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Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
‘We are insanely competitive': Sarah Vine goes on a trip to a famous detox retreat in Turkey with two of her best friends
I've always felt my friend Santa was too good to be true. Tall, blonde, beautiful, slim, elegant, impeccably connected. A bestselling author whose books have sold over six million copies worldwide. Surely there has to be something wrong with her. Well, I'm delighted to say she's not perfect, after all. In fact, she is the reason I'm sitting in the pouring rain drinking watery broth, waiting for some equally watery juice to arrive so I can down another handful of dust in supplement form, before going to sleep at toddler-o-clock out of sheer boredom and hunger. This is her fault. I smile sweetly across the table at her. My other friend Imogen – also blonde, beautiful, slim, bestselling author (note to self: must choose less glamorous/successful friends) – isn't letting on but I'm sure she secretly agrees with me. She's pretending not to miss the fags and vodka, but I know her too well. Santa and Imogen are two of my dearest friends. Imogen and I have been muckers since the early 90s, when she was the rave correspondent for the Independent (yes, really). I met Santa through my ex-husband, Michael Gove, who is great friends with her husband, the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. The two of them are like night and day: one impeccably clean-living, the other… well, Imogen. We do this thing called 'sofa'. It all started years ago, when Imogen and I were neighbours and both our husbands were out all the time in the evenings (hers is a TV producer, a profession that's even worse for the soul than politics). We used to take turns flopping on each other's sofas, wine glasses at our elbows, the kids in bed, gossiping, setting the world to rights. At some point over the past two decades, Santa was initiated into the coven, and now we meet at least twice a month. This is next-level 'sofa', our first holiday together. The three of us in this slightly surreal location surrounded by stray cats and smiling but inscrutable staff feels all very White Lotus, a tad witchy. I sigh and steal another pinch of forbidden salt from behind the broth counter. It's my main source of joy right now. Both Imogen and Santa are alumni of the College of Psychic Studies (Santa's latest novels are about a time-travelling psychic; Imogen's, The Witches of St Petersburg, is about Russia and the court of the Romanovs). I contemplate drawing a circle with it and asking them to open up a portal to another dimension, preferably one containing a large steak. The only thing to look forward to is a small bag of white powder to be ingested before bed. The clinic doctor says it should get things moving. Nothing to get excited about. It's only magnesium salts. We are at The LifeCo in Bodrum, Turkey, legendary detox/wellness/weight-loss mecca. It's marketed as the cool equivalent of the Mayr clinic. Kate Moss comes here so it must be true. Where the Mayr is all white coats and stern Austrians, this is sound baths and bikinis. There are oms on the walls and affirmations up the stairs. Santa goes twice a year, which probably explains why she looks like a goddess. I don't love it. The rooms are fine but nothing special. There is a bit of a problem with the drains (although, to be fair, the rain has been torrential). There is a beach within walking distance, but it's low season so everything's closed. Nonetheless, the place is packed. One woman, a Turkish jewellery designer, has been here for 21 days. Twenty-one days. She cries nightly into her phone. It's blissful spending a week with two dear friends. I would go anywhere with these two. If their husbands would let me, I'd move in with them. I have this fantasy that, when we're all old, we could live together in an old lady commune (annoyingly, they both remain happily married). Santa has brought her tarot cards so we spend our fasting evenings divining our fortunes and gossiping. During the day we write. We meet for juice and pool, weather permitting, which mostly it doesn't. Even on a calorie deficit, we are insanely competitive. Everyone pretends it's not about weight loss (detox, reset, yadda yadda), but of course it's about weight loss. In that respect, Imogen is winning hands down. The rate of shrinkage is alarming. Then I catch her doing 50 lengths of the pool. Sneaky. Maybe that's why she insists on writing in her room: she's probably doing secret sit-ups. Santa looked perfect to begin with, of course. I remain unchanged. In fact, around day five I actually go up half a kilo. I am the only person I know who can put on weight after not eating for a week. Maybe I should just stick to 'sofa'. Santa Montefiore 'I feel left out already' – that was a text from Imogen when Sarah and I cruised into Gatwick's Sofitel hotel the night before our departure to Bodrum, leaving Imogen to join us the following dawn for the hideously early Easyjet flight. 