Innehållsförteckning för January 2026 från Chat Specials

Welcome to the January issue of Chat Monthly, just what you need to get you through the gloomiest month of the year. We’ve got quality fashion picks that will truly stand the test of time (p8), three recipes perfect for a lazy weekend (p46) and cheerful homeware buys from just £1 (p34). And, of course, the shocking, heartwarming and funny true-life stories you love. Gemma shares how a breaking up with a brekkie fave helped her lose a whopping 5st (p26). Jennifer’s hooked on a different kind of food. But she’s not interested in eating the cheese, she tells the future with it… (p66). And don’t mess with twins Madison and Christine. Plagued by a creepy stalker, they came together to make him pay (p36). There are tons more stories…

Dawn Nunn, 67 Lying on the hospital bed, I looked up in terror at the doctors and midwives bustling around me. ‘What’s happening?’ I trembled, clutching my bump. It was March 1974 and I was 29 weeks pregnant. Just 16, I was a single mum-to-be, and all alone. I’d been admitted to hospital with dehydration. Now, two days later, while still in hospital, I’d felt a gush of water down below… My waters had broken. Far too early and I was completely terrified. ‘Please,’ I begged a midwife. ‘My baby…’ ‘Just be quiet and let nature take its course,’ she snapped. So upsetting. A few hours later, at lunchtime, I gave birth to my little boy. Jason. Despite the shock and the pain I was in, I listened carefully for…

Knives out After making place mats for our static caravan, my clever niece Cheryl had leftover waterproof fabric. She didn’t like the idea of flies in contact with knives and forks when eating outside, so she crafted some matching cutlery pockets to keep them covered. Chris Hanson, Gillingham, Kent Going bananas If you’d like to attract butterflies to your garden, hang up an overripe banana with a couple of slits cut into the skin somewhere in your garden. Anna Heslop, Dunfermline, Fife Eggcellent idea! On a road trip through France, we fancied boiled eggs for breakfast, but couldn’t find any egg cups. So we cut up the cardboard egg box and used that instead. Sue Cotson, Cottingham Forget me not After my husband’s nan Joyce sadly passed away, we rescued…

Saucy dreams about my mate Q I’ve been friends with a guy I work with for about six years. We’re both married and we’ve always been just mates. But lately, I keep having raunchy dreams about him. It makes me feel really weird after and I can’t tell if there’s anything more to it. I don’t even fancy the bloke! But should I stop being friends with him? Gina, 34 A Calm down, pet! Dreams are not reality. Your brain simply makes things up when you’re asleep. After all, if you dream that all your teeth fall out, they’re still there when you brush ’em in the morning! Don’t end your friendship over this, especially as it’s platonic. It’s fine to take some distance to reset your brain. But it’s…

Jo Arnold, 51, Mitcham, south London Waddling down the supermarket aisle, I tripped over a crate. ‘Oops,’ I said, checking if anyone saw. Luckily no one had – sparing my blushes. It was September 2014 and I’d worked at the supermarket for the past year as a supervisor. But for the past couple of weeks, I’d been bumping into things. Later that day, a colleague stopped me. ‘Are you OK?’ she asked. ‘You’re walking funny.’ Was I? Back home, I opened up to my husband Darren, then 44. ‘See what the doctor says,’ he suggested. My GP referred me to a neurologist, who noticed I couldn’t feel certain points in my legs and feet. In January 2015, an MRI revealed compression of the vertebrae in my neck. ‘It’s as if…

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Top tip If you don’t have maple syrup, treacle or honey make good alternatives. Maple gammon, eggs and rösti Similar to hash browns, these potato rösti will make a tasty upgrade to your usual bacon and eggs. SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 35 mins ● 4 medium potatoes, peeled● 1tbsp olive oil, plus 1tbsp for the gammon● 1tbsp butter● 4 x 200g gammon steaks● 2tbsp maple syrup● 4 medium eggs● Watercress, to serve 1 For the rösti, add the potatoes to boiling water and cook for 6 mins. Drain and grate coarsely once cool enough to handle. Season well. Add half the oil and butter to a large frying pan, add the potato in 4 littlecircles and cook for 10mins, until crisp. Flip on to a plate. Add the…

Siân Morgan, 39, Cardiff Smoothing pink gloop on my cheeks, my hair in rollers, I grinned at my daughter Keely, 12, who was sporting an identical look. ‘Our skin will be so soft after these face masks, Mum, and wait until we unwrap our curls tomorrow morning,’ she giggled. Back in her room, we snuggled on her bed and switched on her favourite TV show, The Vampire Diaries. Then someone knocked gently on the door. ‘Looks like a fun, girly evening,’ a nurse smiled, checking the tubes and monitors around Keely’s bed. It was July 2020 and we were in hospital. Two weeks earlier, Keely had fallen ill with agonising stomach aches. Hospital tests had revealed kidney failure. Docs had linked it to her low birth weight, as she’d been…

