EXCLUSIVE
REPORT
NUMBER 18 0 9

•

9 OCTOBER 2 02 3

•

‘It is great that
everyone is
celebrating all
they have
achieved’

£3.15

THE BECKHAMS’ BIG REVEAL

DAVID AND
VICTORIA

SHARE UNTOLD STORIES ABOUT
THEIR LOVE AND LIFE TOGETHER
EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS AND INTERVIEW

THE PRINCESS OF FUN

BEVERLEY
KNIGHT
SINGING THE
PRAISES OF
TURNING 50

‘I’m only just beginning.
I am in a great place’

KATE

GAMES AND GIGGLES
AS SHE TALKS ABOUT
HER OWN LITTLE
DANCING QUEEN

4
16
20
26
34
36
54 COUTURE QUEEN

42
46
50
52
54

26 LIVING HISTORY

60
62
66
69
70

46 WEAVING A SPELL

75

KATHARINE POOLEY At home with the interior
designer inspired by THE KING’s gardens
CINDY CRAWFORD joins GEORGE and AMAL
CLOONEY as they mark their ninth wedding
anniversary by hosting the starry Albie Awards
BEVERLEY KNIGHT The singer on why she feels
happier and healthier than ever since turning 50
PRINCESS BEATRICE and husband EDOARDO
join THE PRINCESS ROYAL as she opens a
redeveloped landmark building in London
MICHELLE DOCKERY marries JASPER WALLERBRIDGE surrounded by Downton Abbey friends
JASMINE HARMAN finds her own place in the
sun as the presenter’s family move to Spain
TESS DALY and CLAUDIA WINKLEMAN Why
the presenters still love Strictly Come Dancing as
it starts its 21st series in earnest
THE PRINCESS OF WALES visits an industry cut
from her family’s cloth on a trip north
… and makes new friends on a playdate in Kent
THE KING makes a splash with underwater
engineers of the future
DAVID and VICTORIA BECKHAM lift the lid on
their family, brand and 25-year romance
… and Victoria triumphs with a show in Paris
PARIS FASHION WEEK Royals and Hollywood
stars flock to the front rows at the top shows
PATRICK
TRICK DEMARCHELIER Rare outing for photos
that changed the way the world saw both
fashion and DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
SIR MICHAEL GAMBON We say a fond farewell
LAURA NORTON and MARK JORDON support
their children by hosting a night of disco delights
KRISTY MATHESON The BFI London Film
Festival director makes her pick of the flicks

REGULARS
20 STARRY KNIGHT

28
68
74
76
86

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16 PURPLE REIGN

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36 PLANE TO SPAIN

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS

KATHARINE POOLEY
INSPIRED BY THE KING’S GARDENS AT HIGHGROVE

‘I met the King when he was the Prince of
Wales and was graciously given a tour’

COAT: LAURA GREEN LONDON. SHOES: PRETTY BALLERINAS. EARRINGS: BLAIZ

A

V

kaleidoscope of jewel-bright butterflies
and busy bees flutters and buzzes among
the camellias and peonies in the idyllic
flowerbeds – inspired by the King’s magnificent
gardens at Highgrove – of interior designer
Katharine Pooley’s elegant country home.
And as she invites hello! into her 18thcentury-style residence in Oxfordshire for our
exclusive photoshoot, it becomes clear that this
breathtaking floral scene is mirrored on the
inside, too.
Exquisitely hand-painted and embroidered
on silk, her latest wallcovering collection, An
English Butterfly Garden, showcased in her
ornate dining room and tranquil master
bedroom, brings to life the natural beauty of the
countryside while supporting a cause close to
her heart: Butterfly Conservation. The King is a
staunch supporter and naturalist Sir David
Attenborough is president of the charity.
“To enable these beautiful insects to thrive,
they both advocate No Mow May,” says Katharine
of conservation charity Plantlife’s annual
incentive to encourage people to allow grass to
grow, as it provides a haven for pollinators.
“It was critical for me to do something good
for the planet, too, so while devising my new
wallcovering I included endangered butterflies
and my favourite insects. They’re so important
[to biodiversity] and help keep us all alive.”
Katharine collaborated with specialist
design company Fromental to create the

5

family home and framed by flowers – including this antique Chinese apothecary chest in the entrance hall
(above) sourced during more than 16 years living and working in Asia. The award-winning interior designer’s
decor has graced cottages to castles, mega yachts and private jets, and she boasts an international clientele

(ABOVE) DRESS: CATHERINE PREVOST. EARRINGS: LAURENCE COSTE. SHOES: AQUAZZURA

6 Katharine’s deft touch is evident throughout, with pieces from her global travels showcased around the

wallpaper and makes a donation
to Butterfly Conservation for every
unique piece purchased.
She says: “A very high
percentage of our butterflies are
endangered so it’s important that
we try to protect them.
“Butterflies lay their eggs and
feed on leaves in the long grass; if
you cut them down they die.
“So, I did as His Majesty advised
and let the grass around my house
grow. Every morning when I took
our three dogs for a walk, this
beautiful fairy dust of pollen rose
up into the air and thousands of
butterflies fluttered everywhere; it
was spectacular.
“Since then, I’ve put butterfly
homes all around my gardens.
They attract spiders, so I gently
clear away their webs – another
danger to these creatures – with
my feather duster.”
The designer, whose interiors
have graced cottages, castles,
palaces and alpine chalets as well
as mega yachts and private jets,
boasts a clientele among aristocrats
and the super-rich. Her

‘I’ve done it all – contemporary
to classical, bright colours to
muted shades and monochrome’

international commissions to create
showstopping dream homes have taken her all
over the globe, from the British Isles to Monaco,
South Africa, the US, Switzerland, Italy, France
and across the Middle East.

V

SPREADING HER WINGS
While client confidentiality prevents her from
identifying who owns them, Katharine, who with
her 40-strong team won awards this year for her

interior designs for a Swiss ski chalet and a yacht,
describes some of the out-of-this-world styles.
“I’ve done everything from contemporary to
classical, bright colours to muted shades and
monochrome,” she says. “I spend a lot of time
with each client, getting to know them so well
that the design process then comes naturally.
Each one asks me to create something unique
and different; I love the challenge.
“My projects range from Scottish castles

Katharine in the
dining room (above).
The primrose-yellow
walls, elaborate
over-mantel mirror,
gold sconces and
chandelier fuse
traditional style with
exotic artefacts from
her travels around
the world. Artfully
arranged gold
Buddhas from
Myanmar rest
alongside antique
table lamps (left) and
the dinner service is
hand painted with
Asian figures (right)

.

7

Everything has a
place in the kitchen
(above) – the
labelled jars (left)
echoing the way
Katherine’s home
dressing team
personalises the
storage in every
project. The main
bedroom (below
and right) shows
her hand-painted
wallpaper – the
new collection
with Fromental,
An English
Butterfly
Garden, aids
the Butterfly
Conservation
charity

8

– including our own Forter Castle
in Perthshire – where colour
schemes are traditional and come in rich shades
of heather, teal, racing green and burgundy, to
a yacht for a Scandinavian family who wanted
light-coloured wood, calm colours and a spalike feel.”
Some of her more niche commissions
include helicopter pads and hammams – and
even a dog spa for grooming and dog yoga.
“I’m proud of all my projects, but there have
been two where I just want to sit there and
admire them,” she says.
“One was a chateau in the South of France,
which took four years to complete. The other is
a palace in the Middle East that took six years.
The detail and layering in the colossal rooms
are beyond any project I’ve ever done, and I was
speechless when I saw it.
“When the owner kindly invited me for her
first dinner party there, I couldn’t believe how
beautiful it looked. The doors and windows are
carved in a traditional design, the marble and
patterned flooring is incredible, while all the
wall fabric is hand-embroidered.
“The drawing room is like the Throne Room
in Buckingham Palace, but it’s the dining room,
with its classical Asian style in green and red,

‘People assume
I’m quite
glamorous and a
city person. But
I’m not like that’

With Tiggy the Norfolk
terrier in the sitting room
decorated with pieces
from her travels as well as
bronze casts from her
boys’ babyhood and family
photos – displayed in
frames from her Walton
Street boutique (below)

V

HEART AND HOME
“People tend to assume I’m quite glamorous
and a city person,” says the designer, whose
high-end boutique is situated in fashionable
Walton Street in London’s Chelsea.
“But I’m not like that, really. I’d be far
happier in a tent on a big trek than I would be
in a hotel. I come up to London on a Monday,
work very hard, then leave on Thursday. When I
reach my gate, I feel the calmness and just
breathe. Although I do love London and
sometimes bring the boys up for weekends to go
to museums and shows, I couldn’t live here full
time; I need to get back to the country for my
breathing space. My country home is my
sanctuary, and it brings me so much happiness
and joy.”
She and Dan have lived in The Coach House,
a traditional home with large arched
windows, built in honey-coloured stone in

(ABOVE) DRESS: REALLY WILD CLOTHING

that’s my favourite. All my clients are my
favourites, of course, but that level of design is a
masterpiece, a one in a million for me.”
Yet Katharine’s heart is in the country home
she shares with her husband Daniel Voyce, who
works in property, and their children, Jack, 13,
and 11-year-old Charlie.

‘From an early age I
had a passion for the
home and wanted to
be surrounded by
beauty and calmness’

the Georgian style, for two decades, and the
gardens that surround it feature a timberframed greenhouse, chicken coop and
charming shepherd’s hut.
Brimming with traditional country flowers –
rose bushes, honeysuckle, peonies and
delphiniums – the gardens are, she tells us,
inspired by the gardens at Highgrove, the King’s
home in Gloucestershire where the grounds,
which feature a Persian-themed courtyard and
Victorian stumpery (where ferns are encouraged
to grow among old tree stumps), are open to
the public.

10

V

BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT
“A lot of my inspiration came from there. I met
the King when he was the Prince of Wales and
was graciously given a tour.”
Like His Majesty, Katharine grows her own
produce – including carrots, kale, lettuce,
potatoes, tomatoes, sweetcorn, courgettes,
apples, plums, strawberries, raspberries and
herbs. “I go for organic and homegrown; all our
eggs are our own, too – we have 22 ducks and
chickens – and I make jam from our plums and
juice for the boys from our apples.
“Jack and Charlie enjoy picking the fruit
and veg with me, and gathering up the

(ABOVE) DRESS: LAURA GREEN LONDON. JEWELLERY: LAURENCE COSTE. SHOES: VALENTINO.
(ABOVE RIGHT) SHIRT: REALLY WILD CLOTHING

The French doors and (below) large
arched windows of The Coach
House, built in honey-coloured stone
in the Georgian style, let in an
abundance of light all year round

‘I spend a lot of
time with each
client and each one
asks me to create
something unique. I
love the challenge’

At work in her studio (right), and her
sketches and samples (below and
below right). As well as designing
for the rich and famous, Katharine
donates her time and talents to the
Decorate a Child’s Life scheme, a
charity project that transforms
underprivileged youngsters’ rooms

11

‘I grew up as
one of six
kids. Ours is
a very noisy,
wonderful
family home’

With Dan and their younger
son with the three family
dogs. Charlie plays guitar,
while big brother Jack plays
drums. “Luckily we live in the
middle of nowhere!”
Katharine says. Taking tea
alfresco (far right)

12

‘My sons enjoy picking
the fruit and veg with
me. It’s important to
show them what we do’

V

ANIMAL MAGIC
Passionate about animals and wildlife, the
designer has incorporated them into her
sumptuous new wallcovering.
“I love hedgehogs – we used to have 12 in
our garden – bees and dormice,” she says,
pointing to them as they peep out among the
foliage of the chinoiserie-style design in
tranquil shades of green, white and fawn that
envelop her bedroom.
“The wallpaper that features them is on
every wall because I wanted it everywhere. It’s
so calming to look at that I don’t want to leave
this place.”
The primrose-yellow colourway of the
design in Katharine’s dining room fuses a
traditional style with antiques and artefacts
from her travels all over the world, especially
with prominent pieces from the Far East. An
elaborate antique over-mantel mirror, gold
sconces and chandelier form a striking
contrast to the blue and white china figures
from Macau, a collection of gold Buddhas
from Myanmar and a dinner service handpainted with Asian figures.
“The crockery was a wedding gift to
myself,” says Katharine, who met Dan while
living and working in the Far East. “I
lived in Singapore and Hong Kong,

(RIGHT) DRESS: LAURA GREEN LONDON. JEWELLERY: LAURENCE COSTE

roses. It’s important to show them what we
do. I grew up as one of six kids with an openhouse policy and people wandering in and
having fun, and I try to emulate that. Ours is a
very noisy, wonderful family home, too.”
An important part of this vibrant
atmosphere are the family’s pets: Norfolk
terrier Tiggy, Herbie the Jack Russell,
Maverick the labrador, and black cat Tabitha.

Potted flowers and
herbs are found in
abundance. In
common with the
King, Katharine
grows her own
organic produce
(far left) in gardens
filled with personal
touches (left)

13

which is why I love it so much. My aim was to
bring a bit of Asia into the English countryside,
because it was such a big part of my life and I
wanted one room to remind me of that.”

14

A WORLD OF INSPIRATION
Despite her global success, Katharine has no
formal training in interior design.
“At school I was terrible at art,” she says. “But
from an early age I had a passion for the home
and wanted to be surrounded by beauty and
calmness. As a child, I’d move my bedroom
around once a week.”
After studying in France, she worked in
advertising and banking, which took her to
Hong Kong, where she lived for 16 years. While
travelling around Asia, she collected beautiful
souvenirs and antiques from each country. Her
move into interior design came after marrying
Dan and masterminding the decoration of four
properties, which led to friends asking her to
manage theirs, too.
In 2004, the couple returned to London and
Katharine opened her boutique in Chelsea. Her
first client was Mohamed Al Fayed, then the
owner of Harrods, who asked her to design one
of his homes. Since then, her business has
flourished – but not all of her work is for the
super-luxe market.

(LEFT) DRESS: CATHERINE PREVOST. SHOES: PRETTY BALLERINAS. EARRINGS: BLAIZ. RING:
LAURENCE COSTE. (RIGHT) DRESS: SALONI AT MODA ROSA. ADDITIONAL PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The gardens, inspired by those at
Highgrove, are a haven for insects and
animals. Chickens cluck contentedly around
Katharine, outside the shepherd’s hut
(below) – “a special garden room that we
could use as an unusual, unexpected and
rather fun extra guest bedroom”, she says

‘I come up to London on a Monday, work very
hard all week and leave again on Thursday.
At my gate I feel the calmness and just breathe’

A supporter of The Childhood Trust – which
helps some 700,000 children in London living
in poverty – she is part of its Decorate a Child’s
Life programme, helping to transform the
rooms of underprivileged youngsters into
bright, cheerful spaces.
“This cause is very dear to me,” she says. “I’ve
been to so many homes where a family of five
have to sleep on the floor in two tiny bedrooms
and can’t afford heating or light.
“So, I go to all my suppliers for leftover fabrics
and off-cuts of rugs, while Ikea provides beds,
and The White Company donates sheets and
duvets. Another company paints and puts up
wallpaper, and within a day we change it around.
When they see what we’ve done, they’re so
happy,” continues Katharine, whose company
completes around 11 of these transformations a
year and won an award for making positive
change in the community.
“Wherever we live, our lives and wellbeing
are so important to us, and since the
H
pandemic, more than ever before.”
INTERVIEW: SALLY MORGAN
PHOTOS: DAVID VENNI
STYLING: ARABELLA BOYCE
HAIR & MAKE-UP: GIA MILLS

Visit katharinepooley.com.

Katharine takes time out from her
jet-set working life, perfectly at
home in her relaxing garden. “My
country home is my sanctuary,
and it brings me so much
happiness and joy,” she says

15

AS THEY MARK A SPECIAL
CELEBRATION OF THEIR OWN

GEORGE AND
AMAL CLOONEY

INVITE THEIR A-LIST FRIENDS
TO PUT THE SPOTLIGHT
ON UNSUNG HEROES

Cindy Crawford puts her
supermodel experience
16 to good use, posing with
husband Rande Gerber, with
whom George launched the
Casamigos tequila brand

tequila brand, and Matt Damon – a
co-star in the Ocean’s Eleven film
franchise – and his wife Luciana.
PROUD HUSBAND
Many of the stars were dressed in
Versace, who had partnered with the
foundation for the night, including
human rights lawyer Amal, 45, who
wore a custom white embellished
corset gown.
Speaking about his wife, with
whom he has six-year-old twins Ella
and Alexander, George, 62, said:
“She inspires me in everything she
does. And by the way, yesterday was
our ninth anniversary. Said it wouldn’t
last, you know what I’m saying?”
The impressive celebrity line-up
also included husband and wife
Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz,
Meryl Streep, Scarlett Johansson,
Emily Blunt and her husband John
Krasinski, Julianne Moore, Viola
Davis, Anne Hathaway, Sofía

V

ementing their
position as Hollywood’s
ultimate power couple,
George and Amal Clooney
were joined by some of
Tinseltown’s biggest stars to
honour unsung heroes.
The couple celebrated
their ninth wedding
anniversary at the New York
Public Library, hosting their
second annual Albie Awards,
which they launched last year
with their Clooney Foundation
for Justice.
The dazzling guest list,
which read like a who’s who of
showbusiness, featured friends
from the worlds of stage, screen,
music and fashion.
Among them were
supermodel Cindy Crawford and
her businessman husband Rande
Gerber, a close friend of George’s
and co-founder of his Casamigos

Rachel Weisz
– bucking the
Versace trend
in Louis
Vuitton – and
Daniel Craig
arrive at the
New York
Public Library

‘Yesterday was our ninth anniversary. Said it
wouldn’t last, you know what I’m saying?’ George

17

(From left) Businesswoman
Demetra Pinsent, actress
Jodie Turner-Smith, singer
Mary J Blige, make-up
mogul Charlotte Tilbury,
supermodel Kate Moss,
Charlotte’s model niece
Bella, actress and singer
Michaela Jaé Rodriguez,
supermodel Heidi Klum
and actress Sofía Vergara

18

Vergara and George’s former ER
co-star Julianna Margulies.
Joining Cindy from the world of
fashion were fellow runway stars
Kate Moss and Heidi Klum, as well
as designer Donatella Versace and
make-up guru Charlotte Tilbury.
THE WINNERS
Recognising “defenders of justice
who are at great risk for what they
do”, the Albies are named after
anti-apartheid lawyer Albie Sachs,
88, who received a lifetime
achievement award at last year’s
inaugural event.
T h i s y e a r ’s w i n n e r s w e r e
Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege,
who treats survivors of sexual
violence; journalists Niloofar
Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi,
who were jailed in Iran for
reporting about the death in
custody of Mahsa Amini; Truth
Hounds, an organisation exposing
Russian war crimes in Ukraine;
Thai Lawyers for Human Rights;
and the Syrian Center for Media
and Freedom of Expression.
“They’re people who are really
making a difference and it’s
amazing to be able to honour
them tonight,” Amal said.
George added: “We’re lucky
that we get to focus a lot of the
attention we get on people that
need attention… Let’s shine a
light on people who may very
well end up in jail for standing up
for justice and standing up
H
for democracy.’’
REPORT: TRACY SCHAVERIEN

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. REX FEATURES

Scarlett Johansson (left) keeps it classic in a suit from Veronica De
Piante, while Julianne Moore follows the black colour scheme for a
night out with husband Bart Freundlich (below left) and Barbie
director Greta Gerwig sparkles in Oscar de la Renta (below right)

‘They’re people really making a
difference and it’s amazing to be
able to honour them tonight’ Amal

Viola Davis makes her entrance in a soft lavender column dress and
Julianna Margulies (inset above right) goes for embellished pink, both
by Versace. Mary and Kate have fun with singer Andra Day (below)

‘You get into
sixth gear in your
50s. I’ve shed
neurosis — I’ll say
what I want and
that’s liberating’

20

(MAIN IMAGE) TOP: TRAN HUNG. SKIRT: ATSUKO KUDO. EARRINGS: ALEXIS BITTAR

Beverley (here
performing in
London’s Kew
Gardens in 2019) is
celebrating her 50th
birthday with a new
album and tour

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS

hen she turned 50 earlier this year, Beverley Knight
W
knew exactly how she wanted to celebrate. Far from
feeling daunted about reaching her midlife milestone, she

CHANGING TIMES
“When I was young, 50 seemed old, but now it’s not old at
all,” she says. “Kylie isn’t old; J-Lo isn’t old. We’re in the
median of our lives. People used to say that life begins at
40 and I think that’s when the motor takes over, but you
really get into sixth gear in your 50s. I feel as though I’m
at an age now where I’ll say what the hell I want, and
that’s liberating.
“I’ve shed the kind of neurosis that we have in our 20s,
30s and sometimes into our 40s. While I always had
supreme confidence in my abilities as a musician, I didn’t
always like what I saw in the mirror. I wasn’t comfortable
in my own skin and I would find fault. Now, the
faults are still there but I’m like: ‘Whatever.’

V

saw it as an opportunity to embrace a new phase of life in
which she feels more confident than ever before.
“When women turn 50, it can be a difficult time
because society often tells them that they’re done, but my
answer to that is that I’m only just beginning,” the singer,
songwriter and actress says as she joins hello! for this
exclusive interview and photoshoot. “I had no fear of
reaching 50. I wanted to celebrate the time in life where
women really come into their power. And that for me is
right now.”
Looking fit, youthful and glamorous, Beverley exudes
the kind of easy confidence she’s entitled to enjoy as she
approaches 30 years in the music industry. The star’s
recording and stage career has seen her win multiple
accolades, including an Olivier Award this year for
her portrayal of feminist icon Emmeline Pankhurst
in West End show Sylvia
Sylvia..
So it’s no surprise that she has chosen to

celebrate her big birthday by releasing her first studio
album in seven years and embarking this month on her
biggest UK headline tour, aptly titled 50. The album,
called The Fifth Chapter,
Chapter, is a celebration of midlife and
female empowerment – something Beverley has been
feeling strongly of late.

