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Masterchef star Christine McGuinness confirmed during an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women that she’s moved on from her TV star husband Paddy McGuinness following their marriage breakdown

Christine McGuinness has confirmed “I am dating again” as she took to the stage on Loose Women.

The MasterChef contestant, 36, was delving into her time on the BBC cooking competition on Tuesday’s ITV daytime show when talk turned to her love life and if she’d finally moved on after her marriage breakdown to funnyman Paddy McGuinness.

She had been chatting about her inability to cook and that she’d hoped taking to the famous BBC kitchen could spur her to be more adventurous when it comes to food. It just so happened that talk averted from cooking to romance.

Coleen said: “You seem to be really moving forward and really pushing yourself, do you think now that you’re in a place where you may be ready to start dating again?”

Christine was all smiles as she spoke about her new romance

Christine responded with a huge smile on her face: “I am dating,” as the audience and panel gasped. The former Miss Liverpool model added: “I am dating with terms and conditions that I am not cooking, that’s the number one rule, I’m not doing the cooking it’s not for me.”

Paddy’s ex also opened up on the show about her struggles with food throughout her life because of her autism diagnosis and having suffered an eating disorder in the past.

Christine stepped out of her comfort zone appearing on MasterChef
She confessed to the panel that she would often eat in her car away from people as that felt more comfortable.

Speaking about how romantic dinners would now fit in with her life, she explained: “Yeah, I’m dating and it’s all a bit brand new and we spoke an awful lot before we had a first date and I was very open and said I don’t want to go to a restaurant and I don’t want to go on a dinner date.”

Christine has set boundaries with her new love interest

The mum-of-three recalled a conversation with her new love interest: She told them: “‘I don’t know when I’m going to sit and eat with you’.” Christine went on to tell the panel that it was “exciting” as she shut down the conversation.

Back in 2022, Christine and the Take Me Out star rocked the nation when they took to social media to announce they were parting ways after 11 years of marriage. The pair who share three children together – 10-year-old twins Penelope and Leo, and seven-year-old Felicity – shared a joint statement to confirm their marriage was over.

Since then, Paddy and Christine have been living in the same house as they attempt to co-parent their brood without too much disruption, due to their autism diagnosis. The pair have since spoken about co-living has worked out.

Due to their love for one another, it had been speculated and hoped that the married couple would rekindle and get back together, but given Christine’s declaration on Loose Women, it appears that won’t be the case.

The model turned reality star didn’t say too much about her love interest but did confirm she had indeed moved on. Given the beaming smile across her face, she appeared to be incredibly happy.

Loose Women airs on ITV1 weekdays from 12:30pm.

Loose Women star Kaye Adams became the first contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing, when she took part in the show two years ago.

After finding herself in the dreaded dance-off, Loose Women star Kaye Adams became the first contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing, when she took part in the show two years ago.

But while she has no regrets about her experience, the presenter admits that it has put her off signing up for any similar shows in the future.

“I just don’t know if I’m desperate to be judged again in that way,” Kaye reflects. “You could go in the jungle, you could try your level best, do everything, but you’re voted out first for whatever reason and you just feel like a loser. I don’t think I need that in my life.”

Kaye entered Strictly in 2022, dancing with Kai Widdrington. The BBC1 show has come under fire recently with allegations of bullying and complaints of abusive behaviour. But while Kaye acknowledges she found her Strictly experience bruising, she blames her own naivety, not the show and certainly not dance partner Kai.

Kaye Adams admitted she has been put off from signing up to similar shows in the future ( 
Image:
PA)

“Kai was an absolute gentleman from start to finish. I was so pleased to be paired with him and I couldn’t have asked any more of him,” she says firmly.

“I met some wonderful people on Strictly. That was the joy of it. But it is a tough show, which is very difficult for viewers to understand, because of course it just looks like the most enormous fun and sparkles and glitter.

“It is all of that, but emotionally you do have to put yourself on the line. That’s nobody’s fault, but that’s what it requires. Some people sail through that and respond to it in the most positive way and for other people it can be a bit destabilising. I found it a bit destabilising. But that’s me, that’s not the show or the way I was treated.”

Kaye, who danced a Tango and a Charleston, said at the time that she hoped Strictly would turn her into the sort of person who would jump up to dance at a wedding. But she confesses that hasn’t happened.