'This is just like The White Lotus,' said Sarah, enjoying her last glass of wine before a week of fasting. When Imogen turned up at the gate she looked like a sexy pirate the morning after a rave: tousled blonde hair, a vodka sheen in her eyes, the whiff of a cigarette about her lips, and a raffish smile – I sensed the week was going to be a challenge. I should be given the keys to The LifeCo because I've been so many times. I always lose five kilos, love the juices, the pills, the yoga, the pampering, even the bland broth you're allowed to drink in unlimited amounts. But it became clear on day one that Imogen and Sarah were not going to be so easily pleased. Sarah opted out of being weighed. She sat like a queen with her embroidery, refusing to drink the liver-flush juice and rebelliously squirrelling away her pills. But I wasn't fooled. When she discovered, halfway through the week, that she wasn't losing any weight, she gave up on the juicing and opted to eat vegetables instead. Imogen staggered into yoga and put her mat at the back. I wanted to be at the front because the teacher has become a friend – and he's also easy on the eye. I could hear her raspy breathing as she struggled with the hangover she had brought with her from London. She gagged on the pomegranate juice, felt as raw as a peeled potato after the hammam – and then there was the cat. The first night I left my bedroom door open and was awoken by something furry against my leg. It wasn't Sarah or Imogen but an adorable ginger cat, who became my daemon. Imogen can't bear cats. 'Sweet Jesus, how are we friends?' she texted upon receipt of my tenth cat video. So I left Sarah to her tapestry, Imogen to her liver flush (which she urgently needed), and dived under the duvet with the cat. Imogen Edwards-Jones Frankly, it started before Gatwick. The text messages, the plans, the 'totes hilare' photos of the limo with a swanky golden interior that picked them up. Then they stayed the night together in the Sofitel, tucking into a Chinese, sharing a bottle of red, having a little giggle most certainly at my expense. Even when I arrived at the airport some 20 hours later to find them drinking coffee in Pret, looking at their phones, popping little bits of melon down their pie-holes, they ignored me. 'Pull up a chair,' one of them said with a wave of a finger. 'It looks like a queue for coffee,' said the other. 'You'd better hurry up as they've called our gate.' What is the old adage? Two's company and three's quite clearly White Lotus. And I'm the unpopular one who drinks too much and everyone pities. Even as I sat at the back of the plane, surrounded by families with children who watched Peppa Pig at full volume, I wondered about my life choices. Why hadn't I got speedy boarding, why wasn't I at the front, and why had I agreed to do a liquid detox at The LifeCo? It was all Santa's fault. She's so gorgeous and charming, you'd run naked up Kensington High Street if she suggested it. Sarah is equally divine and a dear friend, so what was not to love? Quite a lot, apparently! Not The LifeCo. The LifeCo was great and the detox was super-efficient. I have done a few before when I was struggling with IVF. I used to spend weeks at the Mayr clinic eating nothing but potatoes and going to the lavatory a lot! So The LifeCo was a breeze, although the endless juices did become miserable and the pomegranate made me sick; I ended up with a tongue the colour and thickness of an innersole and I lost 5kg! But what did I learn about my chums? Well, they can talk to each other for ever. They are both more organised than me: they had creams, suitcases on wheels, and dervished their way through duty free in less than ten minutes. They're both what's known as a bit like me, but better. Although I did lose the most weight!