21

‘On my first
date with my
husband, I knew
something deep
was happening’

22

“I feel as though I really know myself
and I like myself, and that’s a great
feeling. I know that I’m a kind soul and a
glass-half-full person, and I also know that
I don’t tolerate fools or foolish behaviour.
“I’ve had to work on myself to get
there, but I’ve had wonderful people to
help me – my friends and my husband.”
Beverley married James O’Keefe, 47,
in 2012, five years after they met when he
was working as a lighting technician on
an advert she was shooting. One of the
songs on her new album, Not Prepared for
You,, reminds her of their love story.
You
“It’s about a relationship where you
weren’t ready to meet someone but they’ve
knocked you out, and that is how I see my
husband,” she says. “When I met him, I
had just come out of a relationship and
was very happily single. I had no intention
of getting married or having children, but
on our first date, I knew something deep
was happening that I can’t quite put into
words. All I can say is that I just knew.”
The couple share their London home
with their rescue dog Zain. “He’s my baby,
my little boy,” she says, giving her beloved
pooch a stroke as he lies on the sofa.
LIVING WELL
James runs men’s wellness retreats and
the couple share a passion for healthy
living – something Beverley credits for her
flawless complexion and enviable figure.
“I’m very health-conscious, and one of
the simplest things you
can do to have that glow
is to eat right and eat
well,” she says. “I eat
good-quality, natural,
unprocessed food. I have
never drunk alcohol but
I love sweets, so I do
allow myself treats.
“I swim when I can
and I do cardio workouts
and interval training, as
well as weights to keep
my bones strong. I’m
future-proofing myself.”
While middle age
agrees with her in many
ways, Beverley, who had
a hysterectomy in 2017
after being diagnosed
with uterine fibroids,
isn’t enjoying the
menopause.

V

(LEFT) BODYSUIT & TROUSERS: PALMER//HARDING. JEWELLERY: ALEXIS BITTAR. (RIGHT) OUTFIT: ATSUKO KUDO

The singer (above) with husband James
O’Keefe. The pair met in 2007 and when
they first went out, she says: “I just knew”

Beverley shows off
her Olivier Award
for Best Supporting
Actress in a Musical
in April (left). Aptly,
the star won for her
role as a strong
woman – suffragette
leader Emmeline
Pankhurst in Sylvia

23

STARRY KNIGHT: 30 YEARS AT THE TOP

24

The star, dubbed
“Little Aretha”
by rock legend
and friend David
Bowie (together
above left in
2000), receives
her MBE at
Buckingham
Palace in 2006
(above) and
chats to the
then Duke of
Cambridge at
the Royal Variety
Performance in
2017 (left)

the flushes and the brain fog, which
is the worst bit for me,” she says. “I
forget everyday words, which is so
frustrating. Before I consider HRT,
I’m working with a functional
practitioner, who is helping me to
understand what these symptoms
are and checking my bloodwork to
see where I’m deficient.”
A-LIST FANS
Wolverhampton-born Beverley rose
to fame in the 1990s, catching the
attention of David Bowie, who
nicknamed her “Little Aretha”
after soul legend Aretha Franklin,
and Prince, who invited her to
support him on tour.
Her West End roles include The
Bodyguard,, Cats and Sister Act – a
Bodyguard
role she will be reprising next year
– and she has also starred at the
Royal Variety Performance, in front

of both the then Duke of
Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.
Among her proudest moments is
receiving an MBE from Queen
Elizabeth II, for services to music and
charity. “She asked me how much I
loved music and if it took me around
the world,” Beverley recalls. “I have
such respect for her service and duty,
and my dad was so proud he had
tears in his eyes. I was thrilled.”
Beverley celebrated her birthday
in March with an intimate gig for
friends, family and fans at London
venue Lafayette, during which
James brought a cake on stage.
Too busy with her theatre work
to write her own songs for The Fifth
Chapter,, Beverley enlisted the help
Chapter
of others, including the legendary
Diane Warren, who has penned
hits for the likes of Cher, Celine
Dion and Aerosmith.
The album features disco, funk

(ABOVE) TOP: ANTHROPOLOGIE. SKIRT: REISS.
JEWELLERY: ALEXIS BITTAR. (RIGHT) DRESS: SAFIYAA

Beverley, who will reprise her
role in hit musical Sister Act
(above) next year, has also
thrilled West End audiences in
The Bodyguard (right). She has
performed with countless stars,
including a duet with Lionel
Richie (below) in 2006

and ballads. One of Beverley’s
favourite tracks is I’m On Fire,
Fire ,
which she sang with the London
Community Gospel Choir.
“It’s not about my hot flushes,”
she says with a laugh. “It’s saying:
‘I’m in my own power now, I’m in a
great place and all the things that
don’t serve me are not needed.’
“As women, we’re no longer
begging anyone for a seat at the
table. We’re building our own
tables, taking our power and
doing extraordinary things
H
with it.”
INTERVIEW: TRACY SCHAVERIEN
PHOTOS: DAVID VENNI
STYLING: KARL WILLET
HAIR: NATASHA JOHN-LEWIS
MAKE-UP: MIKEY PHILLIPS USING LANCOME
& LAURA MERCIER

Beverley Knight’s new album The Fifth
Chapter is out now. To book the 50 tour,
visit beverleyknight.com/live-events.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. REX FEATURES

‘Women are no
longer begging
for a seat
at the table.
We’re building
our own’

WALKING IN CHURCHILL’S FOOTSTEPS

THE PRINCESS ROYAL

IS JOINED BY FELLOW ROYALS AND A STAR-STUDDED
CROWD TO OPEN A STUNNING NEW HOTEL
Guests entertained by Andrew
Lloyd Webber and Andrea Bocelli
(left) include (below from left)
Giorgio Veroni, Tamara Beckwith,
Tania Bryer, Anu Hinduja and
Patricia and Richard Caring

26

‘We will learn more
about the history of
this building now
than we perhaps
ever did before’
osing happily on a sweeping
P
staircase with a magnificent,
ornate background and framed

PHOTOS: DAVE BENETT. GRAIN LONDON LTD

neatly under a giant chandelier,
Princess Beatrice was all smiles as she
enjoyed a date night last week with
her husband of three years, Edoardo
Mapelli Mozzi.
The couple joined a host of
celebrities in Whitehall for the
opening of The OWO, which has
undergone a £1.4bn refurbishment
over the past eight years.
Built on the historic royal site of
Whitehall Palace, the former War
Office has been transformed into flats
and the Raffles London hotel, boasting
a selection of restaurants and bars, plus
a spa – all backed financially by Indian
billionaires the Hinduja brothers, who
regularly top the Sunday Times Rich List
List..
It was left to Beatrice’s aunt the
Princess Royal to open the hotel
officially by unveiling a plaque, after
she was given a tour of the building’s
key historic spaces.
Accompanied by Shalini Hinduja,
daughter-in-law of businessman
Gopichand, and Fiona Harris,
communications director for Raffles
London, she viewed areas including
the former Army Council Room and
the former office of the Secretary of
State for War, used by post-holders
including Winston Churchill.
ROYAL ASSENT
Princess Anne told guests: “Thank you
all for what you’ve done to this, which
is a really landmark building in
London. Weirdly, we managed to build
landmark buildings that were actually
secret from what went on inside them.
Seems an amazing contradiction, but
we will learn more about the history of
this building now than we perhaps ever
did before. So along with this genuine
opening ceremony, our people can
now come and enjoy this building.”
Guests, who dined on canapes
made by three-Michelin-starred chef
Mauro Colagreco, were then dazzled
by entertainment that saw global
superstars Andrea Bocelli and
Andrew Lloyd Webber perform a
riveting set of well-loved songs
including Nessun Dorma,
Dorma, The Music of
the Night from Andrew’s musical The
Phantom of the Opera
a and O Sole Mio.
Mio.
The seven-storey building was
constructed in 1906 and bombed
eight times in the Blitz. More recently,
it featured in five James Bond films
(Octopussy
Octopussy,, A View to a Kill
Kill,, Licence to
Kill,, Spectree and Skyfall
Kill
Skyfall)) as the MI6
headquarters, where M’s office
H
was located.
REPORT: THOMAS WHITAKER

Princess Beatrice, looking
chic in a black blazer and
heels, poses with husband
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi
before joining guests
including Natalie Pinkham
(above left) to celebrate

27

THE DUKE AND
DUCHESS OF SUSSEX

CALIFORNIA WHIRL AS THEY
JOIN A-LIST FUNDRAISER

F

resh from their appearance at
the Invictus Games in Germany
– and popping to Portugal to visit
cousin Princess Eugenie and her
husband Jack Brooksbank – the
Duke and Duchess of Sussex were
again celebrating excellence, this
time saluting the heroes of the US’s
emergency services.
Prince Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42
(together above) were among the
guests at Oscar-winning actor Kevin
Costner’s One805Live! fundraiser in
Santa Barbara, California, during
which they were welcomed on stage
for a special ceremony (below).
The couple, who
live in the nearby
locality of Montecito,
presented the Heart
of the Community
award to Kevin
(right, with Harry),
an ambassador for

28

the One805 charity, who had
opened up his multimillion-dollar
ranch to host the day’s fun.
“I get asked a lot by my friends
who have no manners: ‘Kev, what’s
this place cost? What’s it worth?’”
said the star, addressing the audience
of VIPs and senior police and
firefighting officials. “On a day like
today, it’s worth every penny.”
Also attending were high-profile
guests including Oprah Winfrey,
Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De
Rossi, who were later seen chatting
with the Duke and Duchess – chic in
Carolina Herrera (left).

MIKE TINDALL

REPORTS: BELINDA ROBEY. KATHRYN WILSON. PHOTOS: BACKGRID. GETTY IMAGES. ITV. PA IMAGES. REX FEATURES. ZUMA PRESS

MOVES TO THE
(PRISON) WING FOR
NEW CHALLENGE
being behind bars was a whole new experience.
Mike, 44, spent time with inmates at HMP The Mount
in Hertfordshire (right) for last week’s two-part ITV
documentary Grand Slammers, training the men to take
on a team of Australians.
In the programme, Mike and fellow members of the
winning 2003 Rugby World Cup squad – Ben Cohen,
Jason Robinson, Martin Johnson, Phil Vickery, Jonny
Wilkinson, Lawrence Dallaglio and Matt Dawson (all

A

above from left, with Mike) – teamed up with
Category C prisoners willing to give the game a try.
The ex-players relished the opportunity to work
together once more, with former Question of Sport
star Matt calling it “the first time I really missed
rugby since I retired”.
There was also a cameo appearance by a member
of Mike’s home side: his mother-in-law the Princess
Royal, who popped up while he and Phil were
filming at Royal Ascot earlier this year.
“You can join the coaching staff if you’d like,”
Mike told her.

PRINCE KYRIL OF BULGARIA

GRANDFATHER’S BRAVERY IS A THEATRE HIT

fter a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe, the intriguingly titled The Brief Life &
Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria
aria has hit
London’s Arcola Theatre.
Eighty years after his death, in circumstances that
remain controversial, the King (below, with wife Queen
Joanna and their children Crown Prince Simeon and
Princess Marie Louise) has become the centre of a slick
tragi-comedy telling how he saved almost 50,000

Bulgarian Jews from deportation by standing up to Hitler.
Speaking exclusively to hello!’s sister publication
¡hola!, Boris’s grandson Prince Kyril, 59, whose
partner is British businesswoman and art historian
Katharine Butler (together right), said: “It was really a
joint achievement by him, as head of state, together
with the head of the Orthodox Church and groups like
doctors and lawyers, who formed a united front.”
But, he adds: “After months of delays and difficulties
in deporting the Jews, in August 1943, Hitler summoned
King Boris to demand an explanation. The people
outside the office could hear the Führer shouting like
a madman for 45 minutes. Then, a few days after
returning from Berlin, Boris died, despite having
previously been perfectly fit and healthy. He paid for his
actions with his life.
“Three doctors who examined the King – one of
them sent by the Germans – all said that the symptoms,
including a skin reaction, pointed to some kind of
poison, that it was the only explanation,” he adds.
The play has won rave reviews and Kyril says: “I’ve
supported it in every way I can.”
The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of
Bulgaria, is at the Arcola Theatre; visit arcolatheatre.com.

29

The Inside Story
THE PRINCE AND
PRINCESS OF WALES

SECOND BITE OF THE APPLE
AS THEY MEET TECH KING
ech royalty met the real thing when Apple chief Tim
Cook called into Windsor Castle to chat to the Prince
and Princess of Wales about their shared interest in saving
the planet.
The royal couple hosted the businessman in the White
Drawing Room to discuss a wide range of subjects, including
Prince William’s third annual Earthshot Prize ceremony, to
be held in Singapore next month.
Sharing a photo of them together (left) on social media,
Tim, 62, wrote: “It was a true honor to meet with the Prince
and Princess of Wales. We had a wonderful and wide-ranging
discussion about the environment, mental health, and other
issues that mean a great deal to all of us.”
This is not the first time the Prince has worked with Apple
– in December 2021, he took part in its Time to Walk
alk podcast,
talking about the importance of keeping mentally fit.
Tim’s support for Earthshot, which aims to unveil new
solutions to some of the planet’s problems, follows that of
other influential figures including Microsoft founder Bill
Gates, politician and businessman Michael Bloomberg and
former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
Last week, Kensington Palace confirmed the Princess will
not be travelling to Singapore for the ceremony on
7 November. hello! understands the couple’s eldest child,
ten-year-old Prince George, is taking exams that week and

REPORTS: EMILY NASH. KATHRYN WILSON. PHOTOS: PA IMAGES. TIM COOK

T

KYLIE MINOGUE

SHOW HAS HER FAMOUS
FANS SPINNING AROUND
ension may have been rising (in the album charts) but
there was no sign of any stress when Kylie Minogue
entertained a celebrity-strewn crowd at London’s
Shepherd’s Bush Empire.
In a “crazy, amazing gig”, the singer (below left) gave
an intimate performance to celebrate the launch of her
16th studio album and offered an invitation to Come
into My World to famous fans including Kimberley
Walsh (right) and Rylan Clark, who posted photos with
fellow guests Graham Norton and Michelle
Visage. “The best pop princess with the best
company,” he wrote.
Taking a well-deserved breather (and the
chance to let off some steam), The Great
British Bake Off’s
f new co-host Alison
Hammond also joined the radio and TV
presenter (together far left). “Rylan + Kylie
= everything,” her Instagram caption read.
Kylie’s show was a warm-up for her
residency in Las Vegas, which will see the
55-year-old star take over The Venetian
hotel’s new 1,000-seater venue Voltaire for
three months, starting in November. “It’s
been a long time coming,” she said.
She’s not the only one looking forward
to the performances, she added: “My
friends and family are so excited about this
show – as an excuse to

The Inside Story

LAURENCE
LLEWELYNBOWEN

F

rom Changing Rooms to changing direction,
Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s career pivot
from presenter to painter got off to a great
start with the launch of his debut solo painting
exhibition (left), Gardens of Baroque
Delights, at Cotswold Contemporary gallery
in Cirencester.
Laurence, 58, who
studied fine art before
finding fame as an
interior designer
and TV personality,
brushed up his skills
during lockdown and
is now as excited by
acrylics as by emulsion.
The flamboyant
star showcased more
than one type of

32

limited-edition print at the event, donning a bespoke
suit in fabric from Roberto Cavalli’s furnishing
collection (above).
Making it a picture-perfect night were (left, with
Laurence) daughter Hermione Marriott, son-in-law
Dan Rajan, grandchildren Demelza and Albion, and
wife Jackie, of whom Laurence said: “She’s spent the
last 35 years waking up to an orange television
celebrity and she’s just like, you know, furious!”
Approaching 60 had inspired the change, he
added. “You’ve got to keep moving. I wanted to do
something completely different with my world.”
Laurence’s art-loving famous friends – including
Toyah Willcox and her musician husband Robert
Fripp (both below, with Jackie), Earl and Countess
Bathurst, and novelist Jilly Cooper – attended the
viewing. Sharing photos on Instagram, Laurence
wrote: “What a night! Lovely to see so many Art lovers,
patrons and BUYERS at the launch of my exhibition.”

ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

CELEBRATES A
CHANGE OF ART

TAYLOR SWIFT

HAS A (FOOT)BALL
AS ROMANCE
RUMOURS KICK OFF

I

f fans had Trouble keeping their eyes on the
field, who could blame them when Taylor
Swift turned up to watch American footballer –
and rumoured new love interest – Travis Kelce
(right) in action.
Making what the Kansas City Chiefs player
called a “pretty ballsy” appearance, the singer
(left) jumped up and down with excitement
when he scored a touchdown at home in the
Arrowhead Stadium.
Taylor and Travis, both 33, left the stadium
together after the game and were then spotted
at a rooftop restaurant.
Further fuelling speculation of a romance,
photos showed the star – officially single since
her split from Joe Alwyn was reported in April
– with her arm around Travis’s neck.
Discussing the rumours, Travis appeared to
hint that he had kicked events off. “I threw
the ball in her court. I said: ‘I’ve seen you
rock the stage in Arrowhead. You might have
to come see me rock the stage in Arrowhead
and see which one’s a little more lit,’” he said.
“We’ll see what happens in the near future.”
He also spoke about the Chiefs’ newest fan
in the wake of his team’s victory against the
Chicago Bears, saying: “She looked amazing.
It was definitely a game I’ll remember.”

VICK HOPE AND CALVIN HARRIS

GIVE MARRIAGE A RINGING ENDORSEMENT

F

resh from their Italian honeymoon,
newlyweds DJ Calvin Harris and radio
presenter Vick Hope took their wedding rings
for a spin around the streets of London.
The pair (left) were spotted walking side by
side near Regent’s Park, enjoying the early
autumn sunshine together ahead of Vick’s
afternoon show on BBC Radio 1.
Clearly taking married life in her stride – “I’m
back and I’m married, which is very nice,” she
told listeners on her first show back – the 34-yearold star smiled broadly as she clutched an
espresso and a pastry (right), her rings sparkling
in the sun (below).
The couple married in the ruins of Hulne
Priory, in Northumberland, and celebrated with
an outdoor party in the surrounding parkland
alongside guests including DJ Scott Mills, Big
Brother
other host AJ Odudu and Vick’s co-presenter
Jordan North. Two days later, they flew to Brindisi
for a romantic getaway.

33

FAIRYTALE WEDDING
FOR ‘DOWNTON’ STAR

MICHELLE
DOCKERY

MARRIES JASPER
WALLER-BRIDGE
IN A-LIST AFFAIR
ne of Downton Abbey’s
Abbey ’s leading ladies,
O
Michelle Dockery, got her happy ever after
when she married film and TV producer and
talent manager Jasper Waller-Bridge.
Surrounded by her co-stars, the bride – who
played Lady Mary Crawley in the period drama
– was stunning in a white satin Emilia Wickstead
Josephine gown, carrying a small bouquet and a
half-moon clutch bag with a pearl handle.
The proud groom, meanwhile, looked
dashing in a navy suit with a silver tie and with a
pink flower in his buttonhole.
Wedding bells rang out as Michelle, 41, and
Jasper, 35, were showered with confetti outside
St Nicholas’s church in Chiswick, West London
on 23 September. The couple were then
whisked away in a classic Bentley to Orleans
House Gallery in Twickenham for a glamorous
reception with views over the River Thames.
FAMILY AFFAIR
The groom’s sister, Fleabagg creator Phoebe,
turned heads in a statement coral suit and
stylish sun hat. And love was in the air as the
writer, producer and actress, 38, walked arm in
arm with her Oscar-winning writer-director
partner Martin McDonagh, 53, with a diamond
ring spotted on her left hand for the first time.
The guest list included Michelle’s Downton
Abbey co-stars Lily James, Joanne Froggatt,
Laura Carmichael, Hugh Bonneville, Allen
Leech, Lesley Nicol and married couple
Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton. Also in
attendance were the show’s creator Julian
Fellowes, with his wife Emma Joy Kitchener,
plus The Crown’s
Crown’s Lesley Manville and Happy
Valley
alley star James Norton.

34

Joanne Froggatt
chats to Lesley
Manville, while
Lord Fellowes
arrives with his
wife Emma (right)

Bells rang out as the couple were showered
with confetti outside the church

PHOTOS: CLICK NEWS & MEDIA/SPLASH NEWS

Phoebe Waller-Bridge –
sporting a diamond ring
– arrives with partner
Martin McDonagh for
her brother’s wedding to
Michelle (together left)

Michelle and Jasper, who were introduced by
friends, conducted their romance mostly out
of the limelight before announcing their
engagement in The Times
imes in January last year.
HAPPY ENDING
Three months later, they made their red-carpet
debut as a couple in London at the world
premiere of TV miniseries Anatomyy of a Scandal
Scandal..
And on the pair’s special day, eight years after
the actress suffered heartbreak when her then
fiancé John Dineen died of cancer aged 34,
family, friends and fans were delighted to
H
see Michelle find happiness again.
REPORT: LILY WADDELL

Guests scatter confetti on the happy couple (above) at the church in 35
West London, before a glamorous reception at Twickenham’s Orleans
House Gallery. The stars in attendance include Hugh Bonneville (left,
in white) and Jim Carter, along with Lily James (next left)

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS

FINDING HER OWN PLACE IN THE SUN

JASMINE HARMAN

ANNOUNCES SHE AND HER FAMILY
ARE STARTING A NEW LIFE IN SPAIN

all-to-wall sunshine, a
W
glistening shoreline and an
enchanting old town – it’s easy

36

to see why Jasmine Harman is
embracing the beauty of Estepona.
The A Place in the Sun presenter
has found dream homes and
happiness on this idyllic stretch of
Spain’s Costa del Sol for many
people over the past 20 years.
Today, though, she is not here
to film the popular Channel 4
property show. Instead, she has
some news of her own, as she tells
hello! she has followed her own

‘The years slip away and that was why
we wanted to make this move — to have
more quality time together’ Jasmine

best advice and relocated with
husband Jon Boast and their
children, Joy, nine, and seven-yearold Albion.