“I haven’t undergone some amazing transformation – I’m still the same old klutz that I was ten, twenty or thirty years ago,” she laughs. “I guess what was just accentuated for me on Strictly was that I am a bit uptight about dancing in public.

“In retrospect, it was probably naïve to think that you would go on a television show, where you are exposed to a massive audience, and suddenly you would turn into a different personality. That was a ridiculous idea and so it proved to be, but I’m not in therapy, it’s all good!”

Yet while Kaye won’t be lining up to take part in I’m a Celebrity, there is one show she would still love to try. “Celebrity Race Across the World is great,” she enthuses. “With that show there isn’t a vote – you either are or you aren’t the loser, so I’d love to do that.

“Especially if I could do it with one of my kids, because I think I’d win. Well, they would win and I would just go along for the ride!”

Kaye, 61, lives in Glasgow with her tennis coach partner Ian and the couple have two daughters, Charly, 22 and Bonnie, 17. She hosts a daily show on BBC Radio Scotland, and has her own successful podcast How to be 60, but is best known as one of the main presenters on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women.

The show marks its 25th anniversary next month and Kaye has been with it from the start having anchored the very first show in 1999. She was 36 at the time and having been told the job would just be for a month admits she could never have imagined it lasting so long.

“God no,” she exclaims. It was a very untested format – so, it’s four women. Right ok, what do we do? Well, you just sit and talk for an hour. We were thinking: ‘really? well, what do we talk about?’

“It just felt very woolly, so I certainly wasn’t putting any great store by it and we had absolutely no notion of how it would go down with the audience – we were completely aware that it might just divebomb.”

Kaye Adams became the first contestant to leave the show ( 
Image:
PA)

Kaye Adams said she felt ‘judged’ on the show ( 
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Over the years, the show has won countless awards and received a much respected BAFTA nomination earlier this year. Much has been made of backstage rows between the presenters, but Kaye insists that incidents have been greatly exaggerated. “Whether somebody works in an office or a factory and there’s a bunch of work colleagues, you will see a very similar relationship dynamic as the one that exists at Loose Women,” she explains.

“There are the ones that you click with, that you’re desperate to go for coffee with and there are the ones that you smile at and you think are nice, but you’re not that close. There’s absolutely no difference.

“Loose Women has been an enormously positive influence on my life and I’ve made some great friendships – Nadia (Sawalha) and Jane (Moore) are both good friends, who I see outside of the show.”

The panellists are known for speaking their minds and occasionally regretting what they say and while Kaye is usually careful with her words, she confesses she did cause upset in one of her early shows.

“I found the early days of motherhood really quite difficult and I obviously shared that on the programme,” she recalls.

“These things tend to get picked up and then exist on the internet forever, so when Charly was younger, she must have discovered them and she said: ‘did you really hate motherhood?’

Kaye Adams received support from her fellow Loose Women presenters ( 
Image:
BBC)“I felt awful. We discussed it and I explained that wasn’t the case, but it was a little bit of a reminder that you have to be careful.”

Away from Loose Women Kaye’s passion is her How to be 60 podcast, which has seen her interview a host of big-name stars about their thoughts on turning 60.

“It’s a handmade, low-budget production, recorded in this little attic in my house, but it’s very personal to me,” she smiles.

“Society talks a lot now about midlife and menopause and I think that is fantastic, but I think once you become post-menopausal and into your late 50s, you go into the wilderness a little bit in terms of the public conversation.

“There are a lot of people, both men and women, who actually are getting to that stage of life and thinking they’ve got an awful lot of living to do. They want to get reward and value out of these years and not just drift into the horizon and I’m really happy to be part of that conversation.”

As for her own future, Kaye is unsure how retirement will feature in her plans. “If my life isn’t as busy, I wonder if it will all feel a bit aimless,” she says candidly.

“I’m not at that stage at the moment, but I can see that might come, so I am already planning what to do, what activities I might take up and what new friends I might make, whether they like it or not!

“My partner Ian lives and breathes tennis and he would live in Spain at least for the winter. It would be a huge thing and I am kind of set in my ways, but it’s starting to make me think – could we do that, should we do that?

“Possibilities come up and you either just keep your head down and plough on, or you say: ‘this is an opportunity to do things that I’ve never done before and switch things up a little bit.’”

