Innehållsförteckning för Summer Special 2016 från Chat Specials

One thing guaranteed to dazzle everyone, as we welcome in summer, is a super-fit bod. Rhiannon on p36 is in pole position in the fitness stakes. Suffering from skin complaint psoriasis, instead of covering up, she boosted her confidence by pole-dancing! Meanwhile, lucky Dawn (p20) certainly had fun shedding 8st in just five months, on a three-times-a-day diet of sex! If cracking crime stories are your thing, you’ll be in awe of Penny (p4). Her violent ex shot her three times, then hacked at her with a machete. But the brave mum survived – amazing! Another incredible survivor is Ran (p8). Born without a nose and with a hole in her skull, by 16, after 20 ops, she had a zipper-like scar across her head There’s also great summer fashion,…

A lot of lolly! Orange Juice Lollies, £1 for six, Asda For a refreshing taste of summer these orange juice lollies really hit the spot! They’re tangy but not sour and would be perfect for sitting in the garden with! Cherryade Lemonade And Cola Lollies, £1 for eight, Tesco If you love a fizzy drink, these icy treats are the ones for you! They come in three flavours: cherryade, cola and lemonade. The cherryade ones are particularly tasty! Sprinkle Top Ice Lollies, £1 for eight, SainsburyÕs For an icy treat with a shot of chocolate and sprinkles too, these are perfect! They’re not too big so won’t ruin your dinner and creamy vanilla goes perfectly with fruity strawberry! Lemon & Liquorice Ice Lollies, £1.50 for six, Iceland This wins the…

1 You invite your pal over for dinner, she… a Asks if you can make pink food to go with the bottle of rosŽ she’s bringing over b Asks if she can bring her drippy Aunt Nora, as she needs to get a visit with her out of the way soon c Reminds you she only eats organic food that’s been sourced within a half-mile radius d Says she’ll come round but only if you make her a really big cake 2 You're taking your naughty niece and nephew to the park and bump into your mate. She… a Takes one look at their messy paws, another at her pristine outfit and backs away b Suggests they play with her kids, then leaves you in charge c Tells you off…

Swaddled in a blanket, my new baby let out a tiny cry as I held her in my arms for the first time. ‘Hello Zee,’ I whispered in delight, trying to take in all her features. Standing next to me, my hubby, Inocent, was the same, unable to take his eyes off our little girl. ‘She’s gorgeous’ he said, tears of joy welling up. But one fateful day, five months later, there were tears of a different kind. Out of the blue, our baby suddenly passed out. ‘Wake up, Zee, wake up,’ I cried, panicking. She came round – but then it happened again. ‘Oh my god, quick,’ I shouted to Inocent, 32, picking up our limp baby and rushing out to the car. ‘We’ve got to get her to…

Determined, I wouldn’t let my condition hold me back Grasping the smooth metal pole with both hands, I lifted my legs high above my head. Adrenaline pumped through me, like the beat from the speakers, as I performed my routine. Pole-dancing had been my passion for five years. It gave me such a buzz, but life hadn’t always been so thrilling. For as long as I could remember, I’d had the nasty skin condition psoriasis – not that it stopped me from stripping down! From about 9, I’d been plagued with red lesions and silver scales. Starting out on my ears and scalp, over time it had spread across most of my body. Worst of all, it was on my face. Psoriasis affected others in my family too, like Grandad.…

Little problem? QA scan found I've got two small ovarian cysts. Will they stop me conceiving? Milly, 28 A Small ‘functional’ ovarian cysts can be a part of a woman’s cycle. This is very different to a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), where cysts are more persistent, and hormonal factors can affect women getting pregnant. STD danger QI caught herpes a decade ago. I've heard it's risky for babies. I'm pregnant - should I be worried? Sian, 38 A Herpes is very common, and normally only a concern if caught during later stages of pregnancy. Rarely, recurrent active infections at the time of delivery can also be a problem. Speak to your doctor if you have concerns. My multiple miscarriages... QI've had three miscarriages. I'm desperate to get pregnant…