Feeling optimistic, ‘beautiful and intelligent’ Molly McLaren, 23, swiped right on her Tinder match. It was November 2016. Molly, a high-flying sports health student at the University of Kent, was predicted to achieve a first class degree. She hadn’t had many serious boyfriends. But, after browsing profiles on the dating app, she liked the look of Joshua Stimpson, a double glazing salesman. The pair chatted online for quite a while, getting to know one another. Then they arranged a first date. And soon, they were in a relationship. As the weeks went by, Molly introduced her new boyfriend to her parents, Doug and Joanne. They welcomed the ‘quiet’ young man into their home in Chatham, Kent. He was clearly besotted with their daughter. Joanne noticed that Joshua would lie on…

Tina Davis, 57 Standing in my living room, I watched my husband Ronnie’s face drop as I spoke. ‘I want a divorce,’ I told him again. It was February 2018, we’d been separated for ages. Sure, once we’d been happy. Friends as teens, we’d lost touch then bumped into each other in the gym years later. Divorced, with two sons, Mark, then 17, and Mason, 14, romance hadn’t been on my agenda. But we fell in love. After marrying in November 2007, everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t. After we began arguing over everything, we’d decided to have a trial separation and Ronnie had moved out. That was 18 months ago. I’d enjoyed seeing friends more, spending time with Mark, then 28 and Mason, 24, and their families. There’d been…

Reenaye Starr, 44 On my social media feed, I looked at the stream of slim models and rolled my eyes. I loved following fashion accounts but why was there no one who looked like me? It was 2005 and, aged 24, I weighed 19st 9lb. But that didn’t mean I didn’t like to look nice and sexy. But then a pic popped up of a plus-size model, scantily clad in underwear. It made me wonder… I hadn’t always been fat, though at 12st in secondary school, I was bigger than my mates. Starting on birth control in my late teens saw me gain 8st in a year. By 18, I was a size 24, but never ashamed of it. So now, it was thrilling to think people wanted to see…

Norma Caraker loved her job as a waitress. Her husband Tom had been mayor of Troy, Illinois, for more than two decades. And, after Tom had died in 2018, following his battle with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Norma, 60, had remained a much-loved member of the community. Known for her generosity and kind heart, she’d donate her waitressing tips to charity. She’d even share her work schedule on Facebook, so locals could stop by at the restaurants she worked in to say hello. With three children from a previous marriage and two stepchildren, Norma also had grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Plenty of people to look out for her – including her son, Neil Howard, who, in September 2023, then 44, was living in her basement. He’d had his issues, but Norma…

Gemma Knowles, 39, Liverpool Loading the boxes on to the supermarket conveyor belt, the shop assistant raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you a big fan?’ she laughed, scanning through six boxes of honey nut cornflakes. I grinned. ‘Blame the baby,’ I giggled, patting my bump. It was January 2018 and I was six months pregnant with my first child. And my cravings had well and truly set in. I couldn’t get enough of the sweet, sugary cereal. I’d demolish six bowls of the stuff with full-fat milk every day. ‘It’s got loads of added vitamins,’ I reasoned to my hubby Nicholas, then 28. Before falling pregnant I’d been a svelte size 12. And even though I knew I’d put on a bit of baby weight, I wasn’t worried. After all, it…

Smelly belly Q My belly button stinks and recently started feeling wet. How do I clean it? Claire, Bristol A Keeping your belly button clean is essential for preventing infections. To clean it, use warm water and mild soap with a clean cloth or cotton swab to remove dirt from the inside and outside. If you notice a bad smell or discharge, use a mix of hydrogen peroxide (from a pharmacy) and water to disinfect the area, then rinse and dry it. Avoid strong or perfumed products because they can irritate the skin around your belly button. If it still smells bad or there’s wetness, pain, redness, swelling or discharge from your belly button – even after regular cleaning – see your doctor. He’s so noisy at night Q My husband…

Madison Conradis, 36, Florida, USA Relaxing at home, I typed out a message to my twin sister Christine. What you up to? It was 2013, and I was a student, working part-time in a hotel. I was a grafter, just like Christine, who was training to be a lawyer. More than just my twin, she was my bestie. I was a tomboy, while Christine was more girly. But we had so much in common, and we were really close. Now, Christine lived a few hours’ drive away, but we talked every day. And we were constantly messaging, like now. But mid catch-up, my phone pinged with a Facebook message from an old school friend. There’s some photos of you online, it read. I clicked the link he’d sent to a…