As for work, Kaye insists she is not as ambitious as she was when she first bounded on to the Loose Women stage 25 years ago. “I’m not as competitive as I was. People laugh when I say this, but I have mellowed!” she smiles.

“It’s not that I’ve completely given up the ghost. But having worked in television for as long as I have, I have come to realise that the most talented, successful and popular people in the world of entertainment aren’t necessarily the people that I would want to spend an evening with. Over time it’s sunk in that being the top of the tree in this very artificial world, doesn’t actually mean that much.”

Kaye Adams: How to be 60 is available on all podcast providers

Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan has lifted the lid on the moments before her sister Bernie died, revealing that Bernie broke the tension with a humorous moment as she battled cancer

Loose Women’s Coleen Nolan has revealed how her sister Bernie lightened the mood just before her tragic death from cancer aged just 52.

Coleen and Bernie were two of six sisters who formed part of the Nolans group, but tragedy struck when Bernie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. Just before she passed away in July 2013, Coleen tells the story of how the family were all sat around Bernie’s bedside as Andy Murray played in the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

TV star Coleen wrote in the Sun’s Fabulous: “She came home to die in Surrey, with her whole family at her bedside. There were songs and laughter, too.

“I remember one funny moment when we were watching Andy Murray play his semi-final match at Wimbledon – Bernie was obsessed with it.

Coleen Nolan says she struggled after her sister died ( 
Image:
ITV)

We were all shouting: ‘Bernie, he’s got through! She was heavily sedated and looked asleep.

“We started getting hysterical, assuming the worst, and began singing when suddenly, Bernie grimaced and put her hand up, almost to say: ‘Shut up!

“I went: ‘She’s still a bitch.’ We fell about laughing. Bernie was the life and soul of our family. When she died, it was as if someone had switched a light out in all of us.”

Bernie died on July 4, 2013, three days before Andy Murray won the tournament. According to Coleen, her sister started planning her funeral a month before she died.

She had the service at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, where the Nolan sisters had performed numerous times. The Loose Women star revealed that she found the years after Bernie’s death a struggle.

Bernie Nolan was just 52 when she died ( 
Image:
Julian Hamilton/Daily Mirror)
She said: “After a funeral, everyone goes back to their lives. Life goes on – that’s the hardest part. In the wake of her death, I had therapy, which was brilliant.

“I took time off work, knowing I couldn’t sit on the Loose Women panel pretending everything was fine. When you’re in the public eye, everyone wants to talk about what you’re going through.

“Strangers were giving me hugs, saying: ‘I love your sister.’ I got to the point where I thought: ‘I can’t’ I’d go into Tesco to buy milk and see news of her death all over the papers.

“I have this fear that if I think about Bernie’s death, I won’t stop crying. So whenever I start to cry, I stop myself. I hate it and it wears me out. In fact, it wasn’t until 18 months after her funeral that I cried again.”

A Hand To Hold: All I’ve Learnt About Grief by Coleen Nolan (£20, HarperCollins) is out now.

Victoria Beckham is planning to sell a host of new items away which will not be seen on the catwalk

Fashion designer Victoria Beckham is planning a range of household goods and soft furnishings,

The pop star turned catwalk queen sells £700 pairs of jeans and £3,000 dresses from her high-end VB fashion range. But now she’s looking to branch out and is eyeing kitchen wares in the shape of cutlery and crockery, plus towels, bedding and furniture under the Victoria Beckham brand.

She has just filed documents with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office to trademark her name across a range of household goods.

One class consists of: “Hand tools and implements; Cutlery; kitchen knives, and cutting implements for kitchen use; Kitchen knives; Kitchen knives (Non-electric -); Ceramic knives; Canteens of cutlery made of precious metal; Vegetable peelers, hand-operated; Vegetable slicers, corers and shredders; Vegetable spiralizers, hand-operated; Vegetable choppers.”

Another class of goods Victoria is set to start selling is: “Soft furnishings [cushions]; Furniture and furnishings; Padded furniture; Cushions; Leather furniture; Pillows; Beds, bedding, mattresses, pillows and cushions; Bean bag cushions.”

Lawyers at the department are still examining the application but once passed it will prevent bootleggers from cashing in on his fame and using the name to make money. Trademarks stay in place for a decade after being rubber stamped.

