What a conundrum! Carol Vorderman can't figure out

By SARAH BULL

It's a puzzle! Carol Vorderman struggles to get into her car in a tight white dress after appearing on This Morning today


She's a huge fan of tight pencil dresses, saying they push her up and pull her in just where she needs it.

But sometimes it seems they perhaps pull Carol Vorderman in a bit too much - judging by pictures of the presenter struggling to get into her car in a white zip dress today.

The 50-year-old star tried various ways of getting into the vehicle in an elegant and ladylike fashion, but ended up having to lift up her knee and swivel her way in as the dress proved too restrictive.


This way or that way? But Vorderman kept a big smile on her face throughout her predicament


However, Vorderman managed to stay smiling throughout her predicament, grinning widely for the waiting photographers before finally successfully navigating her way into the vehicle.

Earlier in the day, Vorderman tweeted fans to warn them to expect a special outfit when she appeared on This Morning to do the newspaper review with comedian Iain Lee.

She wrote: 'Warning. This Morning about 10.30 I shall be reviewing the newspapers and will be in danger of dressing my age!! '


Got the answer: Vorderman eventually decided to lift up her knee and swivel her way into the vehicle


Vorderman has become something of a sex symbol in recent years and is undoubtedly in incredible shape for a 50-year-old woman.

And she said recently she is happy with her figure and has learned to accept her womanly curves.


Stunning: The white dress flattered Vorderman's hourglass figure

She explained: 'When you’re in your 20s and 30s you often think “I don’t like this bit, I don’t like that bit, I wish I could shave a few inches off here”.

‘But when you’re older you’re just blooming grateful for what you’ve got! For instance, I’ve learned that women spend lots of time worrying about cellulite but men just don’t see it, particularly as they get older themselves and their eyesight goes too!

'At this age you don’t beat yourself up any more - what’s the point? I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m really happy and that’s all that counts.'


source: dailymail

conundrum : a problem that is difficult to deal with

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail

An 18in waist and size three feet: Former anorexic's life-sized Barbie reveals bizarre - and dangerous

By TAMARA ABRAHAM

Scary figure: Galia Slayen's life-size Barbie is 5ft 9in tall, has a 39in bust, a tiny 18in waist and 33in hips. A real woman with the same dimensions would weigh just 110lb, giving her a BMI of 16.24

She's been a favourite with young girls for decades. But a life-sized Barbie is being used to demonstrate just how unhealthy the doll's proportions would be on a real woman.

The mannequin, which stands 5ft 9in tall, has a 39in bust, a tiny 18in waist and 33in hips. Even her feet would be disproportionate, at a tiny U.S. size 3.

Galia Slayen, who made the model, revealed that a real woman with the same dimensions would weigh just 110lb, giving her a BMI of 16.24 - a figure associated with eating disorders.


Unbalanced: If Miss Slayen's mannequin was a real woman, she would have to walk on all fours due to her proportions. The doll was made to highlight the dangers of eating disorders


She told the Huffington Post: 'If Barbie were an actual woman, she would be 5ft 9in tall, have a 39in bust, an 18in waist, 33in hips and a size 3 shoe.

'She likely would not menstruate... she'd have to walk on all fours due to her proportions.'

Miss Slayen, a former anorexia sufferer, knows the implications of being underweight all too well, and built the doll as part of her recovery and as a means of raising awareness about the dangers of eating disorders.

The giant Barbie, made from chicken wire and papier mache, is now on show at Hamilton College, Oregon, where Miss Slayen is a student, as part of its National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW).


Painful reminder: The former anorexic dressed her doll in a size double zero skirt she wore at her thinnest


She told CBS News: 'The goal of Barbie is to get just get people's attention. [Eating disorders are] very prevalent and not talked about.

'It's sensationalised in the media every time a star loses weight, but this is a very internal struggle.'

Miss Slayen, who played with Barbie dolls as a child said that her own weight problems began when she was 15.

She revealed that a troubled relationship with her parents and pressure from her peers drove her to excessive calorie-counting and exercise - something that became an obsession.

She explained: 'I was living on my own and trying to figure out how I was going to survive. My life was completely out of control and it was the one thing I was able to control - the hours at the gym, the calories I was in-taking. It's a means to control your life.'


source: dailymail

'There is no need to suffer silently,' says Catherine Zeta-Jones as she heads back to work

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Feeling better: The actress looked relaxed and happy as she returned to work in Louisiana today, where she is filming Playing the Field alongside Gerard Butler


Just a week has passed since she revealed she was being treated for bipolar disorder.
But it was showbusiness as usual for Catherine Zeta-Jones when she returned to work yesterday.

The actress looked elegant and glamorous in a ruched silk top as she began shooting romantic comedy Playing the Field in Louisiana.


Smiles: The actress returned to work on the same day she appeared on the front cover of People
And yesterday, it looked


The 41-year-old’s appearance on the film set came after she revealed she went public with her diagnosis to help other sufferers.

And Zeta-Jones is hoping her admission will encourage others with the condition to seek treatment.

She told People magazine: 'There is no shame in seeking help.


Battle: Michael Douglas, who took his daughter Carys to school today, is recovering from throat cancer


'This is a disorder that affects millions of people and I am one of them,' she adds in a statement. 'If my revelation of having bipolar II has encouraged one person to seek help, then it is worth it.'

