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Just why is it that we never see the French first lady, Brigitte Macron, commit a fashion faux pas? How is it that this 70-year-old grandmother can, for example, pull off black leather trousers, really quite short dresses, or a swimming costume for a cover shoot? With the King and Queen’s state visit in France this week providing yet another welcome opportunity for scrutiny of Madame Macron’s impeccable wardrobe, she always seems to exemplify faultless French chic. In fact, we’re calling it – with those impossibly toned, glossy bronzed legs, the power blow-dries and endless outfit wins, she’s starting to seem like “Brigitte Barbie TM”. In a good way. The explanation to the questions above can be found within the Mme Macron Venn diagram of style. The French first lady has at her disposal a long list of extremely cool and effortlessly elegant French style icons from which to borrow all manner of trademark looks and ripped-up rulebooks (French women adore a broken fashion rule). This Venn diagram features some of the heroines of French-girl style, from film stars Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve to rock-chic fashion editor Carine Roitfeld, to the most iconic French fashion plate of all, Coco Chanel, with Brigitte Macron standing in the middle of it all, assimilating all of their signatures and making them her own. Sensuality, age defiance, and lots and lots of leg are at the core of it. Who would have thought that you could say that about a first-lady Barbie? So what exactly are the components of the ultimate Venn diagram of Brigitte chic? 1. Carine Roitfeld Bare-legged, kohled eyes, teak-tanned – the superficial similarities between “Brigitte Barbie “and the former French Vogue editor-in-chief, Carine Roitfeld, are plain to see. (Note: that pulling off this formula requires innate French insouciance and je ne sais quoi in order to avoid looking like a superannuated Towie star, as we Brits inevitably would be given the same treatment.) Of course, it wouldn’t do for Mme Macron – at least in her public-facing guise – to go the full rock’n’roll Roitfeld, all femme fatale black leather pencil skirts, lace tights and dresses slashed to the thigh. But Roitfeld’s influence is still clear to see: just a year younger than Brigitte Macron if the ex-Vogue editor says it’s fine for grandmothers – as they both are – to wear towering heels with (some way) above-the-knee skirts, douse themselves in bronzer, and scaffold their eyelashes with whacking great shelves of black mascara, who are we to argue? 2. Brigitte Bardot Most wouldn’t even dare to take inspiration from the blonde bombshell that was Bardot – who are we, after all, to think there could be any physical connection? But, as we are so often told, French women are made of different stuff (not to mention, calorie-negative croissants). They are just naturally confident in their God-given sex appeal – while we wear pants, they wear lingerie, while we wear PJs, they wear negligees. None more so, it seems, than Brigitte Macron, the glamazon of first ladies – the woman who arranged to be photographed in a blue floral halterneck swimsuit on a Biarritz beach for Paris Match ahead of her husband’s 2016 presidential campaign. Smooth, tanned legs, beachy, undone hair, and the victorious smile of a woman who’s bagged a handsome younger husband, there was a clear resemblance of a confident, carefree “Bardot does Cannes” – the original sex bomb; the epitome of feminine sexuality. This is surely Mme Macron’s unspoken cause, to remind women that they too can be sexy whatever their age. 3. Catherine Deneuve Did any woman in French history have a better blonde blowout than the iconic French film star Catherine Deneuve? If glamour, polish and sex appeal are your watchwords (as they evidently are with Brigitte Macron), why wouldn’t you take a leaf out of Deneuve’s playbook and infuse your hair with buttery blondeness, volume and lift? Of course, expensive, high-maintenance hair is a terribly middle-aged French woman pursuit, because they all know that, as ably demonstrated by Mme Deneuve, big blonde hair is a fast track to voluptuousness when the body is perhaps less inclined (the Macrons, by the way, are understood to spend €62,000 a year on hair and make-up, as revealed in 2018 by the French Court of Audit). What’s more, a golden crown of bouffy hair creates a perfect frame for wearing more make-up than is strictly necessary. But the Deneuve reference is not just concerned with big hair – or, indeed, their shared love of late Parisian designer Yves Saint Laurent (which the French first lady wore to welcome the king and queen on their state visit, and which Deneuve commissioned for her first meeting with the late Queen Elizabeth II – and which always, always lends an elegant, sophisticated simplicity). It’s about an attitude, one that is cool, sexy and a little edgy, with so much going on beneath the surface. It’s all tres, tres French. 4. Françoise Hardy As any fashion historian will tell you, the French chanteuse Françoise Hardy set the benchmark for wearing leather with effortless chic. In fact, she famously “double leathered” with a black leather biker jacket and black leather trousers while sitting on the back of a motorbike, her luxuriant, fringed hair unfettered by any unsexy safety equipment. Brigitte Macron might not be able to do the motorbike, but she can – and regularly does – do the skinny leather pants. Worn black like Hardy, with yet more of Mme Macron’s beloved sky-high heels, the French first lady ably demonstrates what Theresa May was just never going to grasp – that succeeding with leather, is all about sex. You don’t achieve sex appeal by wearing leather, but rather, you pull off leather when you have an innate ability to deploy some sensuality. Sometimes you just have to leave it to the French. 