Victoria Beckham with husband David in 2023 ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)
An intellectual property lawyer explained: “Firstly, the trademark bolsters her ability to take action against third parties who may be using the relevant name in the course of trade without consent.

“The mere presence of these kinds of trademarks on the register can also act as a deterrent, where a third party is considering using the name without their consent.

“Secondly, it improves the ability to enter into agreements to commercialise the brand. By way of example, she may wish to license out the trademarks to partners and earn royalties that way.”

Victoria Beckham’s business empire is going from strength to strength and at the end of last year she picked up the Entrepreneur award at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards 2024.

She turned a corner in 2023 with her business being in profit and told the magazine: “It’s a huge accomplishment. The company has been through so much over the last 17 years – ups, downs, restructuring… It’s been quite the journey. So, finally, to be able to say we’re profitable is something I’m so proud of, because it’s not an easy industry, and it’s getting harder and harder. To be able to say that I’m selling clothes right now, when you look at how luxury is struggling…”

This year will also see former Spice Girl Victoria, 50, have her own Netflix documentary series. It is expected to show her working on the business and behind the scenes at fashion shows. It follows on from the success of the Netflix series about her husband David and his football career, which also showed her being interviewed and her humorous side.

BBC Radio presenter, Janice Forsyth, is stepping down from her role with the corporation after a devastating Alzheimer’s diagnosis

A popular BBC presenter is being forced to step down from her role after receiving a heartbreaking Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

BBC radio star, Janice Forsyth, 65, has revealed she has been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease after being noticeably missing from her weekday afternoon show for some time.

The BBC Scotland presenter has spoken out about first experiencing symptoms three years ago, having since struggled to perform some daily tasks.

Praising the care she has received from the NHS, Janice said in a statement that she recognised that she has been absent “for a while” and how she has now reached the stage of wanting to let people know the reason why.

Janice Forsyth is being forced to step back from her much-loved BBC role after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s ( 
Image:
BBC Scotland)

The BBC Scotland star said she initially thought she was just ‘worn out’ before her diagnosis ( 
Image:
BBC Scotland)

Explaining that she initially thought she was “simply worn out” by her many years of freelance work or “exhausted” after the devastating loss of her “dear” mother, Patricia, she said: “Sadly, I now have a firm diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s disease. Much as I have loved seeking out and sharing the best of music/literature/theatre/cinema with you, I’m happy now to have the time and freedom to enjoy all of these simply for my own pleasure. Call it living in the moment, and you won’t be far off!”

Adding that she’ll still be able to continue with her podcast production company, she continued: “On another positive note, I’ve been able to continue to contribute to The Big Light – the podcast production company I founded five years ago with Fiona White. The company is going from strength to strength and we’re excited for more to come. I’m not done yet!

“So, finding the cause of my trouble took a while, but I at least now know what’s been happening and am grateful for lovely friends & family, as well as for fine post-diagnosis care from NHS Scotland.”

Janice concluded: “Dear Listener – I never took my role lightly and hope I always gave my best, both for your sake and that of my interviewees. It’s been a blast, and I send a high five to everyone who tuned in on Saturday mornings or on more recent weekday afternoons and heard something interesting. Love, Janice Forsyth.”

Following her heartbreaking sign-off, the presenter also revealed she has taken a step back from social media for her own privacy.

Paying tribute to Janice, who has presented shows on Radio Scotland, Radio Three and Radio Four, as well as setting up podcasting production firm, The Big Light, Louise Thornton, the head of commissioning at BBC Scotland, said: “Janice has been a hugely popular personality on our airwaves for many years. The many production teams she has collaborated with have appreciated her outstanding skill as a presenter on radio and television.

“Her warmth, relaxed interviewing style, and peerless knowledge of arts, music, and culture in Scotland and beyond, have made her a firm favourite with audiences over the decades.

“Everyone at BBC Scotland wishes Janice all the very best and we’ll be pleased to continue to explore suitable opportunities where we can work together.”

Speaking to the Mirror about Janice’s diagnosis, Dementia UK’s Chief Admiral Nurse and CEO, Dr Hilda Hayo, praised the presenter for her bravery, saying : “We’re sorry to hear that Janice Forsyth has been diagnosed with young onset Alzheimer’s disease. A familiar face to many, Janice has shown bravery by announcing her diagnosis publicly and we hope she and her family are receiving the support they need at this time.