V

MAKING THE MOVE
“It has been a huge decision – a
year or more in the making,”
Jasmine, 47, says as she welcomes us
to the family’s new home two weeks
into their life-changing move.
“For both of us, it was about
making the best life. The years slip
away and that was very much why
we wanted to make this move; to

have more quality time together,
more family time.
“Our children mean the world to
us. Everything we do is for them.
It’s about grasping opportunities
when you have them. Family is the
most important thing and this will
give us a much better balance.”
While the commute for Jasmine
has become a whole lot easier when
filming in Spain, director of
photography Jon, 44 – whom she
met when he was filming her first
episode of the TV show and
married five years later, in

37

‘There were times I
thought: “This is too
much, I don’t think we
can do it.” The mental
load was intense’
2009 – will be the one who will be
travelling more.
“It’s taken us a long time to realise: live
for the moment and enjoy those you love
every day,” he says. “Jas is used to the
commute from the UK to Spain; now it’s
my turn to do vice versa.
“While I still work in the UK quite a
bit, stepping through this door is like a
sigh of relief. This is not just a house; it’s
our sanctuary. Jasmine has worked her
magic and this place already feels like our
little haven.”
SEIZE THE DAY
Their words are particularly poignant
after their close friend and Jasmine’s
former A Place in the Sun co-host Jonnie
Irwin was diagnosed with terminal lung
cancer in 2020.
Jasmine says: “We have had friends –
including Jonnie, obviously – who have
had life-changing illnesses and diagnoses.
And we have had bereavements, too, that
have made us take stock of things. You
never know what is around the corner.
“I say that to my house-hunters – for a
lot of people, losing someone or a health
scare can be a catalyst for them to decide:
‘Let’s do this. It’s now or never. Life’s too
short to mess around.’”
Smiling warmly, she adds: “I’ve been
chatting to Jonnie and we’ve been
messaging and he said he is going to
come over and visit us. He is a very, very
special friend to me. I would love it if he
and Jess and the kids are able to come.”
The show’s presenters are very much a
family – Laura Hamilton has also been on
hand to help and has already popped in
to see how well they’ve already settled in.
“Not to say we haven’t had a few
wobbles on the way,” Jasmine says of their
decision to leave their London home.
“There were times I thought: ‘This is too
much, I don’t think we can do it.’ The
mental load was intense.”
Jon adds: “I won’t lie – the move filled
me with some big anxieties. But now,
coming to our new home already feels

38

Joy and Albion have
already settled into
their new life and
school and are
learning Spanish –
like their mum. It’s
thanks to her
Cypriot heritage that
the family are able
to move to the EU
post-Brexit

‘Our children mean the world to us.
Family is the most important thing and
this will give us a much better balance’

like a warm embrace. Hopefully it’s going
to help me switch off from work and
focus on the kids even more. They are
the biggest motivation in our lives.”
When it came to finding their dream
home, Jasmine looked at a few properties
before flying out as a family to view more.
“We knew we loved this area and it was
genuinely like a real-life episode of A Place
in the Sun,”
Sun,” she says. “There were a couple
of frontrunners, but we weren’t sure.”

V

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Then, when they were back home,
Jasmine had a call from an agent who
shared a virtual tour of another property.
“I really liked it and I asked to go and see
it. The very next day, I dropped the kids
at school, went to the airport and phoned
my mum asking her to pick them up.”
She immediately knew it was the one.
“It has a lovely community feel. We have
lots of Spanish families nearby and I’ve
been hovering outside to say hello to all
our new neighbours. We’re planning a
housewarming to get to know everyone.”
While she will miss family and friends
in the UK, she knows they will visit – her
mother Vasoulla, whom she has to thank
for her rich Greek Cypriot heritage, pops
her head round the door as we chat. “She
arrived last night,” Jasmine says.
Jon had no qualms about the property,
even though he didn’t see it until arriving
with the children. “Jasmine’s years of
finding dream homes for others filled me
with absolute faith,” he says. “Her
expertise and her ambition to find a

Only two weeks after moving in and
the family already feel at home,
with Jasmine creating, says Jon,
“our little haven”, featuring cosy
touches in the kitchen (right) and
airy living area (below)

39

‘I hope our move will broaden the
children’s horizons and help them
know that the world is their oyster’

As well as their own pool (left and below)
there’s a communal pool where the children
can play and mix with the neighbours and
the family are hoping to make a splash
with a housewarming party. Meanwhile,
friends and family from the UK are already
popping by, including Jasmine’s A Place
in the Sun co-host Laura Hamilton

40

perfect home, just like she’s done
for countless others, made me
confident that we were about to
embark on the right adventure for
our children and their future.”
CHILDREN FIRST
The couple don’t underestimate
that it’s a huge upheaval for Joy
and Albion, with Jasmine telling
us: “In a way, it’s probably a bigger
thing for them than it is for us, as
although they’ve travelled a lot, it
is a complete change.”
Finding a “nurturing, warm and
welcoming” school was a priority,
she says. “I looked at a lot and
settled on a lovely international
school and the learning is in
Spanish and in English. I’m not
fluent and the children aren’t
either, but they are learning and I
am, too.”
Two weeks into their first term,
“they’ve been amazing”, she says.
“I’m so proud of how they seem to
be adapting. We felt it was now or
never, due to their age. I think the
transition would have been much
harder as teenagers.”
Their journey to becoming a
family involved Jasmine and Jon
turning to IVF. “We are so very
grateful to be able to share our
lives with our children. We had
one cycle of IVF and from that, we
were blessed with two children.
“For us it was very smooth. It
was a very low, mild dose, where

‘Jonnie said he is
going to come and
visit us. He is a
very, very special
friend to me’

PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: FERNANDO HUERGO JANEIRO. ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. JONNIE IRWIN

you work with your body’s natural
cycles rather than overstimulating
your cycle with a high dose of
drugs. It may not be for everyone,
but it worked for us and I had
minimal side effects and two
beautiful pregnancies.”
STEPPING OUT
Joy and Albion’s childhood is very
different from Jasmine’s, who
is one of seven who grew up in
Hackney in East London. It was
only when she had an opportunity
in her 20s to work abroad, as
a marketing manager on the
Algarve, that her world opened up.
“Coming from the East End of
London, I never really felt I would
have an opportunity like that
and it was such a life-changing
experience – moving to another
country, meeting new people –
and I think that gave me the
confidence to then become a
television presenter. It made me
feel I could do anything,” she says.
Now, she extends that wish to
her own children. “I hope our
move here will broaden their
horizons and help them to know
that the world is their oyster.”
Jasmine’s passion for her work
is as strong as ever. “I get a massive
buzz when I seal a deal for househunters and I tell them they’ve got
their place in the sun.
“Now it is exciting to be
embarking on my own adventure
after 20 years of helping
H
other people to do it.”
INTERVIEW: JANE DOWDESWELL
PHOTOS: JAVIER ALONSO
STYLIST: LOLA DELGADO
HAIR: EVA HERRERA PICAZO
MAKE-UP: VANESSA MARTIN-BARBADILLO

‘STRICTLY COME
DANCING’ DYNAMIC DUO

TESS DALY
AND CLAUDIA
WINKLEMAN
ON BACKSTAGE SECRETS
AND PERSONAL
MILESTONES
he glitz, glamour and fancy
T
footwork of Strictly Come
Dancing were back in full force in
its first live show of the season –
and behind the scenes, presenter
Tess Daly had a goosebumps
moment of her own.
The Stockport-born host, who
has been at the helm of the UK’s
favourite dance show since it
began in 2004, was pregnant with
her eldest daughter Phoebe Kay
when she co-presented the
inaugural series with Bruce
Forsyth all those years ago.
And as Strictly
Strictly’s
’s 21st sparkling
instalment got under way, Tess was
supported in the live studio
audience by Phoebe, now all
grown up and celebrating her
19th birthday this month.
As Tess told the audience before
A beaming and heavily pregnant
Tess joins husband Vernon Kay
(below) in 2004, the year she
presented the first series of Strictly
– and daughter Phoebe was born

her daughter cheering her on
from a front-row seat felt like a big
moment for the star, who is proud
of the perennial success enjoyed by
the programme she has called
home for the past two decades.
“It feels like a huge privilege to
be part of a TV show that the
nation have taken to their hearts,”
says Tess, 54, who also shares
14-year-old daughter Amber with
her husband, TV star Vernon Kay,
49. “Families have grown up
t o g e t h e r, w a t c h i n g i t o n a
Saturday night – they tell me all
the time. It feels wonderful to be a
part of that.”
Tess, who never fails to dazzle
with an on-screen wardrobe as
glamorous as those of the
celebrities and their professional
partners, has presented the show
with Claudia Winkleman since
2014, when Sir Bruce – he was
knighted in 2011 – retired.
Since then, the dynamic duo
have become stalwarts of Saturday
night T V, and their famous
“keeeep dancing” catchphrase is
known and loved far and wide.
SPARKLING WIT
“I love standing next to Tess and I
love trying on sparkly outfits,” says
Claudia, 51, adding that she and
the rest of the team are “sort of
beside ourselves” with excitement
as the new series continues to
delight dance fans across the
country. Viewing figures have
stood the test of time, with an
impressive 6.6 million people
tuning in to its live debut.
“This new cast are so exciting,”

Claudia and Tess together in
September’s first live show of
Strictly Come Dancing’s 21st
series; they have been a
fixture in the Strictly ballroom
since 2014, when they began
presenting the show together
after Sir Bruce Forsyth retired

43

Glamorous Tess
takes a turn with
Bruce during the
Strictly Ice Dancing
Christmas special in
2004. The presenter
loves to dance,
revealing that she
and Claudia play
music by Rihanna
behind the scenes

PHOTOS: BBC. GETTY IMAGES. PA IMAGES. REX FEATURES

And Tess and Claudia enjoy
watching the dancefloor action just
as much as audiences at home do.
“I so look for ward to the
Argentine tango,” says Claudia
of her favourite dance. “It never
comes up early, but the moment
I get a whiff of it or someone
mentions it, I start making weird
clicky noises with my tongue and I
can’t wait to watch.”
For Tess, it’s always a highlight
when the show migrates, mid-series,
to Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
“Blackpool is a real milestone,
not just for the celebrities, but for
us too,” she says. “We love the
wonder fully warm northern
welcome we receive there – and of
course the fish and chip supper.”
While the show celebrates its
“monumental” 21st series, Tess has
had plenty of landmark moments
in her personal life this year, too.
This summer, Phoebe – who
is the spitting image of her
glamorous mother – completed
her A-levels, and last month
headed off to start university.
And on 12 September, Tess and
Vernon marked their 20th wedding
anniversary. Posting a romantic
photo of their wedding, which took
place in Vernon’s home town of
Horwich, Lancashire, Tess wrote
on Instagram: “Cannot believe it’s
20 years ago today! [Love heart
emojis] always.”
Earlier this year, she shared the

secrets of her marriage to Vernon
in a fun TikTok video, in which she
answered followers’ questions.
“It is 20 years we’ve been married
this year, and we still sit down for
dinner and have so much to talk
about and have a real laugh,” she
said. “I see his name come up on
my phone and go ‘yay’.
“We do have a good laugh.
He’s always messing around, daddancing in the kitchen and singing
and dancing – there’s never a dull
moment.”
GETTING HER JIVE ON
Tess is also partial to tripping the
light fantastic, which is hardly
surprising, given her day job.
“The one song that never fails to
get me on the dancefloor at parties
is Calvin Harris and Rihanna’s We
Found Love
Love,”
,” says the star, recalling
how it proved the ultimate pick-meup during the Covid-19 pandemic,
when she and Claudia were
presenting Strictly Come Dancing
with social distancing and no live
studio audience.
“We would play it between shows
to lift the energy in the studio and
me and Claudia would dance
around like no one was
H
watching,” she laughs.
INTERVIEW: EMILY HORAN

Strictly
ictly Come Dancing is on BBC1 and
BBC iPlayer on Saturday, with the results
show on Sundays.

WEAVING HER MAGIC

THE PRINCESS
OF WALES

FEELS RIGHT AT HOME AS
SHE UNCOVERS FAMILY
HISTORY IN THE NORTH
he puts her family at the heart of everything
S
she does, and last week the Princess of Wales
took a trip down memory lane as she visited a
firm to which she has a close personal connection.
Kate called at a fabric company once owned
by her ancestors, wearing a Burberry trouser
suit as she shone a spotlight on British industry.
At the mill run by AW Hainsworth, in Pudsey,
near Leeds, Kate heard how the firm had
bought out her family’s business, William
Lupton & Co, in 1958.
It was sold by the family of her paternal greatgrandparents Noel and Olive (née Lupton)
Middleton, after the Luptons spent 160 years in
business making collar meltons – the material
that rests under a smart suit collar.
The Princess heard how AW Hainsworth still
produces the items, along with high-quality
cloth used by fashion houses Gucci, Balenciaga,
Valentino, Chanel and Burberry, and woven felt
used in Steinway pianos.
It supplies technical fabrics to the emergency
services and cloth for military uniforms,
including the distinctive red tunics worn by
Buckingham Palace guards – and by the Prince
of Wales on his wedding day in 2011.
The firm also produced the fabric used in the
jacket worn by Prince Louis to the King’s
coronation in May.

46

V

RIGHT AT HOME
Kate, who is admired the world over for her
fashion sense, clearly has textiles in her blood, as
she handled freshly woven merino wool fabric,
saying: “I love the feel of it and the smell of it.”
Shown raw merino wool from Australia and
New Zealand, she said: “You can smell the
lanolin – I love it.”
Kate saw the looms weaving yarn into cloth
and an area where fabric was being dyed scarlet
to make tunics for guardsmen. She also spotted a
familiar product – a cream blanket with colourful
stripes made for Canadian firm Hudson Bay.
“I recognise this,” she said. “I think we were
given one on tour to Canada as a gift. I’ll take a
photograph and send it to you. I use it for the
children all the time. I’m going to doublecheck when I get home and look at the label.”
In the mill’s laboratory, the Princess saw a
life-sized mannequin wearing a finished
guard’s uniform. “It’s amazing to see it
actually made up,” she said.
She also saw a replica of one of her own
dresses, worn on a 2015 engagement when
she was pregnant with Princess Charlotte,
made by Madderson London using AW
Hainsworth’s doeskin fabric.
Senior weaver trainer Zeb Akhtar, who
joined Kate on her tour, said: “She was very
interested in the process and I talked her
through how we made the cloth for the guards
on the Somet loom. She had good
background knowledge.

‘I love the feel
of the wool and
the smell of it.
You can smell
the lanolin — I
love it’ Kate

Kate tours Yorkshire fabric
company AW Hainsworth
with senior weaver trainer
Zeb Akhtar (above). The
firm bought out her
family’s business, William
Lupton & Co, in 1958
(below right, her greatgrandmother Olive
Lupton, and left, Olive’s
grandfather Frank, who
was key to the firm’s
success). The Princess
inspects a guard’s outfit
(right) of the type worn
by Prince William for
the couple’s wedding
in 2011 (left)

47

The Princess inspects fabrics with House of Hackney founders Javvy M
Royle and Frieda Gormley (above) at the Standfast & Barracks printworks
in Lancaster. On hearing that Emily May Catto (giving Kate flowers, left)
loves dancing, she tells the seven-year-old that her daughter Princess
Charlotte (showing off her moves below) is a big fan of ballet and tap

48

PHOTOS: CLAUDIA JOSEPH. GETTY IMAGES. MATT PORTEOUS/KENSINGTON PALACE. PA IMAGES

‘My daughter Charlotte likes
dancing — she loves ballet and
tap. Keep up the dancing’
“It was a pleasure to have her. We
work hard and look after the royal
family whenever they call upon us.”
E s t a b l i s h e d i n 1 7 8 3 , AW
Hainsworth holds a royal warrant
from Queen Elizabeth II. Rachel
Hainsworth, whose father John
oversaw the purchase of the
Middletons’ William Lupton & Co
company, said: “It’s amazing to
have the Princess here today and
see everything come full circle.
“We chatted about her family
history – she said her parents had
been talking to her about it. She was
interested to hear about the collar
meltons and how they are still going.
“My father is so proud that we
have that connection and we have
the icing on the cake by her coming
here. It was nice for her to come
and see where it all began.”
STRONG SUPPORT
Managing director Amanda
McLaren said of Kate: “She
recognises that the UK textile
industry needs the spotlight, support
and long-term encouragement to
withstand many, many hundreds of
years more. People still aspire to
British-made textiles and we should
be proud of that.”
Explaining that the firm has
produced military fabrics since the
Battle of Waterloo in 1815, she
added: “The coronation was our
biggest marketing day – every fabric
you could see on show that day
would have been made here.”

Later, the Princess crossed the
Pennines to visit the Standfast &
Barracks printworks, which is part
of the Sanderson Design Group, in
Lancaster.
She was presented with a posy
and a drawing by Emily May Catto,
seven, whose grandfather Pete
Ellison has worked there for nearly
half a century.
When Kate was told that Emily
loved dancing, she replied: “My
daughter Charlotte likes dancing –
she loves ballet and tap. Keep up
the dancing.”
Kate spent an hour touring
the factory, which celebrates its
centenary next year, meeting staff
and apprentices. She admired
prints for upholstery, cushions and
curtains, saying: “These designs
are amazing.”
She was shown how digital
printing of fabrics uses around 17
gallons less water per yard of fabric
than the traditional process.
She also met the founders of
British interiors brand House of
Hackney, Frieda Gormley and Javvy
M Royle, who are working with
Standfast & Barracks to pioneer
the use of sustainable, traceable
materials in their products.
“There is a growing need, isn’t
there?” said the Princess. “And
some understanding, from the
consumer, about where their
H
products come from.”
REPORT: EMILY NASH

Family is key for
Kate (left with
Prince Louis,
Prince George and
Princess Charlotte),
who looks smart in
a Burberry trouser
suit as she explores
her connection to
the textile factories
of the north

49

CARING
KATE

MAKES NEW FRIENDS
ON A SPECIAL
PLAYDATE

50

Look smart: The Princess of Wales arrives at the Orchards Centre
in Sittingbourne, Kent, wearing a red Zara blazer and black
trousers and with her hair swept into a chic and practical updo

‘It makes such a
difference to have
someone saying,
‘Wow, look what
your child can do’
neeling on the floor
K
surrounded by tinsel and
shredded paper, the Princess of
Wales proved to be the princess of
fun when she joined youngsters at
a sensory play session.
Kate, 41, threw herself into
the games and activities at the
Orchards Centre in Sittingbourne,
Kent, where children with learning
disabilities and special educational
needs were taking part in a
workshop run by the Kent Portage
Team, which helps learning and
development through play.
No stranger to messy play, the
mother of three – Prince George,
ten, Princess Charlotte, eight,
and Prince Louis, five – laughed
as she watched three-year-old
Beatrice throwing handfuls of
shredded paper into the air,
shrieking with delight.
She applauded Darcie, also
three, as she poured brightly
coloured paper into a cup. “Well
done,” she said, adding: “Louis
has got a Darcie in his class.”
Turning to Skylar, nearly two,
who was covering herself and
others in foam, she commented:
“She is very sweet.”
SYMPATHETIC EAR
Kate was highlighting the session
as part of her Shaping Us
campaign, which is looking at how
best to support families and carers
so they can provide their children
with the nurturing care they need
in their early years.
She met children with varying
needs and conditions, including
social communications difficulties,
autism, complex needs and
Down’s syndrome.
Among them was 11-month-old
Nathan Ikebuwa, who has
profound learning difficulties
and was at the centre with his
father Stephen.
The father of four told the
Princess how his wife had suffered
with the severe morning sickness
hyperemesis gravidarum during
pregnancy. “I went through that. I
know what that feels like,” said
Kate, who suffered with the
condition throughout all three of
her pregnancies.
“It was nice meeting her and
when I told her that my wife had
hyperemesis gravidarum, it struck
a chord with her,” Stephen said.
“ You can see her expression
change. She went through the
same thing.”
Kate also chatted to Charlotte
Beer, who trained as a Portage

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. PA IMAGES

SUPPORTING OTHER PARENTS

‘You can tell she really cared about the
children and wants to make a change’

Three-year-old
Beatrice has the
Princess laughing
out loud during a
play session with
shredded paper at
the Orchards Centre

practitioner (the service is named
after a town in Wisconsin where the
first sessions were held) after her
daughter Evie, now six, was diagnosed
with autism aged 18 months.
“When you have a child going
through lots of assessments and tests
it can be quite a negative experience,”
Charlotte told the royal guest.
“There’s a lot of hearing what your

child isn’t doing. It makes such a
difference to have someone saying:
‘Wow, look what your child can do.’”
She said of the Princess: “She
expressed how important it is to
make sure children with special
needs are supported in their first five
years of life. She came and sat with
some of them on the floor, talking to
their parents. You can tell that she

really cared about the children and
wants to make a change.”
The National Portage Association,
which marks its 40th anniversary this
year, provides specially trained
practitioners to visit or bring
together preschoolers with special
needs to help their development.
Association chair Janet Rickman
told hello!
hello!:: “You could see the

Kate gets down to business
with toddler Skylar and
Portage practitioner Beanie,
while (left) Darcie, three,
gets a royal round of
applause for her hard work

Princess was really engaged with
the families and playing with the
children. She obviously understood
the impact that Portage makes.
“The first five years are crucial
for any child, but for a child with
additional needs and their
family, it’s even more crucial.” H
REPORT: DANIELLE STACEY & EMILY NASH

51

EXTENDING HIS REACH
BENEATH THE OCEANS

THE KING
MEETS ENGINEERS
OF THE FUTURE
comfort of an office chair.
His Majesty was visiting the Global Underwater
Hub in Westhill, Aberdeenshire, to learn about
their educational outreach programmes, when he
was given control of a remotely operated vehicle.
Appearing to fully immerse himself in the task,
the monarch sat behind a computer and used a
mouse to pilot the vehicle briefly as it inspected a
wind farm off the coast of the Netherlands.
He also heard from underwater technology
firms demonstrating the latest in deep diving

52

equipment, 3D underwater visualisation and
marine science.
LIFE-CHANGING MOMENT
In addition, pupils from nearby Mintlaw Academy
showed the King a scaled-down replica of an
underwater vehicle they had built as part of a
competition designed to inspire young people to
join the underwater industry.
The school’s deputy principal Ali Hynd said:
“This project has given me the opportunity to
bring industry into the classroom to make industry
real, as well as getting some life-changing
experiences for young people. Today, without a

The King receives
instructions on how
to control a remote
underwater vehicle
in the waters off the
Netherlands and
(left) checks out
diving apparatus

doubt, is one of those life-changing experiences,
getting to meet His Majesty.”
He added that some of the students planned to
become mechanical engineers and marine
biologists as a result of the experience.
Before leaving, the King unveiled a plaque to
commemorate his visit to the hub, which brings
together different companies working in the blue
economy. His Majesty is continuing his extended
stay with the Queen in Scotland until later this
month, after returning from their successful
H
state visit to France.
REPORT: EMILY NASH

PHOTOS: PA IMAGES

fter commanding a ship while serving in the
A
Royal Navy, the King has tried his hand at
taking charge of an underwater vehicle – from the

Dressed in King Charles III tartan
and with a hot drink in hand, His
Majesty chats to pupils at Mintlaw
Academy in Aberdeenshire

David supports Victoria
at Paris Fashion Week
last year, accompanied
by their children (from
left) Cruz, Harper,
Romeo and Brooklyn
with his wife Nicola
Peltz Beckham

CLOSER THAN EVER AS THEIR SUCCESS HITS A NEW HIGH

DAVID AND VICTORIA BECKHAM
OPEN UP ABOUT THEIR 25-YEAR LOVE STORY, REVEALING
THE SECRETS OF BUILDING A FAMILY — AND A BRAND
rom her days as a Spice Girl to marriage and
F
motherhood, and success as a fashion
designer, Victoria Beckham remains one of the
world’s most famous – and most photographed
– women. Now, she and her husband David have
taken us inside their world by giving an
extraordinary glimpse into their love story as part
of the eagerly awaited Netflix documentary
Beckham,, released this week.
Beckham

54

V

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
“I just fancied him. It was as simple as that. I
wrote my number on an airplane ticket and I
remember saying: ‘You had better call me,’” she
says of their very first encounter, when the then
Victoria Adams flew to Manchester with her
bandmate Melanie Chisholm to attend a
Manchester United match in 1997.