Globe and Mail
30-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Bestselling Author Bryan Smeltzer Unveils The Visionary Leader: The Success Principles of The World's Greatest Visionaries
LiquidMind Press proudly announces the release of The Visionary Leader: The Success Principles of The World's Greatest Visionaries by bestselling author and brand strategist Bryan Smeltzer. In this groundbreaking new work, Smeltzer—a renowned consumer products executive and entrepreneur—delivers a deep exploration into the core traits that define exceptional leadership. The Visionary Leader serves as a blueprint for anyone seeking to lead with impact, featuring key principles such as Clear Vision, Unwavering Courage, Resiliency, and Disruptive Creativity. In The Visionary Leader, readers discover the powerful traits that have shaped some of history's most influential individuals. These visionaries—each with a unique combination of leadership characteristics—have defined industries, inspired change, and left lasting marks on the world. Smeltzer illustrates how these principles are more than just concepts; they are a formula that modern leaders can learn, internalize, and apply. Drawing from real-life examples of leaders who have overcome adversity, Smeltzer empowers readers to unlock their potential and become agents of meaningful transformation. The book offers invaluable guidance on driving innovation, establishing generational culture, and fostering visionary thinking across any organization. By the final page, readers gain a clear understanding of how to integrate these traits into their personal and professional leadership journeys. This new release follows the success of Smeltzer's previous bestseller, The Visionary Brand: The Success Formula Behind the World's Most Visionary Brands, which won the Readers' Favorite Award for Best Non-Fiction in the Marketing category. While The Visionary Brand focused on how companies can build enduring legacies, The Visionary Leader shifts focus to the individuals at the helm—those whose clarity, courage, and creativity set entire industries in motion. About the Author Bryan Smeltzer is a veteran consumer products executive, bestselling author, and founder of LiquidMind Inc., a global brand strategy firm that partners with both startups and established consumer brands. Over his 25+ year career, he has held leadership roles in business development, product innovation, and marketing with globally recognized companies including Oakley, TaylorMade, Adidas, K-Swiss, and more. He is the creator and host of The Visionary Chronicles, a globally ranked podcast recognized as the #1 Visionary podcast and listed among the top 50 marketing podcasts by Feedspot. Smeltzer is a sought-after speaker who regularly presents at universities including USC, UCI, and UCLA, focusing on innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership. In addition to his corporate background, Bryan previously founded and led a successful men's apparel brand for over a decade before selling it to a venture capital firm. His broad expertise in brand development, strategic growth, and cultural alignment positions him as a trusted advisor to leaders across industries. Through his books, podcast, and consulting work, he continues to inspire businesses to think differently, innovate with purpose, and build enduring legacies.
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fern Britton's wholesome new life by the sea: How TV star has rebuilt herself as a successful author, shed five stone and embraced a healthy routine in Cornwall as her ex husband Phil Vickery cuts ties after painful end to their 20-year marriage
Fern Britton has undergone quite the life transformation since moving permanently into her Cornish holiday home in Padstow five years ago. Now, favouring a wholesome life by the sea, the TV presenter turned author, 67, spends her days writing novels and working out in her home gym, accompanied by her pet cats Dr Iain Mackerel and Barbara. Following the breakdown of her 20-year marriage in 2020, her life changed dramatically when her ex husband Phil Vickery abruptly cut all contact after the death of both her parents. Fern admitted to experiencing a 'catalogue of difficulty' in the events that followed but has now found peace within her new lifestyle and routine. After 'getting her life back on track' she is now a Sunday Times bestselling author and is an incredible 5 stone down after cutting out sugar from her diet and taking part in 6am gym classes. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Novels Fern has long enjoyed storytelling, releasing her first novel New Beginnings 2011, two years after leaving This Morning. But since Covid she has been prolific in her writing, penning Daughters Of Cornwall in 2020 and The Good Servant two years later, with the hotly-anticipated A Cornish Legacy set for release in June. The Sunday Times bestselling author recently took to Instagram to reveal the cover of her new book, which promises another historical adventure on the south-west coastline. In a caption, Fern excitedly announced: 'Hello everyone! I'm delighted to share the cover of my new novel, A Cornish Legacy, out in hardback, eBook and audio in June. 'Enter Wilder Hoo House and discover its secrets! 