“By choosing to speak publicly about her diagnosis, Janet will raise vital awareness of young onset dementia and we hope this will encourage others to seek support if they are concerned about their brain health.

“There are estimated to be around 70,800 people living with young onset dementia in the UK – where symptoms occur before the age of 65. Obtaining a diagnosis of young onset dementia can be challenging, and it is often even harder to find age-appropriate support. But it is important to know that you are not alone and that expert care is available.

“We encourage anyone affected by dementia to visit dementiauk.org/get-support for information, resources and to find out how to access our national Helpline and Clinics services.”

Commissioner Selwyn Patterson has been told that his job in the Saint Marie police force is being dissolved, leading fans to believe that the star is leaving the show altogether

Fans of Death in Paradise are far from pleased with the show’s latest twist after learning a hugely popular character could be heading for the exit door.

Commissioner Selwyn Patterson’s Saint Marie days appear to be over and viewers were left devastated during the latest episode of the hit BBC show after discovering the news. Actor Don Warrington is seemingly on his way out – and the news hasn’t gone down well with those on social media.

Sparking concern at the start, the Commissioner left audiences puzzled with his icy demeanour towards some workmates. The puzzle pieces fell into place towards the climax of the episode when Selwyn bared the truth about his future to his colleagues.

While the producers of Death in Paradise have yet to officially comment on the future of Selwyn at Saint Marie, the man himself had plenty to say about it. The long-serving favourite, who has been on our screens for almost 15 years, feels the role is being ‘phased out’.

Don Warrington has been on screens since 2011 ( 
Image:
BBC / Red Planet Pictures / Philippe Virapin)

He said: “I’ve been keeping something from you which on the advice of my trusted friend, I have decided to share with you all. The position of Saint Marie police commissioner is being phased out. I’m being phased out.” Fans were quick to voice their annoyance over Selwyn’s departure online, taking to X to express their feelings.

“Why….. Death In Paradise’s massive bombshell could completely change the show Is Commissioner Selwyn leaving the show? If they remove the Excellent role of #CommissionerSelwyn, #DeathInParadise will no longer be a show worth watching. It will be Trash,” one fumed.

Another penned: “Not sure #deathinparadise will survive without Selwyn. They can’t just get rid of Selwyn as the commissioner in Death In Paradise what will he do now #DeathInParadise.” A third put: “Don’t write Selwyn out show wouldn’t be the same without Commissioner Patterson #saveSelwyn #DeathInParadise.’; ‘We are not letting Selwyn go #SaveSelwyn #DeathInParadise.”

Actor Danny John-Jules, famed for his role as Officer Dwayne Myers and last seen in the 2024 Christmas special, is being touted for a return and could fill Selwyn’s shoes. Don Warrington has been a staple of the Death In Paradise cast since the series’ inception in 2011.

The bookies have been talking up replacements and Mike Reading, spokesperson at Betway, said: “The latest season of Death in Paradise has already hinted at a major departure – with Don Warrington’s character, Commissioner Selwyn Patterson, potentially exiting. As one of the longest-serving characters, the Commissioner has been at the heart of the series and Saint Marie’s police force since the very beginning.

“While this isn’t the first time an exit has been teased for Warrington – after the 100th episode saw his character considering retirement following a near-death experience – this most recent development may see the Commissioner role change or be ‘dissolved’ for good, paving the way for a drastic shakeup to the show’s long-standing format.”

Death in Paradise airs Fridays at 9pm on BBC One

Coleen Nolan has hit out at trolls who criticised her on the day of her sister, Linda Nolan’s funeral, telling Loose Women viewers: ‘We have to stop judging people’

Coleen Nolan has heartbreakingly revealed she was “slated on social media” following the funeral of her beloved sister, Linda.

Linda tragically died in January, aged 65, after losing her ongoing battle with cancer. The valiant Nolan Sister star was laid to rest in Blackpool, Lancashire, on February 1 at a funeral, which was attended by the singer’s famous family and friends.

Also paying their respects to Linda outside the church were some 2,000 fans, who Coleen, 59, smiled at as she got out of the funeral car. However, sadly, she was slammed on social media for her expression, with many suggesting it was inappropriate for the sombre occasion.