“I am not into football,” continues Victoria in
the four-part series. “But I had seen pictures of
him and he was obviously a really good-looking
young man. The fact that I went to the game
really was to – some would say stalk, I would say
see him. When I saw him in the footballers’
lounge, all the other players were at the bar but
he was talking to his parents. And I’m very close
to my family, so I loved that side to him.”
David adds his version of the encounter: “That
first time I spoke to her, I just fancied her. There
was something there straight away. I was just like:
‘Okay, this is it. And it’s going to move fast.’”
Continues Victoria: “My manager kept saying:
‘Tr y to keep it under wraps, don’t get
photographed together.’ We would be in car
parks – and that’s not as seedy as it sounds.”
David smiles as he says: “The first kiss I

‘I just fancied him. It
was as simple as
that. I wrote my
number on an
airplane ticket and
said: “You had better
call me”’ Victoria

Victoria is chic in
white at a Vogue and
Tiffany & Co party in
London in 2020,
having made the
transition from Posh
Spice to acclaimed 55
designer after meeting
David at Manchester
United (far left) in 1997

ever had with Victoria was in the
BMW in the car park. Classy.”
From car-park encounters to
becoming one of the world’s most
famous couples, the pair have
created “brand Beckham”, which is
currently undergoing something
of a renaissance, while forging
successful careers.
Between them, they have built
up a huge social media presence
that includes 114 million followers
on Instagram and more than 11
million on Twitter, while their
influence in the worlds of fashion
and sport knows no bounds, with
internationally recognised brands
clamouring to work with the pair.
In recent months, ex-England
captain David, 48, has taken the
profile of the US football team he
co-owns, Inter Miami, into the
stratosphere with the signing of
legendary player Lionel Messi.
Meanwhile, his wife of nearly 25
years is celebrating the launch of
her first fragrance collection, last
week releasing steamy campaign
photographs of herself to promote
the per fumes. The ambitious
development of the fragrances,
seen in the fashion world as a

56

Victoria celebrates
International
Women’s Day as a
guest of the British
Fashion Council in
2019 (left). Having
established her
re p u t a t i o n a s a
designer (top, in
her London
studio), she has
now launched a
range of perfumes
– a notable mark
of success in the
fashion world,
and advertised by
sensational
photos (right) of
the 49-year-old
mum of four

landmark moment for successful
designers, follows hot on the heels
of the news earlier this year that her
fashion label Victoria Beckham has
finally turned a profit, 15 years after
it was created.
Even the 49-year-old’s critics have
been forced to admit that, after
working hard to establish her
credentials as a designer, she
has created one of the most
recognisable brands in the world,
with figures revealing in March that
revenues were up by 42% to £58m.
PASSION FOR FASHION
While stars including the Duke of
Sussex, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim
Kardashian and Selena Gomez
recently watched star signing Lionel
play for Inter Miami before
mingling with the Argentinian
footballer, his wife Antonela
Roccuzzo and the Beckhams,
Victoria has been busy putting
together another successful
collection, showing her latest range
at Paris Fashion Week last Friday.
Her fashion star has never been
higher. “Paris is the crème de la
crème,” she said last week. “It
definitely raised my game.”

‘They both had a
dream and the
public sensed their
excitement’
Alan Edwards, founder of
public relations giant The Outside
Organisation, had a front-row seat
at the creation of brand Beckham
after signing up as PR to the Spice
Girls. “They both had a dream and
everything had a lovely spontaneity
to it. The ideas were conceived on
Victoria’s mum and dad’s kitchen
table or in the back of taxis or on
mobile phones,” he tells hello!
hello!..
“It was totally authentic and the
public sensed the excitement and
enjoyment that had gone into
everything they were doing. It
couldn’t have been further from
a big, strategically planned,
corporate type of operation.
“I doubt if even David could
have imagined that he would end
up owning a major team in the
US, starring the most famous
footballer on the planet. Maybe
the same could be said for Victoria
with her incredible fashion range.”
Her label’s clothes have always
been popular, having been worn
by the Duchess of Sussex and stars
including Jennifer Lopez, but it
was the addition of a successful
beauty range that pushed her
brand into the stratosphere.
“I had to do it myself, down to
all the research and development.
It’s definitely harder, because it
has to work, and it has to feel
luxurious, so that makes the
development time significantly
longer. We’re really pushing our
labs. But I love the challenge,” she
said last week.
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
And she has now pushed it further
with her fragrances. “This is
definitely my most personal
creative project to date,” she has
said. “I’ve been working on these
fragrances for eight years, and this
is my version of an autobiography.”
The three perfumes are inspired
by her love story with David: San
Ysidro Drive recalls the Beverly
Hills house they shared when the
family moved to Los Angeles in
2007, Portofino ’97 is an ode to
holidays they took in the Italian
resort and Suite 302 is a nod to
their stays in the Ritz in Paris
during regular sojourns to the city.
The couple have always been
supportive of each other’s projects
and their desire for professional
success has often kept them apart,
but in the documentary, David’s
former England and Manchester
United teammate Gary Neville
recounts how even in the early
days, when forced apart by work
commitments, they would spend
hours on the phone.
David adds that he would

The couple take to a lake at
France’s Palace of Versailles
for a Jacquemus fashion
show in June. (Below) David
steps out with Harper in
Paris last year, alongside
Cruz and his girlfriend Tana
Holding and Romeo

57

drive for hours to see Victoria, even
if it meant they were only together
for a few minutes. It was within
three months of meeting that news
of the relationship broke, and they
were suddenly catapulted to
becoming one of the most famous
couples in the UK.
“David didn’t have a lot of friends
at school; neither did I,” Victoria
says. “You go from being that kid
who is desperate for a friend to all
of a sudden being chased down the
street. It was a novelty.”
“I was not comfortable with the
photographers being as aggressive
as they were,” David remembers.
“But I loved being in her world. It
was exciting. Everything about

Victoria, I loved. I didn’t know she
was the strong woman that she was.
And I liked that. I don’t know
whether it was because I wanted her
to look after me. She is a strong,
strong woman.”
PILLAR OF STRENGTH
Both look back on how Victoria told
David she was pregnant with their
first child, son Brooklyn, the night
before England’s key match against
Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in
France. During the game, David was
sent off for kicking the opposition’s
Diego Simeone, and the subsequent
backlash against him is discussed at
length in the documentary, with exteam-mate Rio Ferdinand musing on

Alan Edwards, founder of The Outside Organisation, was by Victoria and
David’s side from the beginning when he acted as PR for the Spice Girls at
the height of their fame. He was always convinced of the couple’s love story
and that they were on the road to global renown, he tells HELLO!…
From the second I met David racism and homophobia and his vision for the
and Victoria, it was clear they development of soccer in America. I was mightily
had something special and that impressed, as most players I’d met up until then
magic was in the air.
were more worried about getting into such-andWithin 24 hours of being hired such a club.
by the Spice Girls, I found myself
Every day, something new and exciting seemed
whizzing around the capitals of Europe in a to happen, and like a snowball, it just got bigger
private plane. It was like being on the road with and bigger. On a personal level, they were so
The Beatles.
genuinely inclusive and welcoming and we all felt
They were all incredibly impressive, but I was like part of the family, which made it so wonderful
particularly struck by Victoria’s razor-sharp wit to have been involved in some way.
and sense of humour. Even back then, you could
I’m not the slightest bit surprised by all they’ve
sense how serious she was about the fashion achieved. They had a vision and were absolutely
world and how determined she was to ultimately determined to realise their dreams.
create her own brand.
I am proud of them and think it’s great that
It was the same with David. I can remember everyone is celebrating all they’ve achieved. I
him talking about how strongly he was against feel privileged to have been there.

‘

‘

58

the terrible effect it had on David’s
mental health.
David says Victoria’s support
meant everything to him at that
time. “It had been such an emotional
and draining season; I wouldn’t have
got through that moment if I hadn’t
been at a club like Man United. But
she was the biggest reason that I got
through that time,” he says.
And that’s been a constant in their
relationship: he is always there for
her, and vice versa, in all the biggest
moments of their careers.
There remains great humour
between them, too. At one point,
the couple share a laugh as they
remember the moments before
David faced the world’s press outside
London’s Portland Hospital to
announce Brooklyn’s birth.
“I had had an epidural and I
remember him leaning over as I was
lying there in hospital numb from
the waist down…” Victoria says.
David continues: “And I was like:
‘Can you do my hair?’ which I’m not
sure she was over the moon about.”
The second episode of Beckham
ends with previously unseen video
footage of the couple’s wedding in
1999, showing them in matching
purple outfits as they take to the
dancefloor and kiss.
“I tried to think back to when I
decided to wear a purple suit and
I don’t know when that happened. I
think I just took Victoria’s lead on it.
What were we thinking?” David says.
Victoria adds: “But it was fun. We
weren’t worried about what people
were saying. How lovely to be that
way when you just don’t really care.

PHOTOS: DAVID BECKHAM. DAVE HOGAN. GETTY IMAGES. GOFF PHOTOS. NETFLIX. ROBERT FAIRER/NEW YORK TIMES/REDUX/EYEVINE. REX FEATURES. SPLASH NEWS. VICTORIA BECKHAM

David, Victoria and Harper (above) join a sell-out crowd to watch legendary footballer Lionel Messi (above
right, with David) make his debut – and score the winning goal – for Inter Miami in July. The then England
captain, with his proud wife (left), receives an OBE for services to football at Buckingham Palace in 2003

You just want to express yourself.
That was who we were. And the
thrones – I don’t know where they
came from…”
But there is one outstanding
accolade – which would involve a
real royal encounter – that David
has always dreamt of achieving: a
knighthood. Could the next 12
months see this honour bestowed?
It would certainly be another
triumph in the couple’s
H
unique story of success.
REPORT: LAURA BENJAMIN

Beckham is out on Netf lix on 4 October.

59

‘It’s Friday morning, I’m
here in Paris preparing
to show my collection
later on today and I’m
super, super excited’

Vogue editor-in-chief Dame Anna Wintour takes pride of place next to Victoria’s husband David,
daughter Harper and sons Cruz and Brooklyn, who is joined by wife Nicola. Front-row stars
include (below left) Kris Jenner and Kim Kardashian and (below right) Eva Longoria Bastón

PHOTOS: ALAMY. GETTY IMAGES

FAMILY AND FRIENDS CHEER ON
VICTORIA AS SHE TRIUMPHS IN PARIS

R

60

eigning supreme over Paris Fashion Week,
Victoria Beckham was the queen of the
catwalk as she presented her collection for spring/
summer 2024.
Dressed in a muted black shirt and wide-legged
trousers from her own collection, the 49-year-old
designer blew kisses to the star-studded crowd
following the show, which was held at the 18thcentury townhouse where Chanel designer Karl
Lagerfeld once lived.
Watching were her proud husband David, 48,
and three of their four children – Brooklyn, 24,
who was with wife Nicola, Cruz, 18, and 12-yearold Harper. Missing from the line-up was 21-yearold footballer Romeo, but his model girlfriend
Mia Regan was on hand to watch the presentation,
arriving at the venue with her mother Helen.
Joining the family on the front row were stars
including Eva Longoria Bastón, who wore a bright

red outfit teamed with one of her good friend’s
handbags, Kim Kardashian and her mother Kris
Jenner, Pamela Anderson, Lady Mary Charteris,
Sabrina Elba, Olivia Palermo and The Real
Housewives of Beverly Hills star Lisa Rinna, together
with model Shanina Shaik and British actress
Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
DOUBLE CELEBRATION
Ahead of the presentation, Victoria took to
Instagram to talk about her elation over launching
both her fashion show and her debut collection of
three fragrances.
“It’s Friday morning, I’m here in Paris
preparing to show my collection later on today
and I’m launching my fragrances today. I’m super,
super excited,” she said. “It’s been a long time
coming, a lot of work, but I’m so excited.
“I hope that you find your perfect fragrance

Victoria takes to the
runway to receive a
rousing round of
applause after
presenting her
collection for spring/
summer 2024,
featuring softly fluid,
ballet-inspired designs
(right and above right)
and I hope you love these fragrances as much as I
have really loved the whole process – the eightyear process,” she added. “I’m super excited. It’s a
big day.”
Victoria’s critically acclaimed couture collection
was inspired by her love of ballet and the clothes
she’d worn as a dance student.
“From when I was three years old up until I was
in the Spice Girls, I wanted to be a ballet dancer,”
she said. “One of the things that I find so special
about dancers is that even if you are travelling on
the Tube, you can always spot a ballet dancer, just
by her posture and the way she carries herself.
“I got my old pointe shoes out and did some
pointe work in the kitchen at home – Harper
was impressed I could do that. It’s like riding
H
a bike.”
REPORT: LAURA BENJAMIN

61

i t h t h e E i f f e l To w e r
W
dramatically lit up against
the evening sky, Paris lived up to
its reputation as the fashion capital
of the world as the city came alive
with colour and daring design.
Celebrities and supermodels
filled the front rows as the world’s
top fashion houses showcased
next year’s spring/summer
collections at Paris Fashion Week.

V

MISSION TO MARS
The Champ de Mars, usually filled
with tourists, was transformed
into a catwalk as Saint Laurent’s
models strutted on a faux-marble
platform created for the occasion.
Watching the spectacle were
famous names from the worlds of
fashion and film. Kate Moss,
wearing one of the famous
label’s signature black
tailored smoking jackets,

‘I love Paris.
I met my
boyfriend
here last
year’ Cher

SAINT
LAURENT

The Eiffel Tower illuminates Saint
Laurent’s spectacular show on the
Champ de Mars, attended by (below
from left) Austin Butler, Hailey Bieber
and Kate Moss, plus (below left)
Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger

63

arrived with Demi Moore and sat with
Elvis star Austin Butler, whose model
girlfriend Kaia Gerber was also in town.
Joining them were Carla Bruni, Hailey
Bieber, Sex Education star Emma Mackey
and Kate’s goddaughter Iris Law.
Jerry Hall and her daughter Georgia May
Jagger were also there, along with Madonna’s
children Lourdes Leon and Rocco Ritchie.
For Cher, 77, and her boyfriend Alexander
Edwards, 37, the week was a romantic
celebration. “I love Paris. I met my boyfriend
here last year, so it’s our anniversary,” the
singer and actress said as the couple sat in the

front row at Givenchy. Along with Kim Cattrall
and Poppy Delevingne, Cher was also among
the famous faces at Balmain, the label putting
on a dazzling show despite the theft days earlier
of 50 gowns destined for the runway by robbers
who hijacked a van leaving Charles de Gaulle
airport outside the capital.
ROYAL SEAL OF APPROVAL
Along with fashion royalty, members of an
ancient royal house graced the catwalk at the
Pierre Cardin show. Princess Maria Carolina of
Bourbon-Two Sicilies and her sister Princess
Maria Chiara walked the runway, watched by

their mother Princess
Camilla.
Maria Chiara, 18, was
reported to be dating
D e n m a rk’s P r i n c e
Christian, the 17-year-old
eldest son of Crown Prince
Frederik and Crown Princess Mary,
but released a statement scoffing at
the rumours.
Meanwhile, Hollywood star Charlize
Theron, the face of Dior’s
J’Adore perfume, brought
her 11-year-old daughter
Jackson to the Christian
Dior show.
Taking to Instagram, the
actress, who was chic in a gold
beaded skirt and white shirt,
wrote: “Another stunning @dior
show in Paris.” The pair were joined in
the front row by famous faces including
Jennifer Lawrence and Anya Taylor-Joy.
While stars such as Kelly Rowland and
Venus Williams headed to Chloé, rapper Erykah
Badu, who arrived at the Marni show with R&B
star Usher, almost eclipsed the runway action in a
bold yellow-and-black checked suit, topped
off with an enormous polka-dot wool hat.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. GOFF PHOTOS. LAUNCHMETRICS. MARNI. REX FEATURES

REPORT: TRACY SCHAVERIEN

65

PHOTOGRAPHER WHO REINVENTED DIANA

PATRICK DEMARCHELIER
IMAGES THAT CHANGED HOW THE WORLD
SAW FASHION — AND THE PRINCESS
he called him her “dream
S
photographer”. He called her “the
most beautiful woman I have ever
photographed”. Diana, Princess of Wales
and Patrick Demarchelier collaborated
many times and his stunning images
helped establish Diana as a celebrity in her
own right, away from the royal family.
Now, one of his most famous pictures of
the Princess, resplendent in an off-theshoulder gown and tiara, can be seen in a
new exhibition at London’s Atlas gallery.
Featuring mostly fashion images taken
between the early 1980s and the late
2000s, it is the first major solo exhibition
of Patrick’s work in the UK.
Diana first came across the French
photographer, who died last March, in

August 1989, when she was flicking
through a copy of Vogue
ogue and was struck by
a picture of a model cuddling a little boy
wrapped inside a towelling robe.
That boy was Victor Demarchelier, who
followed in his father’s footsteps by
becoming a magazine photographer.
SEIZE THE MOMENT
“I remember the shoot in St Barts,” Victor
tells hello!
hello!.. “I was playing in the hotel
when I stumbled across the model and my
dad asked her to take me on her lap for a
few pictures. It was all very spontaneous.”
Diana was so charmed by the carefree
informality of the image that she contacted
Vogue
ogue and asked to be put in touch with the
photographer, famed for shooting not

66

The photographer
shooting models
Stella Tennant and
Kristen McMenamy
in 1995

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. PATRICK DEMARCHELIER

Striking images by Patrick (inset top left with his son and fellow photographer
Victor in 2015) include (left) Christy Turlington in 1990 and (below left) Nadja
Auermann looking out over New York in 1995

‘I am sure he was
very honoured
and proud to be
selected by the
Princess’
only catwalk models such as Naomi
Campbell and Kate Moss but also
Hollywood stars and pop royalty.
She invited him to Highgrove
House to take some pictures of her
and her sons, Princes William and
Harry, for her private collection.
“I am sure he was very honoured
and proud to be selected,” Victor
tells us. “Patrick treated everyone
the same way, whether it was a
Princess or the local fisherman.”
He brought along to the shoot
a hairstylist, who gave Diana
highlights, and suggested she
change her image. She was so
thrilled with the result that she
released the pictures to Vogue
ogue and
effectively appointed Patrick as
her official photographer.
“He thought she was extremely
charming, friendly and gracious.
They became friends and shot
many times together,” Victor says.
NEW STYLE
Patrick first sprang to prominence
in the 1960s as one of a group of
young photographers, known
as “The Paris Mob”, who reacted
against the high seriousness of
fashion photography. He became
known for his spontaneous, upbeat
pictures, and looked for qualities
that he described as “expression,
emotion, something alive”.
By 1974 he was working for
Vogue
ogue in the US, moving from
France to Manhattan, where he
stayed until his death. Rival
publishers Condé Nast and Hearst
were to battle for his services for
more than two decades.
Hollywood stars wanted to be
shot by him because he made
them look, as Vogue
Vogue’s
’s Dame Anna
Wintour said, “the most
themselves”. Madonna, Britney
Spears, Mariah Carey and Julia
Roberts were among his subjects,
as were Robert De Niro, Leonardo
DiCaprio and Tom Cruise.
But according to his son, Patrick
didn’t have any favourites. “He
loved shooting everyone – he liked
the adventure of it all. He would
make people look their best. He
used beautiful lighting and his
charm would bring out people’s
warmth. He was easy to work with.
It all seemed so effortless,” he says.
In terms of a legacy, Victor would
like his father to be remembered as
“an incredible talent who changed
the landscape of fashion and
H
portrait photography”.
INTERVIEW: ROSALIND POWELL

The exhibition runs until 18 November.
For more, visit atlasgallery.com.

