. A year earlier, Barley - who'd been orphaned by the age of 6 - had been taken in by Tracey Wilkinson. She'd found him sheltering under a cardboard box. He lived elsewhere for a while before returning to Tracey's home in Stourbridge. There, he stabbed Tracey, 50, then her son Pierce, 13. Barley was jailed for life, but his motive is unknown. 2010: Babysitter drugged and killed Believing she was about to babysit, Tia Rigg, 12, followed her uncle John Maden's request, arriving at his home in Manchester on 3 April 2010. Just 45 minutes  later, Tia was dead. She'd been drugged, raped and stabbed. Maden, then 37,  pleaded guilty to…

Celeb secrets Fearne Cotton Mum-of-two Fearne Cotton (left) raved about her must-have pregnancy product – Weleda Stretch Mark Massage Oil, £16.95, – in a recent interview. She said, ‘This body oil is great when you’re pregnant. It’s natural and smells really wonderful.’ Meghan Markle Make-up artist Daniel Martin, who was responsible for Meghan Markle’s wedding-day look has revealed his secret glow-giver, and it’s a bargain! ‘Before highlighters, you could do highlighting with Eucerin Aquaphor, £4, it will give you the same texture, especially in a photo, on the high points of the face.’ BARGAIN OF THE WEEK Packed with shea butter, the fig and coconut scent of this eco-friendly, sulphate-free soap bar’s like a summer holiday! And its packaging, inspired by RHS Gardens, punches far above it’s price in the…

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Coronation Street Can Gary get rid of Rick? Gary was flashing the cash a couple of weeks ago - and it was money he’d borrowed from loan shark Rick Neelan. With £20k to pay back, Gary blackmails Peter over Carla’s involvement in the disaster at Underworld. But Carla confesses anyway and ends up getting arrested! Elsewhere, when Gina saves Tim’s life, Sally begs her to stay in Weatherfield - will she stay or go? Emmerdale Look who’s crashing in! Paddy decides to build a garden in Gracie’s memory as he and Chas prepare for their first scan. But when they return from the hospital, the couple get a big shock when Bear Wolf crashes into the memorial for their late baby daughter! But why has the wrestler turned up in…

It was the early hours of 30 September 2015 when Thomas Clayton made the call. Voice shaking, the former minor league hockey star who was now a successful businessman, told the emergency operator that his wife was dead. The first police officers to arrive at the grisly scene at the grand family home in secluded Caton, New York, found his wife Kelley, 35, bludgeoned to death in her kitchen, surrounded by a ‘halo’ of blood. Pacing around outside the house, Thomas told cops that he’d been out that night, at a poker game. That he’d found Kelley’s body when he’d arrived home, and that this must have been a robbery gone wrong. But there was no sign of forced entry. Nothing missing. The blood splattered throughout the house painted a…

6,092 That’s how many men donated blood last year, according to the NHS. Sounds a lot? Well, it’s less than half the amount of women – with 13,719 British females donating. Experts warn this could put cancer and burns patients at risk because men’s blood is better at clotting, making it more effective for injuries. * GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER. ** SOURCE: HEALTHSPAN. WORDS: EMILY JEFFERIES. PHOTOS (HEALTH SOS, SURPRISING STAT AND BLOKES' BIT POSED BY MODELS): GETTY…

All I dreamt of was perfection. As a child, I’d broken my nose when I’d run into a window, so I’d always felt conscious of the bent shape left on the bridge of my conk. So, next, I saved up for a nose job. I sacrificed everything to pay for it. I didn’t see friends, cut back on going out partying and buying new clothes. It was all worth it when I came round from surgery. I had bandages around my face, and a shiner under each eye. But I knew that underneath that padding lay a new button nose. When I returned to work, my best pal Dominic, 23, looked at me in shock. ‘You look like a new person!’ he marvelled. Since having my ops, Dominic has been…

If you're planning on selling your home this spring, making some easy improvements could max what you get for it… 1 First impressions  You want your home to have maximum kerb appeal, so make sure the exterior looks good. Does the garden need weeding? Is there a communal area that could be tidied? If so, sort it! A shiny new doorknob or house number will help too. 2 Easy fixes  The kitchen is the most important room for many buyers, so if yours needs updating, you could do this cheaply by painting the units and replacing door handles. Or you could change the cupboard doors. Also, if things need attention - like dripping taps or missing light bulbs - get them fixed. They may seem like unimportant minor issues, but…

GOSH Copenhagen I’m Blushing in Flirt, £7.99  This powder is packed with pigment, yet finely-milled, so it blends easily – no 1980s-look stripes! The formula is vegan-, perfume- and paraben-free, too, and the apricot shade’s a flattering alternative to pink. CYO All Eyes & Cheeks Cream Shadow & Blush in Tongue Tied, £2.25  Cream blush is ideal on drier skin types, as it blends smoothly and has a juicy, 3D sheen. It won’t last as long as a powder, but this cute, little disc is easily popped in your handbag for top-ups. Barry M Blusher Quad Palette, £5.99  You probably mix up your lip colour day to day, so why get stuck in a blush rut? This light shade’s great on a barely-there daytime face, the coral’s perfect against a…

Margaret Moffat, 42, Penicuik, Midlothian Racing towards the roller-coaster, my daughter Hannah, 8, couldn’t contain her excitement. ‘Can we go on it, Dad? Please?’ she begged, tugging insistently at my husband Adam’s arm. ‘Let’s give it a go!’ he agreed. But I could see fear glinting in his eyes... It was September 2012, and me, Adam, 39, Hannah and our youngest Holly, 4, were on a family holiday in Torremolinos. Climbing into the roller- coaster, Hannah jiggled with excitement. By now, Adam looked in a complete panic. Not because he was scared of heights. Because he was 23st. As the ride operator tried to secure Adam’s safety harness, my poor hubby’s worst fear came true. As hard as the man tried, the safety clip wouldn’t click into place. ‘Sorry,’ the…

In 1974, director T obe Hooper released the horror film, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. The silver screen had never before portrayed such bloodcurdlingly graphic scenes of murder and torture . Cinemagoers and critics alike loved it. Although Ed Gein never used a chainsaw, the terrifying main character in the film franchise, Leatherface, was said to be based on his  abominable real-life crimes. Played by Gunnar Hansen in the first film, Leatherface wore a mask of human skin. ‘I definitely studied Gein,' said the original film's screenwriter Kim Henk el. Leatherface isn't the only movie character reminiscent of Gein. The 1991 film The Silence of the L ambs featured the character of savage Buffalo Bill, who skinned his victims in order to make dresses. And just like Gein, Norman Bates…