Enjoying drinks with his co-workers in a local bar, it was clear that Matthew Dunmire, 31, was excited. It was March 2021, and despite being in a relationship, Matthew had told work pals he was meeting a woman that weekend. A sultry brunette who went by the name of Sabrina Savage online. She had an OnlyFans page, where she modelled in sexy lingerie, showing off her piercings and tattoos for paid subscribers to her site. And she and Matthew had history. Sabrina’s real name was Chelsea Perkins, and the pair had gone to school together. A month earlier, Chelsea, then 31, had been scrolling through Facebook when she’d seen Matthew’s profile pop up. They’d reconnected and arranged to meet. But Chelsea wasn’t lusting after Matthew. She had other plans. Because…

What Have I Done? by Ben Elton (£25, HB, Pan Macmillan) Decades in the making, this veteran comedian’s autobiography won’t disappoint his army of loyal fans. Answering the title question ‘What have I done?’ he takes a deep dive into his past to reveal the stories behind The Young Ones, Blackadder and his stand-up career, as well as his Catford childhood and receiving a late-in-life BAFTA. Expect uncensored tales of brilliant friends, a few foes and an entertaining recount of the times in which they’ve all lived. Drinking The World by Victoria Brzezinski and Bert Blaize (£22, HB, HarperCollins) Not sure where to head off to on your next break? This food and drink-themed travel guide is sure to inspire. Each chapter covers a wine-producing region – from Armenia to…

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In February 2025, Neil Howard, 46, was found guilty of murdering his mother Norma Caraker, 60. ‘A young man taking it upon himself to kill his own mother in her own bed is one of the worst kinds of crimes,’ said state attorney Tom Haine. But the defence insisted that the jury had got the verdict wrong. ‘I don’t argue things that I don’t believe in. I believe in this case. I believe in Neil,’ said one of his lawyers, David Fahrenkamp. In May 2025, Neil was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Yet his family remains divided over the case. His sister, Andrea Hall, believes Neil is innocent. After having told a newspaper that investigators had ‘jumped the gun’ in arresting her brother, she’d also served as a witness…

Ashleigh Greig, 37, Cleator Moor, Cumbria My daughter Cleo, 6, marched around the garden with her watering can, leaving no flower or shrub safe from a soaking. ‘Good job,’ I told her. It was March 2024 and Cleo loved helping me and her grandad Alan, then 62, in the garden. Then suddenly, she started jumping about excitedly. ‘Look Mummy! A bumble bee!’ she grinned. Sure enough, a huge fuzzy bee landed on one of Cleo’s daffodils. She knew how much I loved bees, was always pointing them out to me. Even when we went shopping with her dad Jamie, 36, and brother Daley, 9, she’d spot things with a picture of a bee on them. Mugs, cushions, trinkets… ‘Mummy, you need to buy it,’ she’d say. And most of the…

1 Improves heart health Walking is a great cardiovascular exercise. ‘This is because it lowers your blood pressure and improves blood circulation and cholesterol levels – all of which can help reduce your risk of heart disease,’ says personal trainer Steve Ahern*. Start with a daily a 30-minute stroll and gradually increase the pace to a brisk walk – you’ll know you’re walking fast enough if you can talk, but not sing the words to a song. 2 Reduces cancer risk Women who walk after menopause lower their risk of breast cancer – even if they do no other form of exercise – according to research by the American Cancer Society. Walking for at least an hour a day cuts the risk by 14%, possibly because it regulates levels of hormones that…

Style extenders Washing your hair every day can strip away its natural oils and cause your colour to fade faster. To keep your hair moisturised and your dye fresh, try washing just twice a week. For those in-between days when hair feels a bit greasy, use a dry shampoo to soak up excess oil and give slack strands a bit of bounce. Arkive The Reset Future Bloom Dry Shampoo, £14, Boots, and Batiste Naturally Plant Powered Dry Shampoo with Bamboo Fibre & Gardenia, £4.25, Superdrug, both smell beautiful. Curl carers Curly hair? To put a spring in your spirals, it’ll need some TLC. Brimming with nourishing shea butter and marula oil, Only Curls Hydrating Curl Creme, £18, Boots, is just the thing for hair that’s feeling a bit crispy this…

Caryn de Nocker, 46, Maidstone Running out of the door of our local village hall in her brown and yellow uniform, my daughter Hermione, then 7, was beaming widely. ‘Look, Mum!’ she said, proud as punch, holding out her very first Brownie badge for me to see. It was spring 2023, and going to Brownies on a Friday evening was Hermione’s favourite time of the week. Along with swimming, tap and ballet, she had a hectic schedule. Me and her dad Rory, then 43, could hardly keep up! But with so much energy, Hermione loved every minute. Amazing, because life hadn’t been easy for her. Diagnosed with a heart murmur at birth in July 2015, from 17 months she suffered frequent seizures. Some lasted as long as two hours and,…