7 DAYS

A ROUND-UP OF NEWS REPORTS

ALEXANDRA BURKE

THE PRINCE OF WALES

‘Blessed’ after the arrival of her second child
Singer Alexandra Burke has
welcomed her second child
with her footballer boyfriend
Darren Randolph.
The winner of 2008’s The X
Factorr announced the happyy
news on Instagram, sharing a
picture of herself holding the
newborn’s fingers and writing
next to it: “Feeling so blessed.
We are now a family of four. Welcome to the
world our little peanut.”
Alexandra, 35, and Darren, 36, welcomed their
first child 14 months ago, but are keeping the
names and sex of their children private.
“I come from X Factor and… the impact on
them is hard,” she said about their decision last
year. “I want to protect the baby as much as I can.”
O Harry Potter actress Bonnie Wright, 32, has given
birth to her first child, a boy.

DAVID McCALLUM

Sir Mick Jagger: ‘My kids
don’t need my money’
olling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger
R
has hinted he may leave his multimillionpound fortune to charity instead of his

68

children.
Discussing whether the band would sell
their post-1971 song catalogue, which
includes the hit albums Sticky Fingers and
It’s Only Rock ’n Roll,
Roll, the 80-year-old singer
said he had no plans to do so, adding: “The
children don’t need $500m [£411m] to live
well. Come on!”
He then suggested the money could go
to charity, saying: “You maybe do some
good in the world.”
Sir Mick has eight children: daughters
Georgia May, 31, and Elizabeth, 39, (both
above, with their father) and sons James,
38, and Gabriel, 25, from his 22-year
relationship with model Jerry Hall; daughter
Karis, 52, with actress Marsha Hunt; Jade,
51, his only child with wife Bianca, whom he
divorced in 1978; Lucas, 24, with model
Luciana Gimenez; and son Deveraux, six,
with long-term partner Melanie Hamrick.
The star was speaking ahead of this
month’s release of Hackney Diamonds,
Diamonds, the
first Stones album of new material for 18
years, which includes contributions from
stars including Lady Gaga and Stevie
Wonder. It includes two tracks featuring
drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away
in August 2021 after suffering complications
from emergency heart surgery.
He also shared his pride at the legacy
and the impact the band had. “We pioneered
arena tours, with their own stage, with their
own sound and everything, and we also did
the same with stadiums. I mean, nobody
did a tour of stadiums,” he said.
For the latest celebrity news,
visit hellomagazine.com

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. star dies aged 90
Actor David McCallum, who
starred in the 1960s spy drama
The Man from U.N.C.L.E
E and
more recently TV crime show
NCIS,, has died in New York at
NCIS
the age of 90.
In a statement, his son
Peter said: “He was the
kindest, coolest, most patient
and loving father. He always
put family before self. He was a true renaissance
man… capable of conducting a symphony
orchestra and (if needed) could actually perform
an autopsy, based on his decades-long studies for
his role on NCIS
NCIS.”
.”
The Glasgow-born actor began his career in the
1950s, before finding worldwide fame in the 1963
film The Great Escape alongside Steve McQueen.
He is survived by Katherine, his wife of 56 years,
and four of his children.

Meets youngsters involved in anti-knife crime push
The Prince of Wales showed
his support for a charity
working to stop young
people turning to knife
crime last week.
Two days after 15-year-old
schoolgirl Elianne Andam was
stabbed to death on her way
to school in Croydon, Prince
William met teenagers being
offered sports coaching and one-to-one mentoring
by BEST – Be A Better You.
The charity was founded by Don and Sarah
Bryden after their daughter Jess became involved
in county lines gangs aged just 13.
Last week the future King watched Jess, now 18,
sparring in a boxing ring in Swindon, and heard how
she had transformed her life with her parents’ help.
William told her: “Takes a lot to turn it around,
it’s not easy. You’ve shown your strength of mind.”

CLAIRE SWEENEY

Gets her skates on to compete in Dancing on Ice
Actress and presenter Claire
Sweeney is among the
celebrities who have signed
up for the next series of ITV’s
Dancing on Ice
Ice,, which is due to
be broadcast in early 2024.
The 52-year-old Coronation
Street star will compete against
other contestants including
boxer Ricky Hatton, West
End star Amber Davies and S Club 7 singer
Hannah Spearritt.
Announcing the news, Claire said she couldn’t
wait to try out her skating skills with her sevenyear-old son Jaxon. “I’m really looking forward to
going to an ice rink with my son and actually
being able to skate and not have to use the
penguins they give you to help you stay upright,”
she said. “I’ve had to wear my boots around the
house… I haven’t stepped on the ice yet.”

Quote of the week
‘I was 26 when I became a mother. My entire life changed. Having
children saved me and taught me to be in this world differently’
Mum’s the word for Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie

OTI MABUSE

Speaks out about real reason she quit Strictly
Former Strictly Come Dancing
star Oti Mabuse has opened
up about why she quit the hit
BBC1 show, saying she had
been through “dark days”.
Appearing on the new
podcast All Change, Oti, 33,
who is expecting her first
child with husband Marius
Iepure, spoke about her
struggles behind the scenes, saying: “My husband
has been an amazing person who has seen the
dark days, the days where I’m in the shower crying
with my clothes on because it’s so hard and it’s
so overwhelming.”
She added: “He’s seen me struggle with not
being able to get the best out of someone.”
Oti lifted the Strictly trophy twice in seven years
before announcing in February 2022 that she was
leaving the show.

KATY PERRY

Joins Peppa Pig cast to mark cartoon anniversary
Singer and American Idol
judge Katy Perry has landed a
role in the cartoon series
Peppa Pig to mark its 20th
birthday. She will voice new
character Ms Leopard, a
friendly dressmaker, in the
three-part Peppa Pig Wedding
Party Special
Special..
Olivier Dumont, president
of Hasbro Entertainment, which owns the
franchise, said: “We’re incredibly thrilled to have
such an A-list talent join the family-fun adventures
in Peppa Pig
Pig!! As a loving parent and fan of Peppa
herself, Katy Perry is a perfect fit to voice the
character of Ms Leopard.”
Katy, 38, who has three-year-old daughter Daisy
with fiancé Orlando Bloom, has previously
supplied the voice of Smurfette in the two The
Smurfs films.

COMPILED BY LAURA BENJAMIN. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. ITV. REX FEATURES

Story of
the Week

1940–2023

A MAN OF SO
MANY TALENTS

SIR MICHAEL
GAMBON
TRIBUTES FLOOD
IN FOR THE
SPELLBINDING STAR

PHOTOS: ALLSTAR/ITV. CAPITAL. EYEVINE. ITV. NIGEL NORRINGTON/CAMERA PRESS. REX FEATURES. WARNER BROS

e was a giant of the theatre and one of our
H
finest Shakespearean actors but Sir
Michael Gambon, who died last week aged 82,
was best known and loved for playing Professor
Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter
otter films.
The Dublin-born star won four Baftas during
his extraordinary six-decade career, which saw
him work across theatre, TV, film and radio.
A statement released on behalf of Lady
Gambon and their son Fergus, read: “We are
devastated to announce the loss of Sir Michael
Gambon. Beloved husband and father, Michael
died peacefully in hospital with his wife Anne
and son Fergus at his bedside, following a bout of
pneumonia. Michael was 82. We ask that you
respect our privacy at this painful time and thank
you for your messages of support and love.”
Dubbed “The Great Gambon” by acting
great Sir Ralph Richardson, Sir Michael’s wide
appeal was evident in the diverse tributes paid
to him, not just from fellow thespians. TV
presenter and journalist Jeremy Clarkson was
one of the first to fondly remember the actor,
who made regular appearances on Top
op Gear.
Gear.
“I’m so sad that Michael Gambon has died,”
he wrote. “He was hugely amusing, and such a
tremendous guest – we even named a corner
after him.” The Irish Republic’s Taoiseach
Leo Varadkar said: “A great actor. Whether
performing in Beckett, Dennis Potter or Harry
Potter, he gave his all to every performance.”
A SERIOUS ACTOR AND A FUNNY MAN
Many friends and colleagues recalled his wicked
sense of humour – Dame Joan Collins, who
played his wife in the BBC sitcom Mama’s Back
in 1993, called him a “great actor and great
fun”. Dame Eileen Atkins, a long-time friend,
commented that he was “a great actor, but he
always pretended he didn’t take it very seriously”
– he once described himself as looking like the
manager of a department store.
Sir Michael took on the role of Dumbledore
– headmaster of Hogwarts – after the death of
Sir Richard Harris, starring in six of the eight
films. Having left school at 15 and bluffed his
way into his first professional roles by lying
about his experience, his career took off when
he became a member of Sir Laurence Olivier’s
National Theatre company. He went on to win
three Olivier awards and was knighted in 1998.
Other acclaimed performances included the
lead in Dennis Potter’s hit TV series The Singing
Detective and as an irascible George V in
H
The King’s Speech.
Speech.
REPORT: ROSALIND POWELL

Michael (inset top) as
(clockwise from left)
Philip Marlow in The
Singing Detective;
Maigret in a 1992 ITV
adaptation of the
Simenon novels;
Professor Albus
Dumbledore in Harry
Potter and the HalfBlood Prince; Albert
in The Cook, the
Thief, His Wife and
Her Lover, with Helen
Mirren; and as
Falstaff with Matthew
Macfadyen as Hal in
Henry IV, Part I at the
National Theatre

69

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS

JOINED BY FAMOUS FRIENDS

LAURA NORTON
AND MARK JORDON
HOST A NIGHT OF DISCO
DELIGHTS FOR A CAUSE
CLOSE TO THEIR HEARTS

here were famous faces and glitterballs
T
galore as Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s
’s Laura Norton and her
actor fiancé Mark Jordon pulled out all the
stops to host a very special event.
But it was the two little stars tucked up in bed
who were the focus of the night: the couple’s
children, son Jesse and daughter Ronnie.
The youngsters, who both suffer from the
rare genetic condition Usher syndrome, which
will affect their hearing and vision, were the
inspiration for the inaugural CureUsher Ball, a
dazzling disco-themed event at Manchester’s
Hilton Deansgate hotel.
Joined by friends, family and a galaxy of soap
stars – including Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s
’s Kelvin Fletcher,
Amy Walsh, Roxy Shahidi and Isabel Hodgins,
Tina O’Brien from Coronation Street
eet and
Hollyoaks actress Nikki Sanderson – Laura and
Mark were overwhelmed by the support.
“The love in that room was amazing,” says
Laura when hello! catches up with them for
this exclusive interview. “It felt like a big warm
hug – I feel emotional just thinking about it.”

V

ON A MISSION
Laura and Mark met on the Emmerdale
dale set in
2014 and are now parents to two-year-old Jesse
and Ronnie, one this month – with the happy
mum telling us: “I can’t believe she’s going to be
one soon.”
Both children have been diagnosed with
Usher syndrome and the couple have been told
the youngsters must prepare for severe sight loss
and wear hearing aids for the rest of their lives
– Ronnie already wears tiny pink ones.
However, Laura and Mark, who shared their
story in hello! earlier this year, have made it
their mission to raise funds and awareness of
this little-known condition while remaining
positive for the future.
“They’re absolutely thriving,” says 40-year-old
Laura. “Ronnie’s almost walking and Jesse is Mr
Chatterbox. They love each other so much – he
can’t stop hugging and kissing her.
“They’re so happy, too. When I go into
Ronnie’s room in the morning, she gives a little
laugh and when I lean over to look at her, she
giggles again. She’s developed a new smile – the
cutest I’ve ever seen – and babbles away, saying
‘Mamma’, ‘Dadda’. She has a loud voice and
certainly lets you know she’s in the room.
“Jesse is so bright and wonderful, too,” she
adds. “He melts my heart with the phrases he
comes out with. When I tell him: ‘I love you
more than anything in the world,’ he replies: ‘I
love you in the anything world.’
“I think he could be a performer when he
grows up, too. His favourite film is Mary
Poppins
oppins and every evening before bedtime

Laura gets her disco boots on to start the party at Manchester’s Hilton
Deansgate hotel, joining co-stars Amy Walsh and Roxy Shahidi to
raise money to find a cure for the genetic condition Usher syndrome

71

Actress Tina O’Brien
channels the 1970s
with a disco-tastic
silver outfit before
taking to the
to the
72 dancefloor
sounds of
Emmerdale and
West End star
Sandra Marvin (right)

THEIR STRONG SUPPORTING CAST
In a double blow, Ronnie was also diagnosed
with the syndrome. It made the devastated
parents determined to make their children’s
lives as fulfilling as possible.
“To see their happiness and the love they
have for one another fills our hearts with joy,”
says Mark. “These beautiful moments serve as a
reminder that we can’t let the pleasure they feel
in life fade.”
Supporting the couple all the way are their
soap-star families, who dressed to the nines in
sequins and sparkle for last week’s ball.
Joining the disco fun were Emmerdale
Emmerdale’s
’s
Gaynor Faye, Samantha Giles, JoeWarren Plant and Sophie Powles, DJ
Michael Grierson – aka The House
Poet, who is deaf – CureUsher
founder Jo Milne and her husband
Steve White, and Professor Mariya
Moosajee, who has devoted her
life’s work to preventing vision loss.
A red-carpet welcome was
followed by glasses of bubbly, festival
face make-up, a magician and a
three-course dinner.
Comedian Justin Moorhouse
hosted the night with laughter and
humour, while Emmerdale
dale and West
End star Sandra Marvin performed
a selection of Tina Turner and
Prince hits ahead of a high-energy
headline set from 2009 The X
Factor
actor winner Joe McElderry.
There were also raffle and
auction prizes, which included

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS: LAURA NORTON. MARK JORDAN. EVENTS PLANNER: ULTRA EVENTS

dance with him.”
Smiling, Mark, 58, adds: “He loves singing so
I’ve made a playlist for the car for when I pick
him up from nursery. His favourite theme tune
is Ghostbusters and now he insists on singing
along to the Missy Elliott version.”
Jesse was still a baby when he was diagnosed
with bilateral hearing impairment, which means
he can’t hear sound from more than six feet
away and will always need a hearing aid.
Then, at 15 months old, tests showed he has
Usher syndrome, passed through a gene carried
by both his parents. As well as his hearing issues,
when he reaches his teens, he will suffer night
blindness that will develop into tunnel vision.

‘To see their happiness and the love Jesse and
Ronnie have for one another fills our hearts’ Mark

backstage tours of Emmerdale
dale and Coronation
Street
Street,
eet, trips to Kelvin’s farm, and a VIP wine-anddine with the girls from Emmerdale
Emmerdale.
dale.
“I was down to host that with Roxy and Amy,”
Laura says. “But then every single one of the
Emmerdale
dale girls stood up and joined us. It was a
wonderful moment.”
There were poignant moments, too, with
video footage of parents opening up about their
emotional journeys after their children were
diagnosed with Usher syndrome.
“It was powerful and heartbreaking and left
everyone in tears,” says Mark.
After raising more than £50,000, the couple
are now planning to host an annual ball, as well
as taking part in other events: Mark has pledged
to do a wing walk and Laura ran this year’s Great
North Run half-marathon with her co-star and
good friend Isabel.
“This condition doesn’t get the attention it
deserves,” Laura says. “So our mission is to make
sure everyone understands it and give our
H
children and others a better future.”
INTERVIEW: SALLY MORGAN
PHOTOS: DAVID LONGSTAFFE

Visit cureusher.org. The CureUsher Ball was sponsored by
Wata drinks.

BRAIN TEASERS
TIME TO TAKE A BREAK AND GIVE YOUR MIND A WORKOUT

PUZZLE TIME

SEE HOW QUICKLY YOU CAN SOLVE OUR JUST-FOR-FUN PUZZLE. THERE ARE NO PRIZES,
BUT GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK IF YOU FINISH IT! ANSWERS NEXT WEEK

ARROWORD
Chant

Speck

Lazily

Wrap

Forward
planning

Flunkey

Gravelly
vocal
sound

Russian
mountains

Convent
member

Wart on
the foot

Taught

Fly

Conifer

Pictured
person's
last name

Joining

Moist

Handy
Sea inlet
See

Spanish
'Miss'
Resistance
unit

Whole
Taxi
Because

Direction
symbol

One-eyed
giant

Corn spike

Bottle part

Type of
tree

OK

Lima's
country

Recede
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edge
Exhale
audibly

Prompted
an actor

___
Angelou,
poet

Spinning

Frosty
Repudiate

More
glacial

Kigali's
country

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Sham
attack

Raise (4,2)

Unwrap

Grate
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assassin

Bridle
attachment
Window
covers

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Star sign
Catch fire
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Ruin
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Belief

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Marquee

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Metal
block

Edible fish Norse god

Function

Greek letter
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(3-2)
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Topmost
body part

Last week’s answers
Puzzles brought to you by PuzzleLife
– Britain’s best puzzle magazines!

74

puzzlelife.co.uk

See next week’s issue
for full solutions

P
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sailor

1 S U R
2 P L
3
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6 V E
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8
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child

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answer

PHOTO: REX FEATURES

Italian car
maker

Lots of

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6

DIRECTOR OF THE B.F.I. LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

KRISTY MATHESON

MAKES HER PICK OF THE FLICKS AS THE
RED CARPET IS ROLLED OUT FOR STARS
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily
Gladstone in Killers of the Flower
Moon. Cate Blanchett (right)
takes the lead in The New Boy

Leading lights from around
the world descend on the
capital this week for the BFI
London Film Festival, which
offers screenings, panel
discussions and red-carpet
events for some of 2023’s
biggest releases. Festival
director Kristy Matheson
tells us what we should be
adding to our watch list and
why it brings her joy to see
the best of British – and
international – film-making
in the spotlight.

Annette Bening
and Jodie
Foster (below)
star in Nyad
and Paul
Mescal appears
with Andrew
Scott (below
left) in All of Us
Strangers

AS TOLD TO EMMY GRIFFITHS. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES. MELINDA SUE GORDON. NETFLIX. REX FEATURES

his is a big global moment in
T
cinema each October, so it’s
wonderful that we get to screen lots
of films by UK talent and show the
world the incredible diversity of
storytelling and the types of movies
that are made here. They’re all from
different genres and they’re all
telling different stories, so it feels very
exciting to be able to present those to
audiences here, but also to signpost
them to the rest of the world.
In a city like London, but also
across the UK, so many different
languages are spoken and people
come from so many different parts
of the world. That makes this a great
opportunity to get a glimpse into a
completely different life. And for
some people who come to the
cinema this month, it will feel
wonderful because they’ll get to hear
the language they speak.
As an Australian, I get to see my
own country on screen, so I think
that’s a lovely balance – each of us
gets to watch something completely
different when we go to the cinema,
but we may also see things that are
familiar or hear an accent that
reminds us of home.
With more than 165 features on
offer, it might be difficult for film
fans to know where to begin, but
here are my top picks.
I’m so proud that we have the new
film by director Warwick Thornton,
The New Boy,
Boy, with Cate Blanchett
giving a powerhouse performance.
It’s set in the 1940s and Cate plays a

nun looking after a monastery
inhabited by young boys who are
Indigenous and have been orphaned
by the authorities.
It’s a very interesting film about
spiritual worlds colliding. Warwick is
a wonderful cinematographer, so it’s
an incredibly beautiful film, and
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis have
written the score. It’s a lush cinema
experience, but it’s also telling a very
important story.
MEETING YOUR MATCH
My second pick is Bonus Track,
Track ,
director Julia Jackman’s debut
feature film, which is a gorgeous,
really fun romcom. It stars Joe
Anders, Samuel Small and Susan
Wokoma and looks at how you
find your place in the world and find
someone who gets you.
The true-life story Nyad is up next.
It’s a really thrilling film [following a
woman named Dianne Nyad, played

by Annette Bening, who returns to
open-water swimming in her 60s to
take on the challenge of a recordbreaking swim from Cuba to Florida].
It’s from the people who made an
Oscar-winning documentary called
Free
ee Solo and it keeps you on the edge
of your seat. It’s a great human story
and again, it’s a really gripping watch
in the cinema.
For fans of documentaries, I
recommend In Restless Dreams,
Dreams, which
looks at the musician Paul Simon.
It’s a portrait of him as an artist and
it’s a wonderful document of a
terrific career.
My foreign-film pick is Tótem
Tótem,, a
beautiful Mexican movie [about a
young girl living with her ill father,
with all the action set in their home].
This very unusual story asks: “How
do you navigate grief and how do
you navigate life?” All the
performances are terrific. After
watching it, I left the cinema feeling

very emotional but so excited, too.
All of Us Strangers
ers [one of the most
highly anticipated movies at the
festival], starring Fleabag
Fleabag’s
’s Andrew
Scott and Aftersun star and Oscar
nominee Paul Mescal, is wonderful.
It’s quite a mysterious story, and one
of those films that you don’t want to
know too much about when you go in
to watch it. It’s about a man who is
examining his life; it’s a film about
memory and ghosts, and it takes some
very interesting highways and byways.
I also love the idea that people
are going to walk out of the cinema
after seeing this film and then
walk through the streets of the city
they’ve just seen on screen. I think it
will be a very special screening
H
for everyone.
The 67th BFI London Film Festival takes
place from 4 to 15 October, along with
nationwide screenings of festival premieres
at selected venues. For more information
and to book, visit bfi.org.uk/lff.