Coleen Nolan was criticised for smiling as she greeted Linda’s fans outside the church ( 
Image:
Getty Images)

The star urged people to ‘stop judging’ in an impassioned statement on Loose Women ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Opening up about the abuse she received online, Coleen told the Loose Women audience ‘we have to stop judging people’. In a passionate statement, she said: “We’ve got to stop judging how people deal with grief. And I’ve got to stop caring how people are judging me. [At Linda’s funeral] I got out of the car smiling because there were about 2,000 people there, looking and smiling. And then I got slated on social media. [People were asking] ‘What’s she smiling about?’

“[I was thinking] I don’t know what people want me to do. And it bothered me at first, but then I thought I’ve got to stop caring what people think.

“We all deal with grief differently. I didn’t want to get out the car and not acknowledge [the crowd]. I saw all those people and it made me cry because Linda would have loved it. And I’m so glad they turned out for her.”

Coleen concluded with a defiant message to any trolls who might have been watching Loose Women on Monday, clarifying: “I got out [of the car and smiled] to show my gratitude.”

Following her appearance on Loose Women today, Coleen was praised by viewers, with one taking to X, saying: “Spot on, grief is personal and individual. There is no right or wrong way. I’ve known people who have literally died of a broken heart.” Meanwhile, another advised: “Coleen – you do what you want to do.”

The presenter opened up about how proud she was of Linda, who she said always had a smile on her face, no matter how much pain she was in last year. Speaking to the Mirror in September, Coleen said: “Certainly in public [there’s a smile on her face], obviously there’s nights she goes to bed and I only found this out recently but there are nights she goes I think the night times because she’s totally on her own.

“You know, in your bedroom and your brain, you just overthink and I think they’re the times when she has her cry and and she’s scared but the rest of the time she is an absolute warrior. I look at her in awe. She treats chemo like she’s going to Tesco and it keeps coming back and battering her and she keeps on smiling and she still keeps getting out of bed and she bloody hates it.”

As she’s awarded the Royal Warrant, Deborah Mitchell, Camilla’s facialist of 18 years, reveals how her Bee Venom facial became Her Majesty’s favourite beauty treatment…

Deborah Mitchell has come a long way from giving beauty treatments in a former disabled toilet in a Holiday Inn. The founder of beauty brand Heaven is celebrating being granted a Royal Warrant which marks her officially as a Supplier of Skincare Products and Treatments to HM the Queen.

It’s the culmination of an 18-year relationship which started in 2006, when Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, was one of the first people to try Deborah’s skin plumping, line-erasing Bee Venom Mask, a “wonder product” that she literally dreamed up.

“I asked myself, ‘what can I do to make my face look younger that’s not an injection?’ I went to bed and the next morning I knew how to do it. I made a substance called Abeetoxin, made from the venom of worker bees, so people who are allergic to bees aren’t affected by it.

“It’s very strong – it’s like having a facelift. Straight away when the bee venom goes on the face, the body thinks the skin has been stung and it sends helpers like collagen, elastin and blood to the skin. That tightens and firms the skin, so it not only looks younger but in far better condition – pores are closed, redness disappears and any spots go.”

Heaven founder Deborah Mitchell gives Luisa Metcalfe her signature facial which Camilla has been having for 18 years

Then Deborah was called up by Clarence House (she initially thought that the beauty brand Clarins was on the line), and asked to give Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, a facial. “I did her treatment and she absolutely loved it,” Deborah says. “I didn’t tell anybody about it but I think what happened then was that people started to notice how young she was looking.”

When word did get out about the Bee Venom Facial (from Clarence House itself, Deborah stresses), she practically became a household name. Yet Deborah’s success hasn’t changed her. “If I need to solve a problem in the business, I don’t sit in the office, I go and have a bath,” she says.

At 60, she glows with health and looks years younger than her age. She has a natural warmth and ease that would make anyone feel relaxed and comfortable – it’s impossible to picture her getting nervous around her more famous clients.

Born and bred in Telford, Shropshire, she still lives there, her factory is in nearby Shifnal and her daughter Ella, who’s 28 and the spit of her mother, is also part of the company. “I was trained when I was 18 and I was very lucky that they taught me how to make my own skincare products. There weren’t many skincare brands around then so we had to make it ourselves,” she says.

