Indholdsfortegnelse for 10th Nov 2025 (Double Issue) i Woman

I know, I know… Christmas seems to get earlier and earlier each year. The garden centres have been decked out with festive fun for weeks, quietly creeping in as Halloween took centre stage for a short time. Yes, this year certainly felt like summer ended and Christmas began. However, as the nights draw in, the twinkly lights are perhaps a welcome slice of joy. So grab a mince pie (you can see in our taste test on page 59 which ones come out on top this year) and a glass of fizz as we get you into the festive spirit. Not because it’s actually Christmas (mind you, it’s only eight weeks away…) but because we want to help you get prepared so that when the day comes, you can sit…

Jodie Whittaker Former Doctor Who and Broadchurch star Jodie has found a way to bring the whole family together that doesn’t involve the dinner table. ‘We queue,’ laughs Jodie, who is married to writer and actor Christian Contreras and has two children. ‘We all line up behind the sitting room door, and when everybody is assembled we push the door open to see what – if anything – Father Christmas has left us under the tree. It’s a great way of building up the excitement!’ Jack Whitehall Jack’s Christmas tradition kicks in after the food has been consumed on 25 December. The comedian and actor says, ‘My father Michael insists that we stand up for the King’s – previously Queen’s – speech on Christmas Day afternoon on TV. It’s a…

‘Cat is embracing the idea of a fresh start’ For most of us, the buzzing excitement that comes with the build-up to Christmas is on the horizon. But for Cat Deeley and Patrick Kielty the anticipation of a very different festive season looms. In July, This Morning presenter Cat, 49, and Northern Irish star Patrick shocked fans when they announced their separation after just under 13 years of marriage. In a statement they said, ‘We have taken the decision to end our marriage and are now separated. There is no other party involved.’ Now the estranged couple, who share sons Milo, nine, and James, seven, are facing their first Christmas separated – something that is no doubt stirring up a range of emotions. ‘It’s been a year of big change…

GLOW FOR IT Focus on boosting radiance in your complexion with some illuminating make-up products. They provide just enough shine without looking too much, and keep you dazzling during the festive party season. 1 Use L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion, £11.99, Boots, as your first step. It comes in four blendable shades, each promising hydration and illumination. In seconds it enhances your skin’s natural glow, thanks to glycerin and shea butter, and can add shine from head to toe. Wear under foundation or on its own. 2For any areas of the face that might require a little more glow, add a light sweeping of Catrice More Than Glow Highlighter in Supreme Rose Beam, £3.95, justmylook.com, to high points of your face like temples, bridge of nose and cheeks. 3 Finish by…

SAVOURY SHOWSTOPPERS Whether you’re planning a traditional turkey dinner or something a bit different, these tasty mains are sure to wow. BEST WHOLE TURKEY Exceptional Heritage Norfolk Slate Turkey, £9.94/kg (typical weight 4.75kg), Asda For a spectacular centrepiece to your festive feast, with plenty of leftovers, you can’t go wrong with this lovely-looking turkey. It’s pleasingly plump, flavoursome and juicy, and we were especially impressed with the leg meat, which cooked up with a similar richness to duck. Just watch the cooking times – we found it needed less time than the package instructions. BEST EASY-CARVE TURKEY Taste the Difference British Free Range Bronze Turkey Crown with Pork, Apricot, Pear, Cranberry and Candied Ginger Stuffing, £25/kg (2.5-3.49kg), Sainsbury’s An effortless option for a smaller gathering, this crown has a sweet…

It’s been a milestone year for Dame Mary Berry because 2025 saw her celebrate her 90th birthday in March. Now she’s looking back at her incredible 60-year career in six-part series Mary at 90: A Lifetime in Cooking. Here, the national treasure reveals more… Tell us about your new series. I take a trip down memory lane reflecting on some of the memorable moments of my cooking career. We have clips from the archives from when I first started. I’m also joined by friends, old and new, including Tom Allen, Jamie Oliver, Alex Jones and Alan Titchmarsh, and I cooked with them all – some new recipes, some reinvented classics. It’s always special watching someone recreate one of your dishes. What has is it been like to see clips of…

DO YOU TAKE ON THE LION’S SHARE OF FESTIVE TASKS? I am very lucky – my husband is a thoroughly modern man. He cooks, takes out the bins and dotes on our kids. He even buys a lot of the presents. But I, like most women, still carry the invisible load at Christmas. I wrap all the gifts – not just the ones we’ve both bought – but the mountains of unwrapped items sent by well-meaning godparents or overseas relations. I buy the food, I lay the table, empty the dishwasher on repeat, keep the house tidy, do the laundry, manage our diary over the festive period and ensure homework and piano practice is kept on top of. I admit, I do resist relinquishing control of many of these chores.…