75

Lavina Mehta,
HELLO!’s Rosie
Nixon, Anita Rani
and Kelly Hoppen

Society

Laura Hamilton
poses with
Andrea McLean

As the social scene settles into autumn,
HELLO! continues its much-loved party
round-ups. From glittering launches to starstudded charity events and cocktail-fuelled
afterparties, HELLO! Society is your exclusive
invitation to the season’s celebrity events. Here,
we take a look at the best recent gatherings…
REPORTS: ROSALIND POWELL

HELLO! GOES FOR GOLD

Kate Silverton (centre)
tucks in to breakfast

Blogger Anisa Sojka,
and influencers
Sophie Hermann
and Nina Lopes

WHO: Anita Rani, Jessica Wright, Andrea McLean
WHAT: HELLO ! x Gold Collagen exclusive beauty
breakfast event
WHERE: Somerset House, London
hello!’s
hello!
’s creative brand ambassador Rosie Nixon welcomed
celebrity friends for a morning of beauty bliss and tasty breakfast
snacks in partnership with leading supplement brand Gold
Collagen. Guests including journalist Kate Silverton, interior
designer Kelly Hoppen, actress Nell Hudson and Menopause
Mandate patron Lavina Mehta enjoyed polenta muffins and a
shot of Gold Collagen Pure Plus liquid supplement. Speaking
about taking Gold Collagen, Rosie said: “I can’t tell you the
improvement I have seen in my skin, my hair, my overall
wellbeing.” The lucky guests were able to try it for themselves
after going home with goody bags filled with sensational products.

Fashion PR
Kara Goodley
and influencer
Louise Boyce

Rosie with
Gold Collagen
founder Tony
Sanguinetti

Katya Jones
shows off her
moves with
boxer Derek
Chisora

DJ Ashley
James
takes to
the decks

BIG NAMES FORM A CULTURE CLUB
WHO: Cressida Bonas, Katya Jones, Ashley James
WHAT: Zara Muse’s Radiant exhibition
WHERE: Quantus Gallery, East London
Strictly Come Dancing star Katya Jones put her best foot forward at artist Zara
Muse’s Radiant Resilience exhibition at the Quantus Gallery in London’s
Spitalfields, where she was joined by fellow art-loving celebrities Andrea
McLean, The One Show’s Alex Jones and DJ Ashley James, who took to the
decks in a striking floral minidress by House of CB. Katya, dressed all in
black, even helped turn the event into a piece of performance art when she
boogied on down with professional boxer Derek Chisora. Actress and model
Cressida Bonas also made an appearance at the exhibition, which revolves
around themes of nature, emotions and human connections.

She’s the
One: TV
host Alex
Jones

Lady Victoria
Hervey with Lady
Mary Charteris

PHOTOS: DAVE BENETT. HODA DAVAINE/DAVE BENETT FOR L’ATELIER ROBUCHON. JAMES ROBINSON

MAKING A MEAL OF THINGS IN MAYFAIR
WHO: Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, Amber
Le Bon, Dan Walker
WHAT: Restaurant opening
WHERE: L’Atelier Robuchon, Mayfair, London
More than 300 lucky diners were welcomed into the grand
elegance of Mayfair’s new kid on the block, L’Atelier Robuchon,
as it opened its doors for the first time. The Great British Bake Offf
star Candice Brown, models Amber Le Bon and Eunice Olumide,
who dazzled in a bright-pink sparkly jumpsuit, and aristocratic
siblings Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, both smart in
elegant dresses, were among some of the lucky celebrities to enjoy
a selection of delicious canapes including cherry foie gras mousse,
smoked salmon with lemon cream, beef carpaccio rolls with
aubergine and harissa sauce and croquettes with cumin and
carrot cream, washed down with some exciting cocktails.

Eunice Olumide
sparkles in pink

Strictly Come
Dancing star
Nadiya Bychkova
with her 2021
celebrity partner,
TV’s Dan Walker

Baker Candice
Brown raises
a glass

Double vision:
Lady Amelia
and Lady
Eliza Spencer

77

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FA S H I O N [ B E A U T Y [ W E L L B E I N G
Carat London Briar
earrings,, £269. Visit
earrings
caratlondon.com

Boden ribbed
vest,, £30. Visit
vest
boden.co.uk

Boden double-breasted
blazer,, £95 (was £190).
blazer
Visit boden.co.uk

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES. ALL PRICES AND STOCKIST DETAILS IN STYLE CORRECT AT TIME OF GOING TO PRESS

Girlfriend Collective
high-rise skirt,
skirt, £33
(was £55). From
luisaviaroma.com
Rose Inc Satin Lip Color Rich
Refillable Lipstick in Poetic,
Poetic,
£22. Visit roseinc.co.uk

Kapten & Son Orlando sunglasses,
sunglasses,
£99. Visit kapten-son.com

Rosie HuntingtonWhiteley
Sandro Kasbah monogram
tote bag,
bag, £409. From
selfridges.com

Birkenstock Arizona big-buckle
sandals,, £130. Visit birkenstock.com
sandals

GET THE LOOK
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley gave a lesson in
understated chic on a day out in Paris in a
beautifully cut cream Wardrobe NYC blazer
and miniskirt, teamed with a simple ribbed
T-shirt and a pair of chunky Chanel sandals
to balance out the proportions. To round off
her refined daytime look, the 36 year-old
model and actress added an oversized
Valentino tote and a pair of square-framed
Bottega Veneta sunglasses – et voilà!

79

FASHION
Le Specs Star
Glow sunglasses,
sunglasses,
£52.19. Visit
lespecs.com

NRBY Romi tie-cuff
shirt,, £99. Visit
shirt
nrbyclothing.com

F&F Ultimate
Cocoon Jumper,
Jumper,
£22.50. From
selected Tesco stores

Dune London
Pouring V-cut
boots,, £150.
boots
From next.co.uk

ELEVATED
essentials

Citizens of Humanity
Annina wide-leg
jeans,, £300. From
jeans
net-a-porter.com

Add a sophisticated feel to your wardrobe
staples with our choice of the best building-block
buys for your new-season look…

Arket midi
satin skirt,
skirt, £69.
Visit arket.com

John Lewis leather
trench coat,
coat, £399.
Visit johnlewis.com

Gucci

Pandora ME link
chain bracelet,
bracelet, £110.
Visit uk.pandora.net

Valentino

80

Aspinal of London
Hobo bag,
bag, £395. Visit
aspinaloflondon.com

Jigsaw Italian leather
Carlos belt,
belt, £70. Visit
jigsaw-online.com

COS leather loafers,
loafers,
£115. Visit cos.com

PHOTOS: BACKGRID. GETTY IMAGES. LAUNCHMETRICS

Ruhe The Everyday
yday
Tank,, £65. Visit
Tank
ruhestore.co.uk

Simply
the best for
models (clockwise
from left) Jasmine
Tookes, Gigi Hadid,
Elsa Hosk and
Hailey Bieber

81

The TV dance star on
family, feeling good – and
why she’s sidestepping
into skincare

BEAUTY

F

or Motsi Mabuse, skincare is about more
than looking good. “It’s self-care,” the
South Africa-born, Frankfurt-based dance
judge – who stars on Strictly Come Dancing
as well as Let’ss Dance in Germany – tells
hello!: “Don’t skip your routine, thinking: ‘I’m
young and I have time.’ It’s going to pay off later.”
In search of nourishing products and drawing on
her African roots, the 42-year-old has stepped out in
a new direction to launch her own beauty range,
Lovemore – starting with ten products, including an eye
cream and face serum, dedicated to embracing ageing.
Here, Motsi – who has two younger sisters, including
former Strictly star Oti, and a four-year-old daughter with
her Ukrainian husband Evgenij Vozynuk – talks to us
about swapping skincare tips with her family, her make-up,
fragrance and haircare heroes, and branching out into
beauty while keeping up the fancy footwork on Strictly…
Motsi, has your South African heritage influenced your
beauty regime and your new range?
“Yes, it’s all about heritage – taking what we’ve been
using for generations and putting it together to
make a natural product. Every time I travel back to
South Africa to visit my mum and my granny, they
give us these tiny pots with cream inside. I wanted
to have the same feeling on my skin when I’m in
Europe, because the climate is different.
“Also, the packaging is the same colour as South
Africa’s jacaranda tree, which provides one of the
ingredients. It reminds me of my country and it’s a
calming colour. When you have time for yourself, it’s
nice to feel as though this is a process just for you.”
What have been the challenges of branching out
into beauty?
“People put you in a box and are like: ‘Dancer, what are
you doing?’ But dancing is also a form of self-care. It
made me feel good and I went deeper into what makes
me feel good. This is something I feel very strongly about,
because becoming a mum was also a moment when
I wanted to be a healthier version of myself.”

INTERVIEW: KATE LOCKETT. PHOTO: FRANK WIDEMANN

What’s your favourite product from your
new collection?
“The Dry Oil, because you can put it in everything –
your cream, foundation or body cream. It quickly
absorbs and it gives you a glow. Just tap it around
your cheekbones and it works as a natural
highlighter while benefiting the skin.”
Have you always looked after your skin?
“Not always. When you start competing in dance,
using more make-up, you start to see exactly what’s
happening with your skin. It took a while, but in
my late 20s, I was like: ‘Okay, you have to start
doing things.’”
How would you describe your beauty regime now?
“I’m religious about it, because I wear make-up
quite often and my skin is different [now]. I have
quite sensitive skin. I use a cleanser and then a tonic,
serum, eye cream and day cream, and depending on
how much time I have, I do a peel once a week. I
always have sunscreen in my bag. At the moment,
I use La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50+.”

Do you share beauty tips with your sisters?
“My sisters tend to do the opposite of what I say, so
I don’t advise them. I feel as though I’m the leader – it’s
just that I’m the oldest, so I have to be more
responsible, and when they come to me with issues,
I become like a mum. I’m trying to let go of that.”
What are your top three make-up products?
“I could never leave the house without lipstick – I’ve
always got a nude lipstick or a red from Yves Saint
Laurent. I’ve got a Lancôme mascara because I’ve been
using [false] eyelashes for some time and they need to
strengthen up. I always have a Charlotte Tilbury powder.”
What are your haircare heroes?
“I have a few products that I use together. I mix Cantu
Beauty, some homemade stuff and ORS Olive Oil. If I do
a hair mask, I put my Dry Oil in it, too – it’s very good for
hair. I’ve moved away from wigs a bit. In 2012, I had a
relaxer [treatment] in South Africa and they burnt my
scalp. Since then I haven’t straightened my hair.”
What’s your go-to fragrance?
“I have worn Tom Ford since I was a dancer. I started
with Black Orchid and now I’ve got Soleil Blanc.
Fragrance has so many memories – it’s the finishing
touch and it takes me so long to find one.”
We love your weekly Strictly Come Dancing looks.
How do you decide what to wear?
“It’s a whole year’s process. Because I’m [working on
shows] in two countries, when the other show ends,
I’m looking all the time. I’ve got a list and I also have
themes like contrast, three-dimensional or colourblocking. It’s always fun.”
You are a champion of positivity. What advice would
you give people looking to find confidence?
“I love that we speak about these things but people
don’t realise how difficult it is. Self-love is more than
slogans. It’s facing yourself every day and being more
compassionate to yourself. It’s not a week or a day. It’s
continuously being very aware of yourself.”
Do you think that the beauty industry is diverse
in terms of age, race and gender?
“The word ‘diverse’ has become a trend. It’s a shame
because if we’re going to be diverse, it’s looking back
and implementing things that will be different in the
future and not for two weeks. I see steps forward but at
the same time, my skin colour is not a trend, it’s my life.”
To buy Lovemore by Motsi Mabuse Ageless Beauty collection,
visit qvcuk.com; prices start from £24.
MOTSI’S MUST-HAVES
1. Lovemore by Motsi
Mabuse Ageless Beauty Day
Cream, £31.98. From
qvcuk.com 2. YSL Rouge Pur
Couture The Bold in 01 Le
Rouge, £35. Visit yslbeauty.
co.uk 3. Cantu Beauty
Leave-In Conditioning Repair
Cream, £8.50. From Boots

4. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc,
from £220. Visit tomford.
co.uk 5. Lancôme Le 8
Hypnôse Mascara, £33.
Visit lancome.co.uk
6. Lovemore by Motsi
Mabuse Ageless Beauty Dry
Oil, £27.99. From qvcuk.
com 7. La Roche-Posay
Anthelios SPF50+, £19.90.
Visit laroche-posay.co.uk

83

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*via the mass balance approach independently certified by ISCC PLUS

WELLBEING
SMILE
SAVIOURS
It’s World Smile Day on Friday but
while 93% of Brits say their smile
affects their self-confidence, one
in three has never flossed or
cleaned between their teeth to
maintain gum health and look
after their pearly whites.
“Flossing is crucial for oral
hygiene – over 40% of the tooth is
missed if you don’t floss,” says
certified dentist Dr Matthew
Billington of London facial
aesthetic dentists’ clinic Dr Wyman
Chan. “Use interdental brushes
gently to eliminate plaque around
the gum line and between teeth. If
using string floss, curve it into a ‘C’
shape against one tooth and
smoothly slide it beneath the gum
line. Then move up and down.”
For teethcare between
appointments, he says: “Opt for a
soft-bristled toothbrush to
safeguard your gums and replace
it every three to four months.”

COMPILED BY KATE LOCKETT. LYDIA MORMEN. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

VITAL SIGNS
Would you recognise the
signs of a heart attack?
According to a new survey by
the NHS, nearly half of UK
adults wouldn’t, despite
chances of survival being
far higher if you seek
care sooner.
As part of the NHS’s Help
Us, Help You campaign, TV’s
Dr Chris George is outlining
the signs to look out for,
including pain in the arms,
jaw and neck and feeling
light-headed.
“It’s so important for
people to be able to
recognise the potential signs
of a heart attack,” Chris says.
“The symptoms don’t always
feel severe and can vary from
person to person, but if you
think you or somebody you’re
with is having a heart attack,
don’t dismiss the signs or wait
to see what happens. It’s
never too early to call 999
and describe your symptoms.”
Visit nhs.uk/conditions/heart-attack.

Visit drwymanchanlondon.com.
1. Pärla Floss, £4.50. Visit
parlatoothpastetabs.com.
2. TePe Interdental Brushes,
£3.25. From Superdrug.
3. Waken Sonic Toothbrush,
£39. Visit wakencare.com

This week, wrap up in charity knitwear, get
pearlier whites ahead of World Smile Day,
and how to spot the signs of a heart attack
Style for Stroke
Jumpers for Joy,
Joy,
£165. Visit
fundjumpers.com

SMART KNITS
Brain injury charity Style
For Stroke Foundation has
collaborated with sustainable
knitwear brand Fund Jumpers
to raise awareness of strokes.
“Stroke is the leading cause
of disability in the UK and
still not really talked about,”
says Style for Stroke founder
Nick Ede. “I hope this
collection highlights that
brain injury can affect
anyone, anywhere, any time.”
The Jumpers For Joy!
collection features handembroidered slogans with
mood-boosting colours
intended to prompt

conversations on the effects
of stroke and brain injury.
The campaign has already
garnered support from
celebrities including Gaby
Roslin, Eva Longoria Bastón
and Melissa Odabash.
All of the profits from the
sale of jumpers will be split
across the Style for Stroke
Foundation, actress Emilia
Clarke’s brain injury recovery
charity Same You and
InterAct Stroke Support, in
which actors read to patients
in hospitals and clinics to
help their recovery from
brain injuries.

85

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86

FOOD [

C U LT U R E

[

R EV I EWS

[

T R AV E L

FOOD
SPECIAL
TUCK INTO OUR SEASONAL
SELECTION OF COMFORTING
AUTUMN RECIPES – PERFECT
FOR WHEN THE NIGHTS
DRAW IN

SPICE’N’EASY
DOES IT
Using her eight
favourite spices –
the ones her mother
and grandmother
also used – Nadiya
Hussain cooks up
the dishes from her
home kitchen that
she loves to eat
every day and to
share with family
and friends
TIP
If you have
leftovers, cool them
down and mix with
mayonnaise. This
makes an excellent
sandwich filler
Serves 4 Takes 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
• Oil, for frying
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 red onions, peeled
and finely diced
• 2 red peppers, finely diced
• 3 mild red chillies, finely diced
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tsp curry powder

• 175g/6oz green beans,
finely sliced
• 3 x 145g tins of shredded
crab meat in brine, drained
To serve
• A large handful of chopped
fresh coriander
1. Start with a large non-stick

pan or wok and put it on the

hob over a high heat. Add the
oil and as soon as it is hot, add
the garlic and cook until golden.
2. Now add the red onion, red
pepper and red chilli along with
the salt, turmeric and curry
powder. Add a splash of water
and the green beans and cook
until there is no liquid left.
3. Now add the shredded

crab meat. As you add the
crab meat, make sure you
remove any excess moisture.
A bhuna is meant to be dry so
we want to avoid any excess
liquid. Cook with the lid off
over a high heat for 10 minutes.
4. Take off the heat, add the
chopped coriander and mix
through to serve.
W

CRAB BHUNA

87

FOOD

S

ince winning 2015’s The Great
British Bake Off in a finale watched
by more than 13 million viewers,
Nadiya Hussain has become a
national treasure. Born in Luton
to British Bangladeshi parents, Nadiya now
lives in Milton Keynes with her husband
and their three teenage children. She was
awarded an MBE in 2020 for services to
broadcasting and the culinary arts.
Alongside her best-selling cookbooks –
Nadiya Bakes, Nadiya’s Fast
ast Flavours and Nadiya’s
Everyday
yday Baking – she has presented several
series on BBC2. The latest, Simple Spices, which
began in September, is on Wednesdays at 8pm
and ties in with her latest collection of recipes.
Here, Nadiya talks exclusively to hello!
about cooking as a family, sharing one last
supper, winning Bake Off and more.
Nadiya, without giving too much away, tell us
what we might expect to see on Simple Spices
in the coming weeks…

“Lots of fun recipes that are easy to make and
that will make you confident in the kitchen
and confident using spices. Most of all, I hope
it will encourage people to get back into the
kitchen and back to loving cooking.”
Winning Bake Off in 2015 must seem a
lifetime ago. Do you remember why you
decided to enter and do you have one
standout moment from the show?
“It was one of the biggest moments of my life.
My husband actually applied for me and I
think a standout moment on the show for me
was getting to the final, because once you’re
in the final, there’s no going back.”
As a parent and chef, how important is it to
you to be able to pass on skills and family
recipes to the next generation and to cook
together at home?
“It is really important that my children learn
the art of being able to make something out of
nothing. In a world where we can tap on a

CRISPY LEEK BIRYANI
Serves 6-8 Takes 1 hour 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS
For the rice
• 500g/1lb 2oz basmati rice
• 1.5ltr/2¼pt cold water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1½ tsp salt
For the crispy leeks
• 150g/5oz ghee
• 200g/7oz leeks, sliced
• Fine salt, for sprinkling
For the soft leeks
• 50g/2oz ghee
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
and grated
• 200g/7oz leeks, thinly sliced
• 1½ tbsp salt
• 6 green chillies, pierced
• 4 tbsp art masala
(see recipe opposite)
To serve
• 6-8 fried eggs
• chopped red chillies
1. Put the basmati into a large

88

pan with plenty of room for the
rice to boil, then add the water
along with the cinnamon stick,
bay leaves and cardamom pods.
Put the pan over a high heat
and bring it to a boil, then boil
for 7 minutes. Take off the heat
and drain into a sieve, leaving
the whole spices in there. Rinse
the rice under cold water till it is
cold and leave to drain and cool
on the side.
2. For the crispy leeks, take the
same pan, dry off any liquid and

add the ghee. As soon as it is
hot, add the sliced leeks in an
even layer. Leave to get crispy
without stirring too much,
turning occasionally so they get
golden all over.
3. Have a plate ready with some
kitchen paper and drain off the
leeks as soon as they are crispy.
Sprinkle generously with the
salt so they keep their crispiness.
4. Pop the same pan back on
the heat with another 50g/2oz
ghee and allow to melt. Add
TIP
the garlic and fry till golden.
You can use
Add the thinly sliced leeks,
frozen
sliced onions
salt and chillies and cook
if you can’t find leeks
until the leeks are just soft.
or
are in a rush. They’re
5. Add the art masala and
helpful
to have in the
mix through, then cook over
freezer and work
a mellow heat for 10 minutes
just as well
before taking off the heat.
6. Take a medium non-stick
pan and fill with half of the
cooled rice, including any of the
whole spices. Make sure it is an
even layer. Add the soft leek
mixture on top in an even layer
and then cover with the other
half of the rice.
7. Cover the top of the pan
tightly with clingfilm, firmly
place the lid on and pop on to
a low heat for 30 minutes.
Take off the heat, remove the
lid and clingfilm and mix the
rice with the leeks.
8. Serve with a runny-yolk fried
egg and sprinkled with crispy
leeks and chopped red chillies.

phone and have anything delivered, I need
them to learn how to cook a good meal, be
frugal, save money, reduce waste and enjoy
being in the kitchen.”
Where does your inspiration come from?
“I get a lot of my inspiration from what my
kids want to eat. I also get inspired by my
travels and watching things on the internet
can always spark new ideas.”
What are your favourite things to bake?
“I love baking tarts – lots of intricate layers,
pastry filling, topping and something to
serve it with.”
If you had to cook one last supper for family
and friends, what would it be and why?
“We always have a last supper, especially
just before we go away on long holidays,
and that is always a huge pot of chicken
biryani, with a roasted tomato chutney
and a massive plate of brownies.”

ART MASALA
(eight-spice mix)
Makes around 550g/19oz
Takes 15-20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 28g cardamom pods
• 3g bay leaves
• 34g fennel seeds
• 100g/4oz cumin seeds or
ground cumin
• 38g ground cinnamon
• 100g/4oz ground turmeric
• 44g chilli powder
• 200g/7oz curry powder

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER. PHOTOS: CHRIS TERRY

1. Start by using a spice grinder,

which is the best tool for the job.
Lots of smoothie-makers also
come with a milling blade that
works well to really crush down
these whole spices. Put the
cardamom pods in the grinder,
husk and all. (Imagine trying to
de-pod that many – you would
have given up before you’d even
started. I know I would have.)
Whack them in and blend to
a fine powder, then pour out
into a large bowl.
2. Now put your bay leaves, fennel
seeds and cumin seeds into the
same grinder and blitz to a
powder. If your grinder is small,
you can do each spice alone, but
when doing the bay leaves, always
blend them with the fennel seeds.
They need the seeds to get them
moving enough to crush to a
powder. Add to the bowl. Mix
thoroughly, being sure to do this
after each addition, as it’s
important to make sure that the
mix is well blended.
3. Now for the cinnamon. I prefer
ground cinnamon as it’s readily
available and will save you from
having to crush something quite
hard – why should we if we don’t
need to? Add to the bowl and mix.
4. Chuck in the ground turmeric
and mix. Add the chilli powder and
mix. Last, add the curry powder
and give everything a good stir.
5. That’s it. Now you have your
very own ninth spice, using
ingredients you already have at
home. Transfer into a jar or jars
and you’re ready to go!