Three hours at the gym became a daily routine Tucking into a yummy plate of baked chicken, leafy greens and lots of colourful vegetables, I gave a contented sigh. ‘I’m going to miss this when I’m at university,’ I laughed. My mum Sheila was such a great cook, always encouraging us to eat healthily. No crisps, biscuits and naughty treats for us – she constantly had our fridge filled with veg and ripe fruit. When I started at Leeds Metropolitan University, I was terrified my diet would go to pot. If my friends’ hangover cures were anything to go by, it wasn’t surprising! They’d follow nights of binge-drinking with pizza, washed down with coke. I resisted following suit. But, when we decided to take a summer trip to Majorca, I…

It took me around seven hours to complete a design Picking up a sponge, I dabbed it in some red paint, then put it on my face. Today I planned to be Spider-man! Sure, it sounded strange – a 35-year-old woman face-painting herself to look like a superhero. It was more common to see kids being transformed into witches, lions and fairies… But I had a knack for painting my own face and I couldn’t get enough of it! It had become like an addiction. In hours, I could look like anything I wanted to. I could be a wizened old hag, a lizard, or even a monster… I’d first discovered my surprising talent for face-painting back in October 2014. My son Max, 9, had asked me to paint his.…

I didn’t recognise my childhood sweetheart any more Walking to school with Brad Waldroup, I felt like the luckiest girl in the world. At lunchtime, the other girls in the playground looked on enviously. They had no chance – Brad was all mine. We were only 13, but I was already dreaming of our wedding. And five years later, it became a reality, when we walked down the aisle. ‘I do,’ I whispered, staring into my new husband’s eyes. Young and näive, I thought it’d be forever. Falling pregnant soon after, our happiness was complete. ‘How about Chelsea if it’s a girl,’ I suggested, as we sat on the sofa discussing names. ‘Yeah, I like that,’ he replied, stroking my bump. But, at eight months pregnant, our bubble burst. It…

My legs were like jelly as he held the blade inches from my throat Handing over a drink at the bar, Peter Drummond, 62, winked. I was flattered. Men hadn’t flirted with me in years. Divorced 20 years ago, I had my three kids – Barry, now 36, Samantha, 32, and Ben, 19. My job as a cleaner at The Albert pub, Spotland Road, kept me busy. I’d made loads of friends there, though, including Peter, the landlord. One afternoon in May 2004, spotting me waiting at my bus stop, Peter pulled over... ‘Can I take you for a meal tonight?’ he asked. I didn’t realise then, but he meant as a date. Then, in July, I threw a birthday bash at the pub for my mum Edna’s 63rd. Peter…

Mostly As: Fashion doll Appearance is everything to your mate – whether that’s pouting for a selfie or spending all her wages on a new outfit. But while she’s exciting to be around, she’s not the kind of friend to ask you how you are and in fact, you’re not actually sure you know the real her! Mostly Bs: Voodoo doll She’s kind, lovely and a good friend – that is until she uses you to do her dirty work... Whether she drops you in it by putting the blame for her errors on you or she just doesn’t think about consequences, spending time with her is a risky business! Mostly Cs: China doll If there was one word that describes your mate it’s ‘delicate’. She may well be made…

As I watched my hubby Andre, 42, penning some lyrics to a rap he was working on, I smiled. He was so passionate about his music, and that’s what I loved about him. In the music world, he went by the name of Christ Bearer, performing as part of Northstar, a rap duo. We’d met at a friend’s party when I was 23. Soon an item, we married in 2011. And, a year later, our daughter, Lana, was born. Andre’s career was on the up. But that meant he was always on the road, touring. Although I wished we saw more of him, I’d known what I was signing up to. But by June 2013, Andre was spending every waking hour in the recording studio. Even when he was at…