LORRAINE KELLY Lorraine or Mrs Claus? The daytime TV legend, who turns 66 on 30 November, brought all the festive cheer in red and white. For more from Lorraine, turn to page 10. COLEEN NOLAN Forget eating your Christmas pudding, Loose Women’s Coleen, 60, prefers to wear hers! ASHLEY ROBERTS AND AMANDA HOLDEN When they’re not presenting their Heart Radio show you’ll find naughty elves Amanda, 54, and Ashley, 44, giving Santa a helping hand in his workshop. RUTH LANGSFORD Ruth, 65, looked classy but Christmassy in her red-velvet blouse. But the real star of the show was her Christmas lights necklace. Can we borrow it for our tree, Ruth? CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD Snow good! Strictly judge Craig, 60, looked too cool dressed as a snowflake. KHLOÉ KARDASHIAN Forget the…

She is everyone’s favourite daytime TV presenter and, at 65, Lorraine Kelly is arguably a national treasure. In May, ITV announced they were shaking up their daytime schedules and cutting back her show. But while the changes were a shock, the veteran presenter vows that they won’t slow her down. She has no retirement plans, hoping to ‘toddle off that show in a Zimmer frame’, adding, ‘I’m still going to be there if people want to watch! Why wouldn’t I? It’s an amazing job!’ Here, Lorraine, whose daughter Rosie, 31, welcomed the star’s beloved granddaughter Billie in August last year, talks about her Christmas plans and how she wants to grab 2026 with both hands. ‘I’ll still be there if people want to watch!’ Hi Lorraine, this will be the…

Getting ahead ‘I do an awful lot of preparing in advance over the festive season. I start by making my list of who’s visiting and how many meals I’ll need to make. Then I list all the meals over Christmas and what ingredients I’ll need. I make a timetable for the week before and see how many things I can do ahead.’ Turkey time ‘My top tip for the perfect roast turkey is not to overcook it. Roast it and, near the end of the cooking time, put a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh, and the juices should run clear. When they do, it’s done. Don’t overcook it.’ Crispy roast potatoes ‘If you know you are going to be pushed on Christmas Day, then it is possible…

How to cut the cost of Christmas The shops have been filling up with festive goodies for many weeks now – and, alongside many shoppers, you may well have taken advantage of the ‘Christmas creep’ to start spreading the costs around. With this year’s big spend expected to be £1,622.46 per household*, 16% up on last year, we’ll need every money-saving trick in the book to manage the expense! PLAN AROUND YOUR BUDGET Typically, we spend about 30% more in December than in other months. With the price of pretty much everything up, start by setting a realistic budget for gifts, food, drink, travel and socialising. No option but to borrow? Make sure you get a card that offers 0% interest on purchases. And plan now how to pay off…

Fashion LOVERS Beauty BUYS Foodie FAVES Stylish HOMES Modern GENTS Tots and TEENS Pampered PETS Must-READS A Mind of My Own by Kathy Burke (£22, HB, Simon & Schuster) This warm, witty memoir traces Kathy’s journey from Islington childhood to national treasure, mixing laugh-out-loud tales with heartfelt moments. Matilda by Roald Dahl. Foreword by Robin Stevens (£14.99, HB, Puffin) This gorgeous clothbound edition of Dahl’s beloved classic Matilda celebrates Puffin’s 85th anniversary and is perfect for delighting a whole new generation of readers. Inside by Boris Becker (£22, HB, Harper Collins) Boris Becker charts his fall from tennis superstardom to prison life, revealing brutal realities, hard-won resilience and the difficult journey of rebuilding from rock bottom. Christmas at the Second Chance Supper Club by Caroline Roberts (£9.99, PB, Harper Collins)…

IF YOU LOVE TO WIN PRIZES THEN VISIT comps.womanmagazine.co.uk What does Star Wars actor Daisy Ridley say is the biggest thing that she’s learned about the movie industry? To find out, solve the crossword then read down the shaded squares to reveal the five-word answer. ACROSS DOWN ANSWERS ACROSS: 11 Magpie, 12 Mace Windu, 13 Arch, 14 Discount, 15 Ranch, 16 Behead, 17 Scarlet, 18 Caterpillar, 20 Italy, 22 Bolognese, 24 Croft, 28 Tuesday, 29 Acaster, 32 Smooth, 34 Demolish, 36 Windfall, 37 Rulers, 39 Amateur, 40 Address, 45 Adopt, 47 Anchorman, 48 Stays, 51 Mississippi, 53 Baptise, 55 Adding, 56 Libra, 58 Recovers, 59 Girl, 60 Esmeralda, 61 Awning. DOWN: 1 Davies, 2 Spectacles, 3 Sequels, 4 Imitation, 5 Scarecrow, 6 Twin, 7 Anchor, 8 Cumbria, 9 Bachelor, 10…