TIP
To stop your
ice cream going soft
and to prevent it from
frosting over, always put
the tub in a zip-lock
bag, seal and pop
in the freezer

KULFI ICE CREAM BARS
Serves 12 Takes 25 minutes, plus freezing
INGREDIENTS
For the biscuit
• 400g/14oz custard cream
biscuits
• 100g/4oz unsalted butter,
plus extra for greasing the tin
• A pinch of salt
For the ice cream
• 4 cardamom pods
• 600ml/1pt double cream
• 200ml/7fl oz condensed milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g/7oz raspberries, halved
• 100g/4oz pistachios, roughly
chopped

TIP

1. Line and grease the base

Dried spices can last for a very long
time – just be sure to store them in a
cupboard that is dark and out of
direct sunlight. If you want to
rejuvenate them, add what you need
to a non-stick pan over a low heat
and gently toast. This will release the
oils and restore the spices as if they
had been freshly ground.

and the sides of a 23cm/9in
square cake tin.
2. For the biscuit base and top
that makes the sandwich, blitz
the custard cream biscuits to a
fine crumb and put in a bowl.
Melt the butter and pour it in
with a pinch of salt.
3. Take half the mixture, put in

the base of the tin and spread
into an even layer. Pop into the
freezer and start making the
ice cream.
4. Crush the cardamom pods,
remove the husks and crush the
little black seeds to a fine powder.
Pour the double cream into a
bowl with the condensed milk,
vanilla extract and cardamom
powder and whisk until the
cream comes to soft peaks.
5. Take the tin out of the
freezer. Add in half the ice
cream mixture and sprinkle
over the raspberries and
pistachios. Spread the rest of
the ice cream on top in an even
layer, using piping to prevent
the fruit from moving.
6. Sprinkle over the rest of the
biscuit mix. Leave in the freezer
for at least 4 hours.
7. When you are ready to eat,
take out for 10 minutes to soften
a little, then cut into squares.

SPICE UP
YOUR LIFE
From beautiful breakfasts to
the perfect saucepan of rice,
Nadiya Hussain shares her
love of spices in dishes filled to
the brim with easy-to-achieve
flavour in her new book.
“This is my world – it has
been from the moment I took a
whiff of my mum’s cooking.
Spices need not be daunting.
They are robust, they add
flavour and colour and they
make food taste out of this
world. I want to make spices a
part of your world,” she says.
Nadiya’s Simple Spices,
Spices, with
photography by Chris Terry, is
out now, published by Penguin
Michael Joseph, priced £26.

89

Journey into the heart
of Michelin-starred chef
Michel Roux Jr’s home
kitchen as he shares
the mouth-watering
everyday recipes he
loves to cook and eat
with family and friends
TAGLIOLINI AUX FRUITS
S DE MER, P
PASTIS ET CREME FRAICHE
(tagliolini with seafood, pastis & crème fraîche) Serves 2 Takes 30-35 minutes

90

INGREDIENTS
• 400g/14oz fresh clams
• 500g/1lb 2oz fresh mussels
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
and chopped
• 50ml/2fl oz pastis
• 150g/5oz shelled raw prawns
• 4 tbsp crème fraîche
• 300g/11oz fresh tagliolini
or 180g/6¾oz dried tagliolini
or tagliatelle

• Handful of fresh herbs (parsley,
chives, chervil), finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
1. Wash the clams and mussels

well in cold water and discard any
that are broken or that don’t
close when tapped. Remove any
beards from the mussels.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large
pan, then add the shallot, fennel
seeds and garlic and sweat until

they start to colour. Add the
clams, then the mussels. Pour in
the pastis, cover the pan and
cook for 5-7 minutes until all the
shells have opened. Take care not
to overcook the shellfish.
3. Tip everything into a colander
placed over a bowl, then pass the
cooking liquid through a fine
sieve or a strainer lined with
muslin. Pick the flesh from the
mussels and clams, leaving a few
in the shell to use as a garnish. Tip
the cooking liquor back into the

pan, bring it to a boil and boil for
5 minutes. Add the prawns and
crème fraîche; then, when the
prawns have turned pink, add the
picked mussels and clams.
4. Bring a pan of water to the boil
and add a generous pinch of salt.
Cook the pasta until al dente,
drain, add to the pan of shellfish
and stir well. Add the chopped
herbs and garnish with some
mussels and clams in shells.
Season with lemon juice, salt and
pepper, then serve at once.

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER. PHOTOS: CRISTIAN BARNETT. LE GAVROCHE

FOOD

RIZ CAMARGUAIS AUX MERGUEZ (red rice with merguez sausages)
Serves 2 Takes 45-50 minutes, plus soaking
INGREDIENTS
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and
chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig, finely
chopped
• 100g/4oz red rice, soaked for

‘Merguez are
quick to cook and
they have a great
spicy flavour. And if
you want extra heat,
you could add a
little chilli’

30 minutes, then rinsed
• 25ml/1fl oz dry white wine
• 350ml/12fl oz vegetable stock
• 200g/7oz lamb merguez
sausages
• ½ preserved lemon,
finely chopped
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved

For the herb pesto
• Small handful of coriander
leaves
• Small handful of mint leaves
• Small handful of parsley leaves
• 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground
black pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan and cook

the shallot, garlic and rosemary
until soft. Add the rice, then add
the wine and stock and bring to a
boil. Turn the heat down to a
gentle simmer and cook for
around 40 minutes or until the
rice is tender and all the liquid has
been absorbed.
2. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
Place the herbs in a small food
processor along with a little olive
oil, then season with salt and
pepper to taste. Blitz until smooth.
3. When the rice has been
cooking for around 30 minutes,
place a griddle pan over a high
heat. When it’s hot, add the
merguez sausages and cook them
for 5-6 minutes, turning regularly
until they are charred on all sides.
4. When the rice is ready, stir in
the preserved lemon and the
cherry tomatoes, then season to
taste. Serve the rice with the
merguez sausages and drizzle
generously with herby pesto.

FRENCH POLISH
Michel Roux Jr, one of the
world’s most respected chefs,
has been at the helm of twoMichelin-starred Le Gavroche in
London since 1991, when he
took over from his father, Albert.
His early training in France
instilled a belief in simplicity and
high-quality ingredients, which
he has put to use in developing
recipes for his restaurants,
award-winning cookbooks and
TV programmes.
His new book shows you how
to cook simple, delicious French
meals at home, from hearty
breakfasts to weekend feasts.
Michel Roux at Home, with
photography by Cristian Barnett,
is out now, published by Seven
Dials, priced £26. Visit
michelroux.co.uk.

91

FOOD
SLOW-ROASTED
DUCK LEGS
WITH CHINESE
FIVE SPICE
Serves 4
Takes 2 hours 25-30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 4 large free-range duck legs
• 3 medium onions, peeled and
cut into 1cm/½in rounds
• 2 carrots, cut into 1cm/½in slices
on an angle
• 750g/1¾lb new potatoes
(skin on), halved
• 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
• Sea salt and cracked black
pepper
1. Take the duck legs out of the

fridge at least 30 minutes before
cooking, to bring them to room
temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 160°C, fan
140°C, gas 3.
3. Put the sliced onions, carrots
and potatoes into a large roasting
pan and toss to mix.
4. Place the duck legs in a bowl
with the five-spice powder and a
little salt and pepper. Tumble to
coat the duck and then place on
top of the vegetables. Cook in the
oven for 2 hours.
5. Take out the pan and turn up
the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C,
gas 7. Carefully lift out the duck
legs and place on a wire rack over
a tray to drain off any fat, then
transfer to a plate and set aside to
rest in a warm place. (If there is a
lot of excess fat in the pan,
carefully tip it into a small
container and save for roasting
potatoes another time.)
6. Return the veg pan to the oven
and roast for 10 minutes, stirring
halfway through. Remove from
the oven, place the duck legs back
on top and serve.
X SWAPS
This works really nicely with chicken
legs too; just reduce the cooking
time by 30 minutes.

92

Executive head chef Gelf
Anderson is the mastermind
behind the new River
Cottage cookbook, offering
sustainable and cost-effective
recipes that require little
prep – and leave you with
minimal washing-up

COTTAGE INDUSTRY
River Cottage, founded by writer and
campaigner Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
and set in a 100-acre organic farm on the
Devon and Dorset border, is renowned for
its seasonality, sustainability and dedication
to the best local products and ingredients.
Its latest cookbook – created by Gelf
Alderson, executive head chef at River
Cottage for over a decade – serves up
delicious sweet and savoury roasts for
every occasion and every meal of the week.
River Cottage Great Roasts, with photography by Emma Lee, is out
now, published by Bloomsbury, priced £20.

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER

CABBAGE,
GE, C
CARROTS &
SHALLOTS WITH HAZELNUT
SATAY Serves 4 (generously) Takes 50-55 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 450g/1lb carrots
• 250g/9oz shallots, peeled
• 3 tbsp cold-pressed
rapeseed oil
• 1 large or 2 small pointed
(hispi) cabbage(s),
outer leaves removed
• Sea salt and cracked
black pepper
For the satay
• Finely grated zest and juice
of 1 lime
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp good quality mediumhot curry powder
• 3 tbsp hazelnut butter (or
peanut butter)
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
To finish
• 5 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves
picked and roughly torn
• A small bunch of fresh
coriander, leaves picked and
roughly chopped
1. Preheat the oven to 230°C,

fan 210°C, gas 8.
2. Cut the carrots on an angle

into 2.5cm/1in pieces and
place in a roasting dish with
the whole shallots. Trickle over

2 tbsp of the rapeseed oil, season
with salt and pepper and toss
together. Roast in the oven for 20
minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. In the meantime, quarter the
cabbage(s) lengthways and rub
the cut surfaces with the
remaining 1 tbsp oil. Season with
salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove the dish from the oven
and squidge the cabbage wedges,
cut-side up, in among the carrots
and shallots. Return to the oven
and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. While the vegetables are
roasting, mix together all the satay
ingredients in a bowl until
smoothly combined. Season with
salt and pepper to taste.
6. Take the dish from the oven
and stir the satay through the veg,
making sure it coats everything,
especially the cut sides of the
cabbage. Return to the oven and
cook for a further 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven, taste
and check the seasoning and
adjust as necessary, then serve.
XSWAPS
Large cauliflower florets are a great
alternative to the cabbage wedges.
You’ll need a medium cauliflower.

ROAST PLUMS WITH
STAR ANISE, OATS & KEFIR
Serves 4 Takes 25-30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
• 1kg/2¼lb Victoria plums,
halved and stoned
• 4 star anise
• 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar
• 50g/2oz porridge oats
• Kefir, or natural yoghurt, to
serve
1. Preheat the oven to 200°C,

fan 180°C, gas 6.
2. Place the plums in a

roasting dish with the star
anise and sugar and stir
together. Roast in the oven for
between 5 and 10 minutes,
depending on the ripeness of

the plums. As soon as they start
to soften and puff up a little,
remove them from the oven.
3. Scatter over the oats, return to
the oven and cook for a further
5 minutes or until the plums
are soft and starting to break
down and the oats are taking on
a little colour.
4. Serve with a good splash of
kefir or a dollop of yoghurt,
not forgetting to remove the
star anise.
XSWAPS
Peaches are a delicious swap
for plums.

93

October is National Seafood Month, so what better way to celebrate the bounty of the ocean
than by cooking these mouth-watering dishes from Cornish chef Jack Stein – middle son of
seafood maestro Rick – from his cookbook World on a Plate
MONKFISH RICE & CURRY
“I have been to Sri Lanka many times and
I absolutely love the place. The food is
wonderful, the people are amazing and the
surf is great. Everywhere there are signs
offering ‘rice and curry’ – often more rice
than curry. I use monkfish in this recipe, which
is meatier and less susceptible to overcooking
than many other fish. I find it to be the
perfect partner in a fish curry, because it’s
quite bland, so it handles the spice extremely
well. Try to find fresh curry leaves, as they
really do give the taste of Sri Lanka. Serve
with bowls of plain rice and poppadoms.”
INGREDIENTS
• 50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil

94

‘Try to find fresh
curry leaves, as they
really do give the
taste of Sri Lanka’

Serves 4 Takes About 1 hour

• 4 onions, peeled and chopped
• 12 curry leaves
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 5cm/2in piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 8 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 600g/1lb 5oz monkfish, cut into 4 fillets,
trimmed
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 green chillies, sliced
For the Sri Lankan curry powder
• 2 tbsp basmati rice
• 4 tbsp coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp chilli flakes

• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cloves
• 1 heaped tsp cardamom seeds
(from the pods)
• 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
To serve
• Cooked plain rice
• Deep-fried poppadom triangles
1. To make the curry powder, place the

rice in a dry pan and roast until brown.
Then add the spices and cook together
until fragrant. Place in a blender and
mix. Store in an airtight container until
needed; it will keep for 1 month.
2. For the curry base, warm half of the
vegetable oil in a large, wide pan and add the
onions and 6 of the curry leaves; cook until
lightly coloured (8 minutes). Then add the
garlic and ginger and cook for another
3 minutes. Move this onion mixture to one
side of the pan and place 2-3 tsp of the
roasted curry powder (depending how hot
you like it) in the space left. Cook the spices
for 1 minute (this deepens their flavour),
then add the tomatoes and stir together.
3. Cook the mixture for a further 20 minutes.
4. If the curry starts to dry, add a little
water. You want the tomatoes to break
down and release their juice. Now add the
coconut milk and cook until reduced and
thick. Keep the curry warm over a low heat
while you cook the fish.
5. Season the monkfish fillets with the
salt and cook in a frying pan in the
remaining vegetable oil until nicely browned;
you want to cook it under the temperature
where you want it to finish – say, 45°C. Take
the fillets out of the pan, slice thickly and
leave to one side to rest.
6. Warm up the curry base and add the
monkfish slices to the pan. Cook for 1-2
minutes until the fish reaches 55°C.
Remove from the heat. Add the raw sliced
green chilli and remaining fresh curry leaves.
Serve with the cooked rice and deep-fried
poppadom triangles.

FOOD

FISHERMAN’S
FRIEND
A familiar face on TV, having
appeared on shows including
Saturday Kitchen and Steph’s
Packed Lunch, Jack Stein is the
son of TV star chef Rick
(together inset far left with
Jack’s brothers Ed and Charles)
and worked his way up from
kitchen porter in his dad’s
original Seafood Restaurant,
aged just 12, to become chef
director of the Rick Stein
Restaurants in 2017.
National Seafood Month
celebrates the wide variety of
fish and shellfish available in
the UK and encourages people
to eat more sustainably
sourced seafood.
Jack Stein’s World on a Plate,
with photography by Paul
Winch-Furness, is out now,
published by Absolute Press,
priced £26.

MUSSELS WITH MISO & BLACK BEANS

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER.
PHOTOS: PAUL WINCH-FURNESS. SAM HARRIS

Serves 4 Takes 20-25 minutes, plus cleaning the mussels
“The key to cooking mussels, in
my opinion, is the shells. I love
the smells you get the world over
from mollusc shells being cooked
on street stalls and in far-flung
kitchens. The shells help give a
wonderful depth of flavour to the
finished dish.
“For this recipe, you want
everything to be red-hot and
done in seconds. Make sure to
give the shells a good fry in the
oil before adding the savoury
elements. The interaction
between the savoury ingredients,
such as the miso and soy sauce,
and the sweetness of the mussels
produces a perfect balance.”

INGREDIENTS
• 1.75kg/3¾lb mussels
• 1 tsp Chinese salted black beans
• ¼ tsp sugar
• 3 spring onions
• 2 tbsp groundnut oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and
finely chopped
• 15g/½oz fresh root ginger,
peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp brown miso
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry
sherry
• 3 tbsp fish stock
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1. First, clean the mussels. Fill

the sink with water and add the
mussels, then move them around
– dirt will fall to the bottom.
Place the mussels in a colander
and run water through them;
shake them a bit. Discard any
that remain open and don’t close
when tapped on the counter.
2. Rinse the black beans, then
place them in a bowl; add the
sugar and mash together.
3. Trim the spring onions and
cut across them to separate the
white parts from the green.
Thinly slice both sections and
place in separate bowls.
4. Put the groundnut oil in a wok
or a large, deep frying pan, with
a lid, and heat until very hot.

Add the mussels and stir-fry until
you smell the smokiness of the
shells – around 1 minute.
5. Now add the garlic, ginger
and black beans and stir-fry for
around 30 seconds, until the
smell of the hot ginger and garlic
rises. Add the white of the spring
onions and stir-fry for a few
seconds. Now add the miso, soy
sauce, rice wine or sherry, and
the stock. Cover and steam the
mussels for around 3-4 minutes.
6. Discard any mussels that
remain shut, add the coriander
and the green spring onion, toss
together and serve with some
toasted sourdough bread for
dipping in the sauce.

95

FOOD

Settling into student life means keeping an eye on the weekly food bills – but that doesn’t have
to mean surviving on beans on toast. With first-hand experience of feeding flatmates on a
budget, blogger Fliss Freeborn shares thrifty, delicious dishes from her debut cookbook
SWEET POTATO, SPINACH & CHICKPEA CURRY
INGREDIENTS
• 3 huge sweet potatoes
(around 1.5kg/3¼lb altogether)
• 4 medium red onions
• Vegetable oil
• 2-3 fresh red chillies, or a scant
tsp of chilli flakes
• A big knob of ginger, around
the size of an espresso cup
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala (failing

96

that, 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
• A jar of Indian-style curry paste
at your preferred spice level
• 4 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 x 400g tins of full-fat
coconut milk
• 4 x 400g tins of chickpeas
• 1 x 450g bag of fresh spinach
or 200g/7oz frozen spinach
• Salt, to taste
• Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
1. Start by chopping your
vegetables. Peel the sweet

Serves roughly 8 Takes Just over an hour

potatoes, then cut into 2.5cm/1in
chunks. If you’re pushed for time
and want this curry on the table
asap, you can microwave the
chunks in batches, covered, for 10
minutes at a time while you chop
your onions. If you’re more chilled
on the timescale, don’t worry;
they’ll cook through in around 35
to 40 minutes in the pot.
2. Speaking of pots, find a really
big pot. No, bigger than that. Yes,
that one. Chop your onions into
half-moon slices while you get a

generous amount of oil hot
in the bottom of this gigantic
pan on a medium-high heat.
Finely chop your fresh chilli,
if you’re using it, then grate
your ginger and garlic on the
fine side of a cheese grater.
3. Add your ground spices to
the hot oil in the pan and let
them cook until they’re nice
and fragrant. Then add your
chilli, garlic and ginger, and stir
that around before adding the
jar of curry paste. Cook for a
minute, then when that’s all
looking beautiful, add your
onions and reduce the heat to
low, popping a lid on the pan
while you do a light touch of
tidying for 10 minutes.
4. Next, add the sweet potato
chunks, followed by the tinned
tomatoes. Stir all this around a
bit and increase the heat to
medium-high. Bring to a boil
before adding your coconut
milk. Bubble for a good 20
minutes to reduce, then taste
for seasoning. Drain your
chickpeas and stir them through
to soak up the flavours for the
last 20 minutes of cooking. If
you’re using frozen spinach, add
it now, but if you’re using fresh,
wait until just before serving
before adding it in handfuls and
letting it wilt down – don’t try to
put in the lot in one go, because
it just won’t fit.
5. The curry is ready when it’s
sufficiently thickened and the
sweet potatoes are properly
cooked through. Serve with all
the appropriate bling, plus the
coriander leaves roughly chopped
and scattered over the top.
FLISS’S TIPS
• Make sure you buy curry
paste, not sauce. They’re very
different things, so check the
label before you put it in your
basket. Sauce jars are bigger
and watery and grim; paste jars
are smaller and oily and great.

UP YOUR GAME
Cooking at home from an early
age before working in the galley
of a charter boat during school
holidays meant that by the time
Fliss Freeborn went to university,
she was well versed in cooking
delicious food for large groups
of people on a tight budget.
Her debut cookbook is
brimming with budget-friendly
recipes to take your student
fare to the next level.
Do Yourself
ourself a Flavour
Flavour, with
photography by Luke Albert, is
out now, published by Ebury
Press, priced £17.99. Visit
flissfreeborn.com or follow her
on X at @FlissFreeborn and on
Instagram at @fliss_freeborn.

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER

LEEK, GRUYERE AND BACON PANCAKES
INGREDIENTS
For the pancakes
• 100g/4oz flour
(around a mug’s worth)
• 2 eggs
• 250ml/9fl oz milk mixed with
50ml/2fl oz water (¾ mug of milk,
topped up with water)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more
for cooking the pancakes
• Salt
For the filling
• A pack of pancetta or bacon
lardons; failing that, 5 bacon
rashers, chopped into cubes
• A big leek
• A blodge of butter
• A palm-sized wodge of
Gruyère, or you can use strong
cheddar if you prefer
• A mug of frozen peas
• Heaps of freshly ground
black pepper
Optional extras
• Your favourite dried herbs
1. Make the pancake batter first.