You run out with a pound for a 99 from the ice-cream van, only to find it's £2.50! You’ve just put lotion on and a kid throws sand all over you Your aftersun explodes all over your bag It’s your one day off and guess when the sun stops shining and storms arrive! Someone steps on your heel when you're wearing flip-flops. Ouch! You only get a sip of your expensive cocktail before a fly lands in it You get your summer wardrobe from the loft, but a moth beat you to it The only seat on the bus is next to a sweaty topless man! You spend ages making a picnic, but the kids say they want chips! You’re invited to a barbecue and get put in charge of…

Technic Bronze Goddess Bronzing Powder With Brush, £3.99, Fragrance Direct Collection #BlushAndGlow Blush Palette, £4.99, Boots W7 Chunky Bronzer Pan Stick Hawaiian Bronze 7g, £4.95, W7 Sunkissed Dusting Brush, £1.99, Fragrance Direct Miss Beauty London No.2 L.A. Glow, £1, Poundworld Sunkissed Giant Bronzer Medium 28g, £2.99, Fragrance Direct W7 Bronze Queen Fantasy Bronze 7 Colour Eyeshadow Palette, £3.95, www. justmylook.co.uk George Queen Bee Bronzer Nectar Shimmer, £4, ASDA Technic Baked Hearts Bronzer, £4, www.lovethy  makeup.com Collection Gorgeous Glow 2, £4.19, Superdrug W7 Africa Bronzing Face Powder, £4.45, Cosmetic Co Sunkissed Bronzing Rocks 50g, £3.99, Fragrance Direct Solait Self Tan Wipes, £1.45, Superdrug Technic Mega Bronze Quad Bronzing Compact 20g, £2.99, www. lovethymakeup.com Collection Bronze Glow Matt Terracotta, £2.99, Superdrug…

Tests came back clear, and medics were baffled Staring in awe, my two little girls Maisy and Matilda were thrilled to meet their new sister for the first time. And soon, my husband Simon and I couldn’t believe what a perfect baby Isabelle was either. Happy and content, she’d sleep through the night and didn’t cry. But from 2 months old, we got the first signs that things weren’t right. She started flicking her ankles out continuously, and was late sitting up, but doctors told us not to worry. She also started pulling funny faces and never showed any interest in playing with toys. Then, just after her first birthday, Isabelle stopped babbling ‘Daddy’ – the only word she ever tried to say. Over the next few months, she stopped…

Alexis Rasmussen – Lexie to her friends and family – was like any other 16-year-old. She was trying to find her way in the world... She loved her siblings and adored her best friend. And the teen babysat for Eric and Dea Millerberg – a local couple in her hometown of North Ogden, Utah – who had two young kids. On 10 September 2011, Lexie went to the Millerbergs’ to babysit. Until 11.30pm that night, Lexie had been in contact with her mum, Dawn Miera. She asked if she could stay overnight at the Millerbergs’. Believing the couple wouldn’t be back home till late, Dawn had said yes. It was a decision she’d no doubt live to regret… Because next morning, Lexie didn’t arrive home. Dawn began to panic. She…

Aries 21 Mar - 20 April Your communications can take on a new silky vibe and this can see you being particularly impressive in any negotiations or in terms of increasing your level of charm when it comes to romance. Your imagination also continues to be strong but this needs to be balanced against the things that are workable. • Call 0905 817 1760* for more. Taurus 21 Apr - 21 May Your guide planet Venus is set to be highly influential this month. Your love of the good things in life is definitely going to be accentuated. Just be careful in week one however, when you could overindulge in a way which is not so good for you. Anything to do with learning new skills is really well positioned.…