'Nestled against the rugged Atlantic coast of Cornwall comes a heart-warming story of new beginnings and finding home where you least expect it… 'You can pre-order A Cornish Legacy with the link in my bio! Love, Fern. x #ACornishLegacy' She was soon flooded by encouraging comments from fans of her 10 previous novels, with some gushing about the 'beautiful' cover and anticipating a 'bestseller'. Of her latest book, the star told Femail: 'The headline is, 'A woman who has lost everything is left a house that is falling down. Can they save each other?' I was telling a friend this the other day and she said, 'That's your life.' I went, 'Oh yeah!'' The latest effort comes after she penned The Older I Get…: How I Repowered My Life in November, detailing how she navigated the challenges that had come her way in recent years. The book marked an opportunity to get a lot of her chest after a nightmare three-year spell which included the deaths of both her parents. The TV star lost her mother Ruth in April 2018 before her dad Tony, an actor in films such as The Day Of The Jackal, also passed at the end of the following year. She said last year: 'Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it.' Weight loss journey Fern has also been moving on from hard times by working out in her home gym and showing off the incredible results on social media. This week she finally revealed the two life-changing things she has done to lose five stone in weight. The TV presenter has long been open about her weight struggles, having fluctuated between a size 22 and a size 12 over the years. Fern, who insists she has lost weight 'naturally' and without any Ozempic, said all she has done is cut-out sugar from her diet and do 6am gym classes as well as couch to 5K. She told Woman&Home magazine: 'People often wonder when you've lost lots of weight whether you've done it naturally. And I can look at you and say, "Yes, I have"'. Fern reflected on the powerful moment she decided to take back control of her health. She added: 'I had my shoulder replacement 18 months ago, and two-and-a-half years ago, when I saw the surgeon, he said, "I'm going to totally replace your shoulder, I'll see you in a year." 'I thought, "I need to get my life back on track. I need to stop smoking, stop drinking, get eating under control and stop lying in bed feeling sorry for myself". 'So I started the Couch to 5k, took about 80 per cent of the sugar out of my life and started to think about what I was eating, which I had never done before.' Amid her new 'fitness regime', Fern looks to have changed one of her bedrooms into a home gym as a number of different weights sat on the floor in front of her. In a video from January, Fern revealed she was started a new fitness regime which includes running, cycling, walking and lifting weights. She said: 'I've started running again and gone back to couch to 5K. 'New year, new fitness regime. Later on in the year I'll be walking a small leg of the south west coast parts which will take about a week to do. 'I'll be meeting my friend, who will be doing the whole 360 miles of coast, but I'm in training doing some walks throughout the week and wearing a rucksack with some weight in it and wearing my boots to wear them in. 'I shall start running again, two or three times a week and I'm going to start cycling again and will do some weights to get my arms and shoulder a bit stronger again.' Fern has had an amazing journey with her weight, undergoing a gastric band procedure back in 2006 which saw her go from a size 22 to 12 having shed five stone. She has continued to slim down since with her dedication to working out in her home gym, taking on the Couch to 5k challenge which led to her becoming a regular runner and cutting out one hugely-unhealthy habit. Fern looked incredible on This Morning in 2024 (pictured, left) showing off her weight loss, having worked hard in the gym over the last few years (pictured, right: Fern in 2022) Following Couch to 5k, the author stuck to running three times a week for around 45 minutes each time and also loves a bike ride She is also a fan of bike rides, yoga and long walks. Following Couch to 5k, the author stuck to running three times a week for around 45 minutes each time. Once given the OK to lift weights again following a shoulder injury, the presenter said she was also keen to get back to the gym. To improve her diet, she began eating more protein and vegetables, choosing healthier options over unhealthy snacks. She acknowledged the benefit, saying previously: 'I once again found the feeling of satiety. 'The thing in your brain that tells you that you are full. I'd been first class at overriding that for quite a while.' Fern added: 'If we can manage to consume a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, while minimising processed foods, sugars and excessive salt, we'll be doing ourselves a real favour in the long term.' Late last year the presenter opened up about lockdown when some traumatic events led to her overhauling her lifestyle. Fern previously revealed she soon found herself struggling to find the point of getting out of bed and began smoking, drinking and eating badly. The star then noticed the physical side effects starting to have an effect on her health as she realised she had gained weight and was having problems breathing. She added: 'Looking back I was in a very bad place and gradually I started to pull myself out of it.' Fern even revealed that one night it all came to a head as she decided to quit smoking after too many cigarettes led to her pulling over mid car ride to throw up in a field. She now has regular therapy sessions and is exercising again. Family Fern was left devastated after she and Phil broke up following 22 years of marriage in 2020, with ensuing Covid lockdowns only accentuating her loneliness. The television presenter became divorced from the TV chef, 64, in 2020 after two decades together. The split followed the deaths of Fern's parents, which