5. Coco Chanel There surely isn’t a French woman of any standing whose fashion sense isn’t informed by Coco Chanel. And of course, Brigitte Macron would not be doing her job as ambassador-in-chief of French fashion if she were not seen to be wearing plenty of Chanel. But that’s not really the point here. It’s not just about being able to have an ample, Chanel-labelled armoury of classic design, good taste and French chic – as displayed this week when Queen Camilla and the French first lady visited Chanel, Brigitte Macron wearing a red boucle long line jacket from the fashion house (think, as ever, a strong shoulder, a nipped waist and flattering tailoring). Non, it’s about “liberté”. Chanel’s fashion philosophy was about freedom of movement and independence so when Brigitte Macron teams a blazer with jeans (admittedly unlikely on this state visit but clearly in evidence on many a walkabout), you know who paved the way for that. Chanel style is also about ensuring that you are the statement as opposed to your outfit. With Brigitte Macron’s style signature being legs, lashes and a distinct lack of apology for not dressing her age, Coco would surely be proud. Read More Queen Camilla enjoys game of ping pong with Brigitte Macron In Pictures: King delivers historic address to French senate King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted by Emmanuel Macron and his wife in Paris Queen Camilla enjoys game of ping pong with Brigitte Macron King Charles to address French senate in historic first King Charles and Queen Camilla greeted by Emmanuel Macron and his wife in Paris

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Father’s Day (18 June) is just around the corner, which is a great opportunity to get together as a family and show the dad figures in your life some love, and if the saying “the way to a man's heart is through his stomach” is true, there’s no better way to celebrate than by cooking up a seriously scrumptious meal. Luckily, we’ve sat down with professional chef and host of foodie favourite the Desert Island Dishes podcast Margie Nomura, who has shared her ultimate Father’s Day Menu, including a seriously delicious cauliflower starter, TikTok favourite burrata pasta and oozy double chocolate muffins. All these recipes are family-friendly and simple to make. Whole roasted cauliflower with tahini and chimichurri This dish is a perfect substantial starter to kick off any Father’s Day feast. It’s a great substitute for a cut of meat and is easy to make when you’re feeling lazy. When you roast a cauliflower whole it takes on this buttery, sweet but salty crust in the oven so make sure you roast it until it is soft enough for a knife to cut through. For the chimichurri, you won’t use all of this for the cauliflower but it keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and is amazing served as a salad dressing or on vegetable kebabs. Serves: 4 as a starter and 2 as a main Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 60 minutes Ingredients: 1 medium-sized cauliflower (remove thick ugly outer leaves but leave any smaller more delicate ones) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp Maldon sea salt For the chimichurri, mix together: 1 finely diced shallot 1 diced red chilli pepper 3-4 diced garlic cloves ½ cup red wine vinegar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp red pepper flakes ½ cup finely chopped coriander 2 cups finely parsley 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (more oil as needed to get the right consistency – it should be runnier than a pesto, more like a heavily flavoured chunky oil) For the garlic yoghurt: 4 heaped tbsp Greek yoghurt 1 clove garlic crushed Juice of ¼ lemon 2 tbsp tahini to serve Method: Pre-heat the oven to 200C. Fill a large pot of water and season well with salt and bring to a boil. Place the cauliflower in, cover and let cook for 6-8 minutes, depending on the size. Check to see if ready by poking the stem with a knife, and then remove the cauliflower and place it on a sheet tray to steam dry for around 10 minutes. Cover with extra virgin olive oil and season well with sea salt. Return to the oven and let roast for 45 minutes until charred and golden all over. Remove from the oven Spoon some garlicky yoghurt onto a serving plate and pop the cauliflower on top. Drizzle with tahini and chimichurri. Cut into wedges and enjoy! Spaghetti with garlic tomatoes and burrata This pasta dish is one of my favourite go-to recipes, especially in the summer when you want something light and no fuss but still seriously delicious. This is a recipe that anyone at home can make, which means it’s a perfect dish for Father’s Day as everyone can pitch in and present a beautiful dish be proud of. Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 300g cherry tomatoes ½ tsp caster sugar Maldon salt and pepper 250g spaghetti or linguine Handful of chopped fresh basil, plus more for sprinkling 1 large ball of burrata cheese, torn Parmesan cheese, for topping Method: Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add in the garlic, and red pepper flakes, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes with a big pinch of salt and pepper and toss them in the oil. Let the tomatoes cook until they begin to burst. Add the sugar. Smoosh the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon gently to encourage them to burst. While the tomatoes do their thing, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta. Once the pasta is done, drain it (save a cup of cooking water) and add it directly to the tomatoes. Toss the mixture a few times so all the pasta is coated. Add a splash of pasta water as needed. Turn off the heat and toss in the fresh basil. Taste and check for seasoning. Top with burrata cheese. Serve immediately, top with parmesan cheese, more fresh basil and red pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. Double chocolate muffins These muffins are soft, pillowy and rich. Complete with chopped dark chocolate, they are the best sweet treat to end a Father’s Day feast. Plus, if you eat them whilst warm you can expect melty chocolate in the middle. This recipe has only 4 steps, and can be made earlier in the day so they work well when you’re doing a three course meal. If your dad has a sweet tooth, I would recommend serving with some vanilla ice cream on the side! Makes: 6 muffins Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 250ml buttermilk 120ml vegetable oil 2 eggs splash of vanilla 300g plain flour 180g sugar 65g cocoa powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp instant coffee (even if you don’t like coffee, you should add it as you can’t taste the coffee taste but it enhances everything else!) Pinch of salt 200g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks Method: In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt And then in a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients together Pour the two together and then add the chopped chocolate Scoop into a lined muffin tray and bake at 180 c for 20 mins. Enjoy! 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Actor Adam Thomas has revealed he has been diagnosed with a long-term health condition just days after being announced as the eighth celebrity contestant who will compete in the forthcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. Sharing a post to Instagram on Friday (11 August) to celebrate his 35 birthday, the Waterloo Road actor told his followers that he has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. “As much as I act like a kid, my body is telling another story…” he wrote. “I’ve been in a lot of pain since January,” he continued. “It started with my knees and then travelled to my wrists, fingers and now ankles and toes.” Thomas explained: “I never knew what was happening and finally after several blood tests and back and forth to doctors and hospitals, I’ve been diagnosed with rheumatoid Arthritis!” The actor, who is best known for playing Donte Charles in BBC school-based drama, said that he originally thought arthritis was something that people are diagnosed with “later on in life”. Last week, Thomas was announced as the eighth celebrity contestant to appear on Strictly Come Dancing, but has said that he is “up for the challenge”. “The reason I signed up to Strictly is because I just want to be able to move again, get fit and do it, all with a smile on my face!” he wrote. “It really couldn’t have come at a better time I’m a firm believer of everything happening for a reason, and I know the journey I’ve been on was meant to happen, to never take small things in life for granted! …Like going for a run, playing with my kids and just being able to walk with no pain!” “I know it’s going to be tough and I’ve definitely got my work cut out but am up for the challenge and can not wait to get on that dance floor!!” Thomas, who marked his birthday by sharing a picture with his wife, Caroline Daly and their two children, told his followers to “stay positive” and “get the right help where and when you can”. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease and long-term condition that causes pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints. The condition usually affects the hands, feet and wrists and can cause flare-up periods, where symptoms become worse for a period of time. According to the NHS, the condition often stars when a person is between 30 and 50 years old, and women are more likely to be affected than men. Thomas played Adam Barton in ITV soap Emmerdale and also appeared in I’m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2016, and went on to co-host the spin-off I’m a Celebrity: Extra Camp. Speaking in a statement ahead of his Strictly debut, Thomas said he has been a fan of the dance competition “for years”. “I can’t believe I’m actually doing it!” he said. “I can’t dance to save my life but I’m buzzing to learn and have a good laugh with my pro. Get me on that dance floor... I can’t wait!" Former Strictly contestants have been sharing their words of encouragement for Thomas as he embarks on the challenging training schedule. “You’re so strong and with your family behind you, you can conquer anything. Can’t wait to see you smash it on Strictly ,” wrote singer and presenter Fleur East, who competed in last year’s competition. TV presenter Angela Scanlon, who will be competing alongside Thomas this year, wrote: “You’ve got this.” Find the full Strictly Come Dancing 2023 lineup here. Read More Husband ‘ruins’ dinner because of his wife’s typo: ‘The worst kind of control freak’ Fan who went into labour at Pink concert names newborn son after her From Angela Scanlon to Zara McDermott: The fashion of this year’s Strictly contestants Linda Evangelista opens up about co-parenting with son’s stepmother Salma Hayek Katharine McPhee reveals she and David Foster suffered a ‘family tragedy’

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Italians were supposed to be on a "pasta strike" this week but it was called off after prices for the national staple started to fall. Zoom out, though, and global food prices are still far higher than a year ago, despite precipitous drops in the cost of key raw materials.