FILM AND TV 1 Which actor is playing the role of Time in the new film sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass?a Sacha Baron Cohenb Johnny Deppc Ben Kingsleyd Chriatian Bale 2 Kevin Simm was the winner of this year’s series of The Voice – which of the show’s coaches was his mentor?a Paloma Faithb will.i.amc Ricky Wilsond Boy George 3 New film Love & Friendship, starring Kate Beckinsale, is based on which work by Jane Austen?a Persuasionb Sanditonc The Watsonsd Lady Susan 4 Which celebrity chef was the host of the TV show Bake Off: Crème de la Crème?a Tom Kerridgeb James Martinc Marco Pierre Whited Antony Worrall Thompson 5 Who directed the films Marnie and North by Northwest?a Richard Attenboroughb David Lynchc Blake Edwardsd Alfred Hitchcock 6 What…

To do… What better way to while away a summer's day then heading to a village fete? If you're near Witcham, Cambridgeshire, try your luck at the World Pea Shooting Championships on the Village Green, 9 July. To buy… If you’re packing for your summer hols, don’t forget this! It’s the perfect place to keep your cocktail cool... Inflatable Flamingo Drinks Holder, £15. Visit www.oliverbonas.com To watch… Warning! This is probably going to be the cutest thing you'll see all year - a baby otter lying on his mum as they swim around the pool. She even kisses the little one's head. See www. youtube.com/watch?v=  de6uTMEiZf0…

Surgeons had peeled back the skin on my face Seeing my reflection in the mirror, I wondered for the umpteenth time why I looked so different. ‘Why is it there?’ I asked my mum Patty, 56, as I stared at the bony ridge running down the front of my face. For years, I’d been in and out of hospital for appointments and operations. ‘Don’t worry, darling,’ she’d tell me as a child. ‘Everyone has surgery on their nose.’ But now, as a teenager, I didn’t really believe that. And I was curious to know what had happened for me to go under the knife so many times. I needed the fingers on both hands to count the number of procedures I’d undergone. ‘OK,’ she started, pausing to take a breath.…

‘I’ve lost a stone! Must be all the sex we’re having’ Friday night and I was getting ready for my date. Some women would be shaving their legs and slathering on body lotion, ironing their slinkiest dress... Me? I was pulling on some jogging bottoms. Why? Because my date was a 12-bag multipack of ready salted crisps! Sitting on the settee with my laptop, I’d munch the whole lot. But the truth was, I wasn’t eating because I loved the taste of the crisps. It was because I was fed up and lonely. At 5ft 5in tall, I’d ballooned to 20st and was a size 20. And though I’d once been bubbly and sociable, I’d stopped going out as much. I couldn’t bear to go to bars with my slender…

Dad loved the Shish Mahal, ate there at least three times a week Why are dads so difficult to buy for? It was December 2013, and I was struggling to think of a good Christmas pressie to get for mine, Norman, 66. Every year I got him the usual dad things – whisky, socks, ties… ‘It’s all a bit boring,’ I moaned to my mum June, 62. But I needn’t have fretted. Two weeks on, I was scrolling through Facebook, when I saw a post from our local curry house, the Shish Mahal. We're offering free curries for a year to anyone who gets a tattoo of our restaurant's logo, the post read. That was it! Dad loved the Shish Mahal, ate there at least three times a week and…

PEEKABOOPUSS When the zip feels so good to rub against, you know you’re not going to be allowed to close it! SUITSYOU? From the look in his eyes, this cat must be a bit of a head case TWO CUTE... Ready for a gals-on-tour holiday?! This pair are! CATINAFLAP He knows you’re about to take him out but he’s hanging on for dear life IT’S NOTFUR! Do you have a slightly bigger bag ? This moggy nee ds more spa ce FELINETIRED You just washed your holiday wardrobe, now there’s cat hair today and you’re gone tomorrow!…