Queen Camilla has been seeing Deborah Mitchell for her bee venom facials since 2006 and still loves them ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
“I’m quite an entrepreneur and I love making products and designing products – there’s nothing else I’d rather do. So I worked in a salon, and then I was mobile, and I’d make products and hand them to customers after their treatments. “My first ever proper treatment room was a disabled toilet in a Holiday Inn in Telford. We had to remove the toilet ourselves. That’s how Heaven was born.”

The brand started to appear in department stores and then she gained celebrity clients including Duran Duran – “I’m still friends with Andy Taylor ’s wife, Tracey” – even travelling to LA with them. Other A-list fans included Victoria Beckham, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kylie Minogue (the moisture-boosting Orange Flower Hydrogel is her favourite) and her sister Dannii.

But it’s Heaven’s Bee Venom Mask that really put Deborah on the map. It currently comes in three versions: Silver (£93 for 60ml) made from worker bee venom, Black (£184 for 60ml), which includes rare bee venom, and Gold (£370), containing queen bee venom so rare that only 500 pots are made annually. There is a Nettle Venom cream for vegan clients.

“We limit when you buy it, you’re not allowed to buy too many. For Christmas I gave the Queen the gold venom and she was over the moon,” Deborah says. The crowning glory was receiving the Royal Warrant before Christmas last year. “What’s so important about it is that it’s like a certification to say that she uses it and likes it.

The Queen is associated with a practical, elegant yet no-fuss approach to her appearance. “She’s a natural beauty,” says Deborah. “She won’t have anything that isn’t natural and ecological. Most of my products have ingredients that are organic and all sustainable.”

Deborah Mitchell founded her beauty brand in Telford where she was born and bred
Other members of the Royal Family might be fans of Heaven too, but Deborah won’t confirm, only hinting that, “a lot of products were given at Sandringham over Christmas.”

Despite the support of Chris, her husband of 30 years, Deborah doesn’t sugarcoat what it took for her to become so successful. “If somebody was reading this and thinking, ‘this looks like a charmed life’, I’d say it feels like it was because I loved my job. But you have to make a choice when you’re going to grow something big.

“You have to make a choice about what you’re prepared to lose to have it. There are times that you have to work night and day.”

Deborah is still dreaming big, but keeping her feet firmly on the ground. “I wouldn’t want to just work with famous people, I spend half of my working week doing treatments with customers – I think about my customers all the time.”

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Luisa, pictured before her treatment (left) and afterwards (right) – her jawline showed the

‘My fine lines were gone’

Deborah Mitchell gives LUISA METCALFE the royal treatment

It’s not often that the same hands that have touched the Queen’s face work their wizardry on your own – and Deborah Mitchell really does have a magic touch. Full disclosure: my skin isn’t in bad nick. At 47, after decades of using SPF I don’t have too many lines and wrinkles, but thanks to gravity and fast-depleting collagen I have the classic sagging jawline and hooded eyes of middle age.

Deborah also observed that the skin on my cheeks was “quite dry”, explaining that the slight redness is a sign that my skin barrier isn’t in great condition. She then started to apply her products including a light moussey cleanser with a subtle neroli and ylang-ylang scent that removes “zombie” cells from the skin’s surface to help it glow.

When she applied the Bee Venom Mask my skin started to tingle. She then went to work pressing and pummelling every muscle on my face, including around my eye sockets, and massaging my neck, decollete, upper back and upper arms.

When the facial was finished, I was astonished by the difference to my face. The fine lines around my eyes and between my brows were gone; the deeper lines – from my nose to my mouth – were reduced. My skin looked calm, without a trace of redness.

My eyebrows seem to have shot up, my cheekbones seemed higher, my skin was plumper and my jaw line looked tauter and less saggy. Who needs a facelift when you can have a facial?

Prince Andrew met Chinese ambassador Zheng Zeguang and Middle East investment firm Waterberg Stirling at Windsor’s Royal Lodge days before documents revealed ties to ‘Chinese spy’ Yang Tengbo

Prince Andrew hosted the Chinese ambassador at his royal mansion days before his ‘spy’ scandal came out, it has been revealed.

The disgraced royal invited Zheng Zeguang to Windsor’s Royal Lodge on December 9 to meet with Middle East investment firm Waterberg-Stirling. He was pictured that same day driving home from Windsor Castle after an earlier-than-typical morning horse ride. The meeting came three days before the 64-year-old Duke was named in court papers as having links to Yang Tengbo – an accused Chinese spy.