‘William doesn’t want Harry at Sandringham’ It has been seven long years since Prince Harry celebrated Christmas at Sandringham. Since then, the Duke of Sussex has been estranged from his family as he lobbed grenade after grenade at them through TV interviews and his autobiography. Now, he’s let it be known that he wants reconciliation and to visit the UK much more often – even bringing Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four. After a successful meeting with his father earlier this year, there’s been talk that King Charles could invite the Sussexes for Christmas. The King, 76, has only ever met Lilibet once (in 2022 when she visited the UK as a baby for the late Queen’s platinum jubilee) and Archie a handful of…

FERGIE AND ANDREW BANNED! It’s not just Prince Harry who will be lonely this Christmas. After a year of torrid headlines, Prince Andrew and ex-wife Fergie have been banned from the royal Christmas at Sandringham. Perhaps forever. The King brutally uninvited them after he forced Andrew, 65, to give up his Duke of York title and other honours over the Epstein scandal. Last year Andrew was told he wasn’t welcome after it was revealed that a friend of his was a suspected Chinese spy who had been refused entry to the UK. This year, the bad news hasn’t stopped – from the revelations that Andrew and Fergie had kept in contact with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein after they claimed they’d broken off all friendship, to a stonking biography of the…

As the season of goodwill draws closer, in an exclusive interview with Woman, Penny Lancaster, 54 – Loose Women guest panellist, author and special constable with the City of London police – is characteristically warm, sparkly and unflinchingly honest as she shares the truth about Christmas at Stewart HQ. Unveiling her festive plans with husband Sir Rod Stewart, 80, and sons Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14, the former model reveals how their Essex home transforms into a magical haven for a huge annual pre-Christmas party, her best-ever gift from her rock star beau and the little-known family traditions that make every Christmas magical and memorable. ‘Rod got me a white Bentley one Christmas’ Penny, what would we find if we dropped in on your house on Christmas Eve? Last-minute wrapping,…

WOW DRESSES Sequins, embellishment, velvet, silky pleats and jewel tones instantly elevate a party dress. But standout style is about more than sparkle – make sure your dress suits the occasion. Whether you’ll be dancing all night, sitting down to dinner or sipping cocktails, the key is feeling just as fabulous as you look. SKIRTS THAT SHINE These sparkling staples are perfect for anyone who loves ‘high-low dressing’ – mixing formal pieces with more casual items. Let the skirt take centre stage and pair it with daytime classics such as simple knits, luxe T-shirts or a crisp white shirt. Heels will elongate your silhouette, or opt for a fitted suede boot with a delicate heel. PARTY FEET From towering heels to elegant slingbacks, a pair of statement shoes is a…

Why it’s all about balance There are two ‘C’ words that I’m going to have to mention this week. Chocolate. And Christmas. Actually, not just chocolate, but the vast volumes of food (often sugary and ultra-processed), piled high all around and winking at us from their gaudy packaging. Temptation, traps and enticement everywhere you turn, all season. But, sisters, this is where our sense of balance comes in, because if you’ve been reading this column for a while (or if you’ve ever done my 28-day Blast Plan) you will know that chocolate is not just for Christmas and special occasions, but part of our everyday lives. If we normalise it so that it’s less of a novelty, then when the festive excesses do land at our feet, we can be…

Party-proof your tummy Planning ahead can help mitigate the damage that the ‘season of excess’ can so often bring to your digestive system Late nights, rich foods, extra stress and excess booze can play havoc at this time of year – leaving you feeling bloated, queasy and uncomfortable. They can also wipe out your healthy gut microbiome, meaning the effects will carry on long after the tinsel has been thrown back into the loft. If you’re likely to be rushing about, it’s important to ensure you never arrive at a party absolutely starving. Having a balanced and nutrient-dense snack beforehand (or even en route) can mean you are less likely to overindulge in rich, over-processed party foods or start drinking alcohol on an empty stomach. The latter can not only…

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ON THE BOX IN 2025 Can you remember all the top TV you watched this year? 1 Who played troubled teenager Jamie Miller in the memorable Netflix series Adolescence? 2 Who became the first drag queen to appear on Strictly Come Dancing? 3 What is the name of James Norton’s character in the historical drama House of Guinness? 4 In Series 3 of The Traitors was it the Faithfuls or the Traitors who took home the trophy? 5 Which Loose Women panellist made her debut as a presenter on This Morning in the summer? 6 Who won this year’s edition of Britain’s Got Talent? 7 ITV announced major cuts to their daytime schedule – which show’s running time has been cut to 30 minutes as of next year? 8 Which…