reportedly caused the pair to realise that they had to 'follow their own paths'. Now in a new interview, Fern has said that Phil stopped talking to her after her mum died. Previously they were reported to have maintained a 'basic' level of communication after they split. In an interview with Yours magazine, Fern admitted: 'He hasn't spoken to me for six years now. As soon as my mum died, he stopped talking to me.' A representative for Phil has been contacted by MailOnline for comment. The Celebrity Big Brother 2024 contestant insists she tries 'very hard' to not 'bad-mouth' Phil for the sake of their 23-year-old daughter Winnie. Fern shares twin sons Harry and Jack, 31, and daughter Grace, 27, from her first marriage, to Clive Jones, and daughter Winnie with ex Phil. She said: 'Winnie adores him. I'm not going to bad-mouth him in front of her; at least, I try very hard not to. I was the child of divorced parents and my mum never bad-mouthed my father.' During an appearance on James Martin 's Saturday Kitchen recently Fern said that 'life is good' as being a single woman meant there was now nobody there to judge her. She revealed: 'I can sit down in the morning and watch all the daytime television I like. No one's going to judge me for it, I don't have to get dressed up and made up.' A few weeks prior, the happy trio were together once more and all flashed beaming smiles as they posed for a picture She went on: 'I am my own boss now, which is great, in every sense, my life my work, everything, I'm my own boss and I'm enjoying that.' The former This Morning star is now kept company by her two cats Barbara and Dr Iain Mackerel, posting loveable pics of the pair to her Instagram - whenever they can sit still, that is. In a recent snap, Dr Iain could be seen taking a morning nap after a busy night, stretching out on the sofa much to the delight of Fern's Instagram followers. She captioned the post: 'Dr Iain Mackerel has been on a late shift and just come home for a hearty breakfast and snooze. He says Hi ! X' Barbara meanwhile can often be spotted underneath the couch or by the fireplace, in what is clearly a very cosy environment at the Britton household. Last year Fern, who also shares twins Harry and Jack, 29, and Grace, 26, with first husband Clive Jones, admitted she 'lost herself' and struggled to cope after her divorce from Phil. Speaking on Morning Live, Fern said: 'The last seven years have been tricky. I lost my parents, I got divorced, the pandemic, and then I kind of lost myself.' She continued: 'I really wasn't coping well with that stuff - I was eating too much, I wasn't exercising. 'Not doing very well. And then I thought, I've really got to get the power back in me, and then I had the thought of this word - repowering.' Opening up on her dating life, Fern added: 'We've got the power. You look back and when you were younger, everything was fun. It was proper stuff - now it's all swiping, and I hate it, and I'm not going to do that. 'It was such a fun time going to parties, and you were excited to meet strangers. I don't want to meet strangers anymore, I don't want to be invited to huge parties.' Fern also receives regular visits from her daughters Winnie and Grace, heading to Looe for some lunch earlier this month and posting an adorable snap of them all together. A few weeks prior, the happy trio were together once more and all flashed beaming smiles as they posed for a picture.
Bloomberg
11-06-2025
- Bloomberg
'Day of the Jackal' Author Frederick Forsyth Dies at 86
By Updated on Save LONDON (AP) — Frederick Forsyth, the British author of 'The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died after a brief illness, his literary agent said Monday. He was 86. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Day of the Jackal' author Frederick Forsyth dies aged 86
Frederick Forsyth, the British author of "The Day of the Jackal" and other bestselling thrillers, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agent said on Monday. Jonathan Lloyd, his agent, said Forsyth died at home early Monday surrounded by his family. "We mourn the passing of one of the world's greatest thriller writers," Lloyd said. Born in Kent in 1938, Forsyth served as a Royal Air Force pilot before becoming a foreign correspondent. He covered the attempted assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962, which provided inspiration for "The Day of the Jackal," his bestselling political thriller about a professional assassin. Published in 1971, the book propelled him into global fame. It was made into a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox as the Jackal and more recently a television series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. In 2015, Forsyth told the BBC that he had also worked for the British intelligence agency MI6 for many years, starting from when he covered a civil war in Nigeria in the 1960s. Although Forsyth said he did other jobs for the agency, he said he was not paid for his services and "it was hard to say no" to officials seeking information. "The zeitgeist was different," he told the BBC. "The Cold War was very much on." He wrote more than 25 books including "The Afghan," "The Kill List," and "The Dogs of War" that sold over 75 million copies, Lloyd said. His publisher, Bill Scott-Kerr, said that "Revenge of Odessa," a sequel to the 1974 book "The Odessa File" that Forsyth worked on with fellow thriller author Tony Kent, will be published in August. "Still read by millions across the world, Freddie's thrillers define the genre and are still the benchmark to which contemporary writers aspire," Scott-Kerr said.