In early April, the star checked into Silver Hill Hospital, a mental health facility in Connecticut, where she spent five days receiving treatment for bioplar II disorder.

She sought help after struggling to cope with the trauma of husband Michael Douglas’s battle with throat cancer.


Treatment: Catherine is said to have checked in to the Silver Hill mental health hospital in Connecticut in early April


source:dailymail

Zeta tries retail therapy - with her little girl's help

By RYAN KISIEL

Support: Catherine Zeta-Jones, pictured for the first time since her treatment for bipolar II, with daughter Carys in New York


Just days earlier she was checking herself into a mental health clinic.

But as she was pictured in public for the first time since her treatment, Catherine Zeta-Jones appeared relaxed and cheerful.

And the troubled actress had plenty of support in the form of her seven-year-old daughter Carys, who clutched her hand tightly as the pair went shopping.


Cool and calm: Wearing a top that matched her daughter's, they visited a cafe with a friend and enjoyed the sunshine


Wearing matching blue and white striped tops, mother and daughter visited a cafe with a friend and strolled in the sun.

An observer who saw the pair in upstate New York on Friday said: ‘Catherine looked in astonishing shape considering she’s been through such a rough time.

‘Her daughter was clearly delighted to be with her. They look so happy together. It shows what a strong woman she is.’


Hand-in-hand: Michael Douglas takes daughter Carys to the New York Rangers game


The 41-year-old, who revealed last week that she has bipolar II disorder, spent five days at the £770-a-day Silver Hill psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut, near her country estate.

She sought help after struggling to cope with the trauma of husband Michael Douglas’s battle with throat cancer.

‘She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on two upcoming films.’

On Friday, the couple were spotted ay a pizza take-away in Greenwich, Connecticut.
The actress, 41, and her 66-year-old husband stopped by Pizza Post parlour for their modest take-away snack.

Onlookers say that the couple looked happy as they waited for their meal.


BIPOLAR DISORDER EXPLAINED: Catherine Zeta-Jones being treated


source: dailymail

Charlie Sheen's ex wife Denise Richards enjoys yoga by the sea

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Yummy mummy: Denise Richards shows off her beautiful form by the ocean in Nassau, the Bahamas


While her ex-husband Charlie Sheen continues his manic tour across the US, Denise Richards decided to go in search of inner peace in the Bahamas.

It's something that must be hard to find, with the father of her two daughters issuing forth blistering invective in venues across her homeland.

To make things worse, the venomous rants in his Torpedoes of Truth tour are frequently aimed at his former wife.


Yogi Bare: The actress looked stunning with minimal make-up on her face as she trained with master


Richards though, seems to have settled upon a spiritual solution to the turmoil and was quick to transport their daughters Sam, seven, and Lola, five , far away from news of their father's latest antics.

And the 40-year-old looked radiant and content for it, as she showed off her fine form in various complicated yoga positions in Nassau last Thursday.

Former Dancing with the Stars contestant, Richards, even had her own yogi to instruct in advanced positions and meditation by the beautiful ocean.


Inner peace: Richards looks calm after her session by the ocean, despite the turmoil in her personal life


Rant: Sheen has slated Richards


Richards is spending much time by the ocean in this tumultuous period and found unexpected inspiration in the form of former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger's wife Maria Shriver, 55 , on the beach.

She tweeted to the journalist and author, who has been happily married to the Terminator star turned politician for 24 years: 'Great seeing you and your beautiful family. Everyone on the beach was talking about how pretty you are.'

Shriver returned the compliment by revealing her children had said she could take 'tips' from Richards, but the mum-of-two responded: 'thats very sweet. you don't need any! but next time I get married, I want marriage tips:)'


source: dailymail

Catherine Zeta-Jones checks into treatment facility for bipolar disorder

By TOM LEONARD

Treatment: Catherine Zeta-Jones, pictured here with her husband Michael Douglas in New York on March 14, was this month treated for bipolar II disorder in a mental health facility


Catherine Zeta-Jones has been treated for manic depression over the stress of her husband Michael Douglas’s battle against cancer.

The 41-year-old actress was admitted last Wednesday to the Silver Hill psychiatric hospital, where she reportedly shared a ward with alcoholics and drug addicts.

She stayed for five days, joining ten to 15 others in the £770-a-day detox centre at the hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut.


Facility: The actress spent five days at the Silver Hill Hospital near New Canaan, Connecticut


Her publicist confirmed that she had received mental health treatment to help her cope with her traumatic personal life.

‘After dealing with the stress of the past year, Catherine made the decision to check into a mental health facility for a brief stay to treat her bipolar II disorder,’ she said.

‘She’s feeling great and looking forward to starting work this week on two upcoming films.’


Difficult time: Douglas picked up supplies in New York City today



Family time: Catherine and Michael with their children Dylan and Carys at Disneyland in November


Douglas' adult son Cameron, from his marriage to Diandra, was sentenced to prison last year on drug charges.

Zeta-Jones and Douglas are parents to son Dylan, 10, and daughter Carys, who turns eight on April 20.

The actress' upcoming film projects include Playing the Field, a comedy starring Gerard Butler, Dennis Quaid Jessica Biel, and Dali, a biopic with Antonio Banderas.


source: dailymail