A BLISSFUL TIME Where? Blissfields, Vicarage Farm, Near Winchester When? 1-2 July What? The theme for tree-lined festival Blissfields this year is ‘House Party’, meaning mixtape music events, slumber parties and quirky art installations. Potter about the dedicated family area, Angel Gardens, or drop the kids off for the whole day while you catch the live music – rapper Dizzee Rascal is headlining. Little ones can get stuck into waterless duck racing, tug of war, arts and crafts, even yoga. How much? Day tickets: from £20; under 10s: free • Visit www.blissfields.co.uk BERRY EXCITING Where? Strawberry Fair!, Midsummer Common, Cambridge When? 4 June What? A mish-mash of performing arts and live music, Cambridge’s hippy-ish Strawberry Fair on the banks of the River Cam always marks the start of summer. Tuck…

‘If I have to live with you again, I’m going to kill you’ Chaos erupted in the delivery suite. My daughter Nikki had just given birth to my first grandchild, Tasmiyah. But then… ‘There’s another baby!’ the midwife yelled. ‘Twins?’ Nikki cried. Just minutes later, my second grandchild, Jasmiyah arrived. Jas and Tas – a pair of identical, beautiful girls. And a complete shock! Nikki, real name Jarmecca, had fallen pregnant at 18. The dad wasn’t around. It didn’t matter, Nikki had all the support she needed. She and the twins moved in with my mother, Della. I visited them and enjoyed all the usual grandma duties – changing nappies, cuddles. The girls grew into sweet, innocent little angels. Bright and bubbly, they’d run home after school, waving report cards.…

Dr Ralph Rogers is medical director at the London Sports Injury Clinic, a consultant in sports medicine and a medical adviser to the NBA FOOT BAWL Athlete's foot is a nasty foot fungus that is very infectious. The telltale signs are red raw or white flaky skin around the toes. It often comes from long distance runners wearing damp, grubby socks for a long time during a run, but it's increasingly common away from athletics. 'It's foot hygiene, essentially,' says Dr Ralph. 'Don't walk around barefoot in a changing room and after you've taken a shower, dry really well.' If you are suffering from athlete's foot, anti-fungal creams are available at pharmacies. The skin should be washed and dried before cream is applied, but make sure you wash your hands…

Chicken Shaslick Serves 4 You’ll need… 4 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks 8 small shallots, peeled and halved (or quartered if large) 2 tbsp olive oil 4 tsp honey 1 tsp cumin 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 butterhead lettuce 1 avocado ¼ cucumber 12 cherry tomatoes ½ lemon 4 flatbreads How to do it… 1 Put the chicken chunks and shallots into a bowl and drizzle with half the oil, honey, cumin and garlic. Toss well and leave to marinate for 20 minutes. 2 If you're using wooden kebab sticks, soak them in water and light the BBQ. Shred the lettuce, slice the avocado and cucumber and halve the tomatoes. 3 Make the dressing by combining the lemon juice with the remaining oil and season. 4 Thread the meat…

Yes, Australia might have the Great Barrier Reef where you can snorkel with brightly coloured fish and majestic turtles in beautiful blue waters. But you can’t go bog snorkelling like you can in Wales, can you?! You can’t enter the World Alternative Games Down Under either. So I packed my flippers, made sure my sense of humour was firmly intact and headed off to the Cambrian mountains. How to get there? Getting to little Llanwrtyd Wells, which prides itself on being the smallest town in Britain and home to the World Alternative Games, can be an adventure in itself! By train, you just have to board the Heart of Wales Railway for just under two hours coming from Swansea in the south, or a similar time from Shrewsbury in the…

THAT’S SO LOO-PY This story’s far from bog standard, but it’s true... A woman in America managed to get stuck on her toilet – for two years… That’s right, two years! The details are sketchy, but the woman went in one day and simply didn’t come out. As the sheriff reported when they found her, she was not glued or tied to the pan, ‘just physically stuck by her body. Over time, her skin had grown around the toilet seat. The woman’s boyfriend had brought her food and water over the years, and apparently told the police he’d asked her every day to come out, but she’d refused. Finally, he called the emergency services and despite her saying that she was fine, the toilet seat was prised off from the…