The 50-year-old businessman is banned from the UK after accusations of spying – allegations he has denied. Mr Yang and the Duke are said to have developed an “unusual degree of trust”, while the Chinese national also reportedly developed close relationships with politicians which could have been used as “leverage” by the Chinese government. His relationship with the Duke had been known about privately since last summer.

Zheng Zeguang (left), Ambassador from the People’s Republic of China, met in December with Prince Andrew ( 
Image:
Getty Images)
Pictures of the two men meanwhile are still showing on Buckingham Palace’s official Facebook page. Days before the public revelation, The Sun reports Andrew, who stepped away from official duties in 2019 after his disastrous Newsnight interview over his ties to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, facilitated a meeting between current ambassador Mr Zheng and Waterberg Stirling’s Oleg Firer.

The firm has links to China’s controversial Belt and Road Initiative, building infrastructure in developing countries such as Laos in South East Asia ‘to win influence’. Soviet-born Vice Chair Firer meanwhile was once Grenada’s ambassador to Russia and was banned from entering the Caribbean nation in 2023 on security grounds.

Besides its simple website offering basic information, little is known about Waterberg Stirling other than it having been described as a “key stakeholder” in Dutch firm Startupbootcamp which is in negotiations to exploit Andrew’s contacts from his former Pitch@Palace scheme – a Dragon’s Den style initiative he stepped back from following the Newsnight scandal.

The meeting was held at Royal Lodge in Windsor, which the King has been urging Andrew to downsize from ( 
Image:
N.C)
The King is said to be “exasperated” by the latest scandal over his brother’s business dealings. A royal source told the Mirror: “It seems that every single time he is leaving him to sort out his own affairs, another matter of concern is raised. The King has been incredibly patient. Assurances were given to the Crown Estate from the Duke over the finances available for vital repairs on his Royal Lodge home but if there are concerns over the source of such income then the onus will be on the Duke to explain in full without delay.

“There is always an intense worry over what else may develop from the Duke’s private life given recent history and seeing as these latest allegations have emerged in less than a week, the Duke should be prepared to give a full explanation as to what is actually going on.”

Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have showed off their artistic skills as their mum, the Princess of Wales, released portraits drawn by the youngsters

Princess Kate has released portraits drawn by her three children in a bid to encourage families to get creative together.

Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, each drew pictures of one another, while the Princess of Wales released her own sketch, the subject of which appears to be six-year-old Louis.

The sketches delighted royal fans, who praised the youngsters’ creative talents. One person said: “Wow! Prince George is so talented,” while another echoed the sentiment, writing: “Prince George’s portrait of his mum, The Princess of Wales, is amazing.”

Someone else added: “Wow Prince George has inherited his mother Catherine and his grandfather King Charles’s talent for art, drawing and painting.”

The Wales family drew portraits of one another ( 
Image:
X/KensingtonRoyal)

Kate and William are encouraging their kids to be creative

“This is a great way of being creative, and these are FANTASTIC portraits! Thank you for sharing them,” wrote another.

A fifth shared: “Beautiful drawings ! Thanks for sharing! Clearly Prince George has inherited his mother Princess Catherine’s talent! I bet you all had a lot of fun doing this!”

Prince William previously commended his wife and children’s artistic skills, confessing that they’re much more creative than he is – perhaps explaining why he didn’t partake in the portrait drawing. Last year, during a visit to a youth centre, he mused: “My wife is the arty one, my children are artier than I am.”

Explaining Kate’s wish for families across the UK to pick up their own pencils, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: “Following on from the launch of The Bobeam Tree Trail at the National Portrait Gallery earlier this month, The Princess of Wales and The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood are encouraging families to get creative together.

“When children engage in enjoyable activities with friends, family, and other caring adults, it not only allows them to have fun in the moment but can also help them to develop their social and emotional skills for the future. Creative activities like arts and crafts can be great ways to spend time together, have fun, and nurture your relationships. They also encourage children to focus their thoughts, involve communicating with others, and help them to know themselves.

“One idea is to sit down together and create portraits of one another. You can enjoy this activity in any way that is fun for you and the child you are with; you might want to draw, paint, or make a model out of things around the house to make your portrait. The magic of this activity comes in really looking at and focusing on each other, connecting, and having fun together.”