Add the flour to a large-ish bowl,
make a wee dip in the flour and
crack the eggs into it. Stir the
eggs into the flour with a fork or
a balloon whisk until you have a
thick batter. If it’s too thick to
stir, add a splash of the milk
mixture. Add the milk and water

little by little – you might need
more or less than specified, but
what you’re aiming for is a
thinnish batter; thinner than
double cream, but not by much.
Blend the tbsp of oil into the
batter, mixing well for full
emulsification. Add a pinch of
salt and any herbs you like. If
you’d like a dessert pancake after
the savoury ones, you can reserve
half a mug of batter before
adding the herbs, just to keep
things separate.
2. Preheat the oven to the
lowest possible setting, just to
keep the pancakes warm as
they hop off the stove.
3. Now take out a large frying
pan and place it over a low heat.
Tip in the bacon lardons – you
don’t have to wait for the pan to
heat up for this, because you
want to fry the lardons slowly at
first so all the fat comes out.
Chop the leek into thin rings,
rinse and drain well, then add
to the pan once there’s enough
fat from the bacon lardons.
Increase the heat to medium
and add a blodge of butter.
4. Now heat a non-stick,
ovenproof frying pan over a high
heat and begin frying your
pancakes while keeping an eye

Serves roughly 8 Takes Just over an hour

on the leeks and bacon. This
takes some multitasking, as the
pancakes do cook quickly. By the
way, if you’ve not cooked
pancakes before, here’s how you
do it: add a couple of tbsp of
batter to a hot, lightly oiled
frying pan and swirl it around to
coat the bottom evenly. Leave it
for a minute or 2, or until the
edges are turning golden when
you peek underneath, then flip
carefully using a fish slice to cook
the other side. Don’t worry if the
first pancake is terrible; much
like siblings, the first one tends
to be a practice run.
5. Meanwhile, grate the Gruyère
on the finer side of a grater.
Shuggle the pan containing the
leeks and lardons, making sure
that the ingredients are getting
to know each other, and
perhaps adding some black
pepper if you like. Keep both
pans going, sliding all the
cooked pancakes on to a plate
in the oven to stay warm and
making sure the leeks and
bacon are colouring nicely.
6. When the bacon is nice and
brown and the leeks are just
cooked, add your peas. They’ll
defrost very quickly and go a
lurid shade of green. When

they’re completely warmed
through, shuggle the pan again
so that everything is in an even
layer. Now, sprinkle the finely
grated Gruyère over the leek
mixture and keep it on the heat
until it’s just melted. Transfer the
pan to the base of the lightly
warmed oven while you cook the
rest of the pancakes – there
should only be a few to go now.
The cheese should go delightfully
oozy in the meantime.
7. To serve, dump the filling pan
and the plate of pancakes on the
table. Scoop lines of the bacon
and leek mixture into the centre
of each pancake and swaddle
with the edges. If you’re being
polite, use a knife and fork to eat
these, but if you’re like me, roll
each one up like a weirdly
buttery cigar and chomp at the
end of it, savouring the bacon fat
running down your wrists.
FLISS’S TIPS
• Plain flour is perfect, a 50/50
mix of plain and wholemeal works
nicely and self-raising flour works
fine, too – you’ll get slightly
bubblier pancakes, but it’s really
not that noticeable.
• Mixing the water with the milk
makes the pancakes lacier.

97

Two of Spain’s most
loved ingredients –
jamón serrano and
chorizo – star in these
recipes by popular
chef Omar Allibhoy

‘A colourful
autumn salad
bursting with texture
and extra zing
from the piquant
dressing’

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER

CONSORCIO SERRANO
O HAM,
GREEN BEAN & LENTIL SALAD
INGREDIENTS
• 250g/9oz green beans,
tops removed
• 200g/7oz ready-prepared
baby spinach
• 50g/2oz pitted black olives
• 2 oranges, peel removed,
cut into segments
• 500g/1lb 2oz cooked
pardina lentils, rinsed
• 4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf
parsley, chopped
• 4 sprigs of fresh mint,
leaves picked
• 100g/4oz jamón Consorcio

Serves 2 Takes 15-20 minutes

del Jamón Serrano
For the sherry dressing
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1. First, prepare the dressing.

Grate the garlic clove over a
bowl and mix with the mustard,
salt and vinegar. While
whisking vigorously, integrate
the oil by pouring in a thin
stream so it emulsifies. Set aside

until ready to serve.
2. Cook the green beans in
boiling water for 3 minutes,
then drain and blanch in a
bowl filled with cold water and
ice. This stops the cooking
process and helps to preserve
their bright green colour.
Drain and mix together with
the rest of the ingredients and
half of the Serrano ham. Pour
over the dressing and toss to
combine. Serve with the
remainder of the Serrano ham
on top. ¡Buen provecho!

THE PERFECT CURE
Chef Omar Allibhoy
celebrates Spanish cured
meats in these recipes.
Consorcio del Chorizo
Español chorizo and
ham from Consorcio del
Jamón Serrano are
created by dedicated
producers in Spain using
traditional methods. The
chorizo must include garlic
and paprika, and the
jamón is made exclusively
in Spain using 100%
Spanish ingredients.

99

Looking for an
excuse to bake
cakes, cookies and
sweet and savoury
treats every day?
Social media star
and blogger Jane
Dunn’s latest book
is packed with
recipes for simple
and delicious
bakes that anyone
can make
100

CORNFLAKE BROWNIES
INGREDIENTS
• 200g/7oz dark chocolate
• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 275g/10oz caster sugar
• 50g/2oz cocoa powder
• 100g/4oz plain flour
• 250g/9oz milk chocolate chips
For the cornflake layer
• 75g/3oz unsalted butter
• 75g/3oz golden syrup
• 300g/11oz milk chocolate
• 150g/5oz cornflakes
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C,

fan 160°C, gas 4 and line a
23cm/9in square tin with
parchment paper.
2. In a heatproof bowl, break the
dark chocolate into pieces and
add the butter. Melt together in
the microwave in short bursts or

Makes 16 Takes 55-60 minutes, plus cooling and setting

over a pan of simmering water (a
bain-marie) until smooth. Leave
to cool to room temperature.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk
together the eggs and sugar for a
few minutes until pale, mousselike and doubled in volume. Pour
over the cooled chocolate mixture
and fold together carefully. Once
completely combined, add the
cocoa powder and flour and then
fold together again. Fold through
the chocolate chips.
4. Pour the brownie mixture into
the prepared tin and bake in the
preheated oven for 25-30 minutes
until there is an ever-so-slight
wobble in the middle. Leave to
cool completely in the tin.
5. For the cornflake layer, in a
medium pan, melt the butter and
golden syrup together over a

medium heat until combined.
Remove the pan from the heat
and add the milk chocolate. Stir
together, still off the heat, until
the mixture is smooth.
6. Pour the cornflakes into a large
bowl, pour the chocolate mixture
over the top and stir to combine.
Pour the cornflake mixture over
the brownie and level it. Chill in
the fridge for at least 4 hours to
set, then cut into squares with a
sharp knife. The brownies will last
3-plus days in the fridge.
NOTES
X It’s important to let the brownies chill
for enough time, so that they stay
fudgy and the cornflake layer sets.
X You can use other cereals, such
as rice pops, if you want to try
something different.

FOOD

BAKEWELL
SCONES
Makes 8
Takes 45 minutes, plus cooling
INGREDIENTS
• 100g/4oz chilled unsalted
butter, cubed
• 325g/11½oz self-raising flour,
plus extra for dusting
• 150g/5oz ground almonds
• 50g/2oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 190ml/6¾fl oz whole milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 150g/5oz glacé cherries,
chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 30g/1¼oz flaked almonds

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C,

IT’S A PIECE OF CAKE

Dubbed “the Mary Berry of the Instagram age” by The Times
Times,, Jane Dunn has more
than 1.5 million followers across Facebook and Instagram. She started her blog,
Jane’s Patisserie, in 2014 after training at Ashburton Chefs Academy in Devon.
Her debut cookbook of the same name became the fastest-selling baking
book of all time when it was published in 2021, and the third best-selling cookbook
since records began.
Jane’s Patisserie: Everyday, with photography by Ellis Parrinder, is out now,
published by Ebury Press, priced £22. Visit janespatisserie.com or follow her on
Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

fan 200°C, gas 7 and line a large
baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Place the tray in the oven to
preheat.
3. Add the butter, flour, ground
almonds, sugar, baking powder
and salt to a large bowl. Rub the
ingredients together with your
fingertips until the mixture
resembles breadcrumbs. Warm
the milk in a pan on the hob or
in the microwave, then pour into
the mixture with the lemon juice
and almond extract. Mix the
dough together with a spatula,
adding the glacé cherries.
4. On a floured work surface, tip
out the scone dough and flatten
with your hands until 5cm/2in
thick. Cut out 8 scones using a
6-7cm/2 ½-2¾in cutter. Carefully
place on the preheated tray, then
glaze with the beaten egg.
Sprinkle over the flaked almonds,
then bake in the preheated oven
for 10-13 minutes or until golden.
Leave to cool slightly and then
enjoy. The scones will last 3-plus
days at room temperature.
NOTE
X You can use fresh cherries or other
fruit instead of glacé cherries if you
prefer – just reduce the amount by
50g/2oz.

101

Apples shown are British. Lidl also sells apples from other countries. From price refers to apples
sold in packs only. Loose apples may be sold at different prices. Subject to availability. Selected
stores. Excludes NI.

FOOD

APPLE &
CINNAMON
LOAF CAKE
Serves 8 Takes 1 hour 25 minutes,
plus cooling

AFTERNOON
DELIGHT
This delicious sweet and spicy loaf cake
from Lauren and Rachel Finch will also
leave your kitchen smelling heavenly

INGREDIENTS
• 150g/5oz unsalted butter
• 150g/5oz light soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp buttermilk
• 2 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
• 150g/5oz self-raising flour
For the topping
• 1 Bramley apple
• 25g/1oz unsalted butter
• 1 tsp ground sweet cinnamon
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
For the vanilla buttercream
• 250g/9oz unsalted butter, softened
• 500g/1lb 2oz icing sugar, plus
extra if needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla
bean paste
For decoration
• 100g/4oz unsalted butter
• 200g/7oz icing sugar
• Vanilla extract, to taste
• Caramel, for drizzling (optional)
• Ground sweet cinnamon, for
dusting

CO-ORDINATED BY SARAH HAMILTON-WALKER

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan

160°C, gas 4. Line a 900g/2lb loaf
tin with baking parchment.
2. Put the butter and sugar into
the bowl of a mixer (or use a
mixing bowl and a hand-held
electric whisk). Using the paddle
attachment, cream together on a
high-speed setting until
combined. Add the eggs, one by
one, on a low-speed setting.
3. Add the buttermilk and
cinnamon, then sift in the flour.
Mix until just combined, scraping
down the sides of the bowl with a
spatula and re-mixing. Spoon the
batter into the prepared tin and
spread evenly.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for
50-60 minutes or until the sponge
bounces back when pressed or a
cocktail stick inserted in the middle
comes out clean. Leave to cool in
the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer
the loaf cake (still in its liner) onto
a wire rack to cool completely (this
may take 1-2 hours).
5. While the sponge is cooling,
prepare the spiced apple topping.
Peel and core the apple, then
chop it into small cubes. Melt the
butter in a pan over a medium
heat and add the cubed apple
with a couple of tbsp of water.
6. Spoon over the cinnamon and

TIP

Finely slice a
cooking apple and
bake on a baking tray
alongside the cake for 50
minutes. Leave to cool for
5-10 minutes until dried
and crispy and use
for decoration

demerara sugar, stir the mixture
and place the lid on the pan. Stir
every couple of minutes until the
apple has started to soften (but
isn’t mushy). Remove from the
heat and leave to cool.
7. For the vanilla buttercream, add
the butter to the bowl of a mixer
and whip on a high speed for 5
minutes – this may take a little
longer if using a handheld electric
whisk. Scrape down the sides of
the bowl with a spatula and whip
for another 30 seconds. This will
turn the butter more white than
yellow. Sift the icing sugar into the
bowl and combine on a medium
setting, remembering to stop and
scrape around the sides to mix in

everything fully. Add the vanilla
extract or paste and mix for a
further 15 seconds. If the
consistency of the buttercream is
too wet, sift in an extra 50g/2oz
of icing sugar at a time until it
has stiffened up, or chill it in the
fridge for a short while.
8. Once the cake has cooled,
remove it from the liner and
spread the buttercream over
the top with an angled palette
knife or a loaded piping bag
with a nozzle of your choice.
9. Spoon over the cooled
apple mixture, drizzle with
caramel and decorate with
dried apples (see Tip), if using,
and a dusting of cinnamon.

PARTY PIECES
Twin sisters and
expert bakers
Lauren and Rachel
Finch are founders
of The Finch Bakery,
a small, colourful
cake shop in
Blackburn, making bespoke cakes
for sale in store and online.
Their new book offers 75
decorated party cakes and bakes,
aimed at bakers of all levels, along
with step-by-step techniques.
Finch Bakery: Disco Bakes and
Party Cakes, with photography by
Jessica Griffiths, is out now,
published by DK, priced £20.

103

CULTURE

GERI HORNER

WRITE
STUFF
STUFF
The former
ormer Spice
Sp Girl on continuing
to champion
ion girl
gir power, her love of
writing and why
y her teenage
t
e daughter
hasn’t read her new book

104

irl power defined the Spice Girls and it’s a
philosophy that former member Geri
Horner still lives by today. “Even if it
emerges in a different medium, I love
unifying and empowering,” the singer and
writer tells hello!.
The message comes across loud and clear in her new
children’s book, Rosie Frost and the Falcon
alcon Queen (written
under the surname Halliwell-Horner), which Geri hopes
“will help anybody who needs to find their power”.
Geri, aka Ginger Spice, already has two successful
autobiographies and a children’s book series under her
belt, but this one took her nine years to write. She almost
cried “with pride and gratitude” when she finally saw the
published version.
“It’s like having a baby. The effort
– my God. It was a baptism of fire,”
she says, fizzing with the enthusiasm
we’ve come to associate with her.
“I was learning to write a novel as I
went, which was the hardest thing I’ve
ever done. I’ve always loved literature
and writing – it’s my first love – but
the discipline, and understanding the
mechanics of it,” she says. “But also
life – I had priorities.”
Including, of course, her family.
Geri, 51, who enjoyed solo success
after leaving the best-selling female
group of all time in 1998, is married
to Christian Horner, 49, the British
former racing driver who now runs
Formula 1’s Red Bull Racing team.
The couple share a six-year-old
‘I really admire and
son, Monty, and Geri has a 17-yearlove the Prince and old daughter, Bluebell, whose
Princess of Wales. father is film-maker Sacha Gervasi.
The teenager is yet to read her
They do so much good mother’s book, an adventure story
and work really hard’ centring on Rosie, an orphan who
is sent to Bloodstone Island – a
school for extraordinary teens and a sanctuary for
endangered species.
“She didn’t want to read it,” says Geri of Bluebell.
“She said: ‘Mum, can I read this when it’s printed, so it
doesn’t spoil it?’ That was OK,” she adds with a shrug.

DON’T MISS
THIS WEEK…
TV THE UK TONIGHT
WITH SARAH-JANE MEE
Sky News presenter Sarah-Jane Mee
(right) hosts this new evening
programme designed to help viewers
make sense of the headlines and the
issues affecting them. Covering the
biggest stories of the day, the show
features interviews, investigations and
analysis from the Sky News team.
On Sky News, Mondays to Thursdays at 8pm.

REPORTS: KIRA RICHARDS. PHOTOS: CARSTEN WINDHORST. CHRIS PHILIPPO. GETTY IMAGES. MATT FROST. ROB YOUNGSON. STEVE ULLATHORNE

Geri joins forces with the Prince of Wales in June (above) to
support his Homewards project to end homelessness. The
singer turned author is married to Christian Horner (together
far left), the head of Formula 1’s Red Bull Racing team

“Mothers and daughters, you know? Let’s just go with the
flow. She did give me a couple of jokes, though – one about
guacamole and Guatemala.”
Her daughter has also inherited her mother’s passion for
books. “She loves writing herself and is studying English
literature – I’m so proud of her. And she’s probably a better
writer than me,” she says.
The book, which includes themes of friendship, kindness,
bullying and ambition, isn’t autobiographical, but Geri says:
“I definitely put my feelings in there.” In one passage, Rosie is
informed at school of her father’s death – something Geri
experienced when her father Laurence died of a heart attack.
“The funny thing is, I didn’t realise what I’d written until
afterwards,” she says. “Then I was like: ‘Oh my God, that’s
exactly what happened to me.’ I was pulled out of a
classroom where we were studying Hamlet to be told: ‘Your
father is dead.’”
Looking back on her younger self – a “toddler adult”, as
she describes herself – Geri wishes she’d had “a bit more
discipline and focus” on her education.
“I was in the middle of my A-levels when I joined the
Spice Girls. I’d love to go back. But they’ve given me an
honorary doctorate at Sheffield Hallam University, so maybe
they’ll let me in there,” she says, perking up at the thought
of the award she received last year.
“We all just want equality – no matter where you’re from,
whether it’s Peckham, Watford [Geri’s home town] or
Kensington, whatever your background is. It’s the size of
your heart and mind: that’s always been so important to me.”

FILM THE GREAT
ESCAPER
Sir Michael Caine stars opposite
Glenda Jackson (together left) in
this heart-warming adventure,
made before Glenda’s death in
June. It tells the real-life story of
Bernard Jordan, who escaped his
care home in 2014 to join fellow
war veterans on a beach in
Normandy to mark the 70th
anniversary of the D-Day landings.
In cinemas from Thursday.

ALBUM THEA GILMORE
Folk singer Thea Gilmore (right)
releases her self-titled 20th studio
album this week, after amassing more
than 200,000 streams of lead single
She Speaks in Colours. The Oxford-born
songwriter, who wrote the track as part
of BBC Radio 2’s 21st Century Folk
initiative, also takes her new material
on the road next month.
Out on Friday; visit theagilmore.net.

BOOK NOW
PUPPETMAN

ROYAL CONNECTIONS

In June, Geri, who is a goodwill ambassador for the United
Nations and works with the Royal Commonwealth Society,
teamed up with the Prince of Wales as part of his Homewards
project to end homelessness, of which she is an advocate. “I
really admire and love the Prince and Princess of Wales,” she
says. “They do so much good, and they’ve worked really hard.”
Next on the agenda is to write another two books to
complete the trilogy she has planned. They’ve already been
picked up to be adapted for the big screen – a project she
hopes to work on. With so many strings to her bow, it’s no
wonder her husband has nicknamed her the Artful Dodger.
What does the moniker mean to her?
“Throw me out of the plane and I’ll let my parachute out
on the way down. I’ve just had to learn to use the cards I’ve
been dealt,” she says. “And I suppose it also means that even
Watford girls can wear pearls.”
INTERVIEW: ROSALIND POWELL

Rosie Frost and the Falcon Queen by Geri Halliwell-Horner is
out on 3 October, published by Scholastic, priced £7.99.

Paul Zerdin (left), comedian,
ventriloquist and winner of America’s
Got Talent
alent in 2015, returns to the UK
with a brand-new family-friendly
show, featuring puppet-tastic sketches
based on his YouTube series Sponge
Weekly
eekly and a new set of characters to
make all ages laugh out loud.
From 5 October to 11 November. To book,
visit paulzerdin.com/#tour.

BOOK EDGE OF HERE
In her debut collection of stories, actress and
podcaster Kelechi Okafor delves into what life would
be like in a reality close to our own, where
technology lets you explore an alternate love-life with
a stranger or feel another person’s emotions through
a brain implant – but such futuristic experiences
have harrowing consequences.
Out now, published by Orion, £18.99.

105

DREAM ESCAPES
Wall-to-wall sunshine and dramatic volcanic scenery make this
Canary island ideal for a memorable family getaway this autumn

Tenerife
STAY

Sitting on the island’s stirring
south-coast volcanic landscape,
Barceló Tenerife (2
(2) is perfect for
style-conscious families keen for a
hit of autumn sunshine. Bright
bedrooms (3
(3) lead onto vast
terraces, while rustic accents –
sisal rugs and palapa-thatch
parasols – abound. With several
swimming pools to hop between
as well as a lake for kayaking,
there’s plenty to keep excitable
youngsters entertained and the
Royal Level all-inclusive option
will spoil their parents.

TASTE

Penélope Cruz
and her family
holiday on Tenerife

At lunchtime, leave the pool
behind for mouth-watering
deliciousness at the hotel’s Drago
Buffet, which serves up food
inspired by all four corners of the
globe (1)
1).. Arrozante Restaurant is
a winning spot overlooking the
waves in which to enjoy whopping
great dishes of prawn and chorizo
paella, sure to impress even the
pickiest eaters. Equally tempting,
the resort’s laid-back Italian eatery
La Dolce Vita Trattoria has the
antipasti board down to a fine art
and the wood-fired pizzas are
super Be sure to save room
superb.

for the white chocolate and
berry panna cotta.

INDULGE

Drop youngsters with the
team at Barceló Tenerife’s
kids’ club, then slink over to
the spa and get away from it all.
From top-to-toe scrubs to deeptissue massages, there’s an array
of soothing therapies to choose
from. You’ll resurface feeling
freer of body and supremely
blissed out.

EXPLORE

Although you and the gang will
no doubt want to spend a
considerable part of your stay
poolside, there’s so much to see if
you venture beyond Barceló’s
perimeter. With its unusual lava
formations and vibrant birdlife,
the San Blas Nature Reserve
will fascinate kids and adults
alike. Elsewhere, the
harbourside village of Los
Abrigos is just right for an
afternoon stroll and an ice
cream, while the hotel
team can also arrange boat
trips to spot whales and
dolphins frolicking in the
Atlantic waters.

iRoom
Room rates at Barceló Tenerife
T
startt from £165 for two adults
and two children in a double room on a B&B basis; visit barcelo.
com. British Airways flies from London Gatwick to TTenerife South
Airport from £42 each way; visit britishair
britishairways.com.

Nudea The Classic
Boxer,, £35. Visit
Boxer
nudea.com

Weekday
eekday wire bikini top,
top,
£22; Brazilian bikini bottoms,
bottoms,
£12. Visit weekday.com

Kosas Good Body Skin
AHA + Enzyme Body Wash,
Wash,
£21. From cultbeauty.co.uk

Step into autumn
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