Features

<p>Having a Jamaican mum means we rightly always have rice and peas on the Christmas dinner table, so I’ll miss that for sure</p>

christmas 2023

I’m swerving my family this Christmas – and having Friendsmas instead

This year, I’m opting out of spending 25 December with my family and choosing to spend it with mates. But it doesn’t mean I love them any less. Here’s how I dropped the bombshell, and my hopes for how the day will unfold (including finally getting to try Nigella’s ham in Coca-Cola)...

<p>‘The lack of honesty left a bitter taste in my mouth… and a hole in my wallet’ </p>

Tooth hurts: Why are people turning on invisible dental aligners?

<p>A new poll has found that the cost of living crisis is ‘likely to be the main cause of arguments' over the festive season</p>

‘It ruined Christmas’: How not to argue over money this festive season

<p>‘All I want for Christmas this year is a modest, old-fashioned photo album with maybe 80 or so pictures of my kids in it’ </p>

Kids pics should stay in a photo album – not on social media

<p>Match made in heaven: Rory introduced me to his ‘play partner’ Lila who was 20 years younger than me </p>

I’m 45, divorced and just had my first threesome thanks to Feeld

<p>‘I spend a disproportionate amount of time thinking that if everything is clean, everything is OK. Surely this is normal behaviour for a parent with two young children and an unruly dog?’ </p>

I have one big thing in common with Prince Edward: germaphobia

<p>May Pang and John Lennon: ‘John was so conflicted about his own personal life. It’s what he and Yoko had in common’ </p>

May Pang on her 18-month affair with John Lennon: ‘Yoko has erased me’

Latest News

More features

<p>Kate and William at their University of St Andrews graduation </p>

The Crown shows us the Kate that we’ve underestimated all along

<p>City slicker: is Rishi Sunak taking style inspiration from finance bros? </p>

Fashion crime or City boy chic: what’s the deal with Sunak’s suits?

<p>Meg Bellamy as a young Kate Middleton in ‘The Crown’</p>

How The Crown recreated the iconic 2002 Kate Middleton fashion show

<p>‘I feel compelled to furnish my daughter the perfect Christmas – the first one she has any chance of remembering. So far, it’s been much harder than my parents ever made it look’</p>

christmas 2023

My daughter’s first real Christmas has become an expensive disaster

Food

<p>Lawson has been making regular wintertime trips to Amsterdam since the late Nineties</p>

Nigella Lawson: ‘I never use a script on TV – I just start blabbering’

<p>On the menu (clockwise from top left): fallow deer, farm herbs and meringue, Cornish blue fin tuna and tarte tatin </p>

Wilson’s, Bristol, restaurant review: The devil’s in the details

<p>You can’t get a much simpler way to cook tasty, nourishing meals from a range of cuisines than one-pot recipes</p>

One-tray family dinner recipes to rescue you from Christmas chaos

<p>This is how to achieve the ideal balance of fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside </p>

Chef reveals the secret to cooking perfect roast potatoes

Recipes

<p>From yule log to pavlova, these recipes are showstoppers in their own right </p>

Three festive desserts for Christmas pudding haters

<p>The recipes in the book use no more than 10 ingredients and often feature pre-prepared or shop-bought items to make it even easier </p>

Rick Stein’s stylish simple suppers for every day of the week

<p>Has vegan food ever looked so good? </p>

How to pull off a perfect vegan Christmas dinner

Partner content

Let your home be the centre of celebrations with The White Company

The top picks from R.M.Williams, the footwear brand to bookmark

Big travel plans? Airalo’s eSIMs will keep you connected abroad

<p>Sign up and begin your personalised skincare journey at <a href=https://www.independent.co.uk/

Dermatica.co.uk </a></p>" class="sc-1mc30lb-0 drcIka sc-ntudqq-2 XWsoR">

Dermatica’s affordable personalised skincare for your best skin yet

Independent TV

London council recreates iconic Love Actually scene in TikTok video

Mrs Hinch thanks fans after opening up on autism diagnosis

<p>Michael Bublé recalls how son’s cancer diagnosis ‘rocked his world’.</p>

Michael Bublé recalls how son’s cancer diagnosis ‘rocked his world’

<p>Doctor Hilary Jones shares how to spot the signs of dementia.</p>

How to spot early signs of dementia, according to Doctor Hilary Jones

Design

<p>A stylish example of a solo living room replete with colour</p>

The ‘live-aloners’ embracing the unique possibilities of a solo space

<p>Nest ‘Holiday’ Candle gives off whiffs of pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves, and cinnamon</p>

The best Christmas gift ideas for interior design lovers

<p>‘Each hotel has been a labour of love,’ says It Mallorca’s founder, Miguel Conde</p>

Inside the boutique hotels uplifting Mallorcan makers with soul

Royal Family

<p>Princess of Wales’ four-word response to Hannah Waddingham at Royal Variety Performance.</p>

Princess of Wales’ response to Hannah Waddingham at Royal Variety show

What does the royal family eat at Christmas?

<p>What traditions does the royal family have for Christmas?</p>

What traditions does the royal family have for Christmas?

Women

<p>We tested all the market leaders, from Oodie to Silentnight </p>

Best blanket hoodies for hunkering down this winter

<p>Supreme Court Abortion Pill</p>

Police testing women who have miscarriages for abortion drugs

<p>Sacred space: womb workshops provide room for women to make connections</p>

Inside the woo-woo world of womb whispering

Dating and Relationships

<p>@thelifeofbethchronicles on TikTok</p>

Woman shares ‘worst date ever’ that ended in shouts

Everything you need to know about the ‘spider-webbing’ dating trend

Best man threatens to pull out of wedding unless girlfriend is invited

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lifestyle

Obese woman divides internet after refusing to give up extra seat for toddler

Obese woman divides internet after refusing to give up extra seat for toddler

tiktok

'BookTok' blamed for end of the world as TikTok gets into reading

lifestyle

I lived as a celebrity for 24 hours to see if it's all it's cracked up to be

news

Couple ‘shocked’ after proposal photos go viral in hunt on X

science-tech

There's only one sea on Earth that doesn't touch land

science-tech

There's only one sea on Earth that doesn't touch land

celebrities

Woman who went to high school with Taylor Swift claims people 'hated her'

tiktok

Man says Secret Santa is 'cancelled' after gift leaves him unimpressed