Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly been formally offered the opportunity to play James Bond – taking over from Daniel Craig for the next films.

And the actor’s real Bond Girl is his wife Sam, 57, who is 24 years his senior and a  British film director and artist – with the pair having a fiercely private relationship. 

Actor Aaron, 33, met the filmmaker, 58, on the set of Nowhere Boy in 2009 and they share daughters Wylda Rae, 13, and Romy Hero 11, as well as Angelica, 26, and Jessie, 16, from Sam’s previous marriage to art dealer Jay Jopling.

When they first met on the film Aaron was just 18 and Sam was 42. They didn’t get together until after they finished the project where a ‘deep connection’ was formed. 

Sam has enjoyed a hugely successful filmmaking career with films such as Fifty Shades of Grey and has also directed the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black.

But she has also faced a fair amount of personal turmoil – having battled cancer twice. 

In December 1997, at age 30, she was treated for colon cancer. Then in 2000, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She practices yoga and meditation, of which she has previously said: ‘I wouldn’t be able to survive everything without the meditation that I do. It’s what I think has made me able to cope with the madness.’

Sam was born in Croydon and grew up near Streatham Common in south London, with her younger sister Ashley and her mother Geraldine and father David.

Her father left the family when she was nine which she has previously described as a ‘sudden, very weird and abrupt’ split. She didn’t see her dad for the next 10 years.

Sam went to Beacon Community College in East Sussex and later attended Goldsmiths, University of London.

She then began exhibiting fine-art photography in the early 1990s and began working on her filmmaking with short videos during this time. 

She was nominated for the Turner prize in 1998, and was the winner of Most Promising Artist award at the 1997 Venice Biennale.

She then moved further into filmmaking and in August 2008, was chosen to direct Nowhere Boy, a biopic about the childhood of John Lennon. She was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA for the film. 

Last year Aaron gave a rare insight into their marriage and touched on their ‘creative partnership’. 

Speaking to Esquire the Kick-Ass star said despite collaborating with Sam on three films he ‘doesn’t think it’s accurate’ to suggest the couple’s relationship is rooted in their creative partnership.

Saying: ‘Yeah, we worked—I met Sam as actor and director. I think we’re really great at collaborating. But that’s not why I fell in love with her’.

Elsewhere in the conversation he discussed the couple’s home life and his shock that his children were already teenagers.

The family moved back to the UK from Los Angeles in 2022 and have since settled in Somerset where Aaron said he has pigs and bees and ‘loves’ life in the country.

The Bullet Train star also spoke about his upcoming acting gigs after originally opting to work less stay to home with his children when they were younger.

Saying: ‘I wanted, purely, to be with my babies, I didn’t want to be taken away from them. I battled with what that would be like.’ 

He later admitted to the interviewer: ‘I’ve probably talked to you more about my kids and Sam than I have with anybody. I’ve got really nothing to hide, and I’m secure in what we have. But I’m not going to unlock things that are actually precious to me.’

Aaron has also previously touched on their age gap which has come under scrutiny in the past. 

He said: ‘I’ve got really nothing to hide, and I’m secure in what we have. But I’m not going to unlock things that are actually precious to me.

‘I don’t really analyze our relationship. I just know that it works. I just feel secure and loved and safe. We have this very deep connection. We’re just in sync.’ 

Before Aaron Sam was married to art dealer Jay. They tied the knot in 1997 and had two daughters together, born in April 1997 and 2005, respectively.

In September 2008, the couple announced that they were separating amicably after 11 years of marriage.

Sam found out about her colon cancer at the end of 1997 – the same year she married Jay and welcomed their first daughter Angelica. 

She originally thought that her cancer symptoms were her body’s reaction to giving birth and had three GP visits where she was told she was just ‘recovering slowly’.

After her pain intensified she went to see a private doctor and was correctly diagnosed. 

The next day she went into hospital and had a foot-and-a-half of her colon removed and stayed in hospital for three weeks.  

Then, in the autumn of 1999, she found a lump in her armpit and subsequently had treatment for breast cancer.

She told The Guardian of the tough experience: ‘You go through all that, and you still don’t know if it’s gone. 

‘It’s all percentages: if you do this, you get this much percentage knocked off the possibility of recurrence. And it’s always something pathetic like three per cent.’

After overcoming cancer and her divorce she found happiness with actor Aaron.

In 2022 Sam dubbed her husband Aaron ‘father to all 4 girls’ as they celebrated 10 years of marriage. 

’10 glorious years. My incredible husband, father to all 4 girls. I love you, I love you, I love you. love conquers all,’ she wrote.

In honour of the marriage milestone, the pair decided to renew their ‘vows and confess our love in front of our nearest and dearest friends and family.’ 

‘It was a magical unforgettable day and the sun did not stop shining on us both,’ Aaron gushed on Instagram.

‘We are blessed beyond belief. Sammy you are my love, my life, my soulmate, my wife, my world!’

In 2011 then-Prince Charles presided over the ceremony in which Sam received her OBE in honor of her photography and artwork.

‘It’s such an incredible honor to receive this award — something I would never have dreamt of,’ she told the BBC. ‘It’s very gratifying for an artist to get recognition at this level.’

It comes as Aaron ‘has been formally offered the opportunity to play James Bond’, putting an end to months of speculation regarding Daniel Craig’s successor. 

He is yet to officially accept the role, but should he do so he will become only the seventh actor to play the iconic British secret agent since the franchise launched in 1962.

A recent poll suggested Idris Elba was still the public’s number one choice for the role, despite being 51 – old for a Bond candidate – and already ruling himself out of the running in order to focus on his crime drama, Luther. 

But Aaron, who is known for his roles in Nocturnal Animals, Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy and Avengers: Age of Ultron, has landed the coveted part, reports The Sun.  

A source said: ‘Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back.

‘As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement.’ 

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Aaron for comment. 

Responding to the rumours that he could step into Bond’s shoes last week, Aaron played coy, telling Numero: ‘I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment.’

He began acting as a child and has seen his career go from strength to strength, with three huge film appearance this year alone.

Aaron will be starring as a famous action star who goes missing in The Fall Guy, opposite Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt.

And he will also be appearing in the hotly anticipated remake of 1922 gothic horror Nosferatu, directed by Robert Eggers and featuring a star-studded cast, including Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp and Willem Dafoe.

But Aaron’s biggest upcoming role will see him rejoin the superhero universe, as he will be playing the titular role in Kraven the Hunter, the fifth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

He also has been nominated for two BAFTAs and previously won Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globes for Nocturnal Animals.

The Bullet Train star’s name has been in the running for Bond for a while now, alongside fellow A-list contenders like Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and recent Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy.

In October last year, the Mail exclusively revealed that Aaron was the ‘one to beat’ to take the iconic role, while Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan was looking likely to helm the next film in the franchise.

The insider said: ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently the hot favorite to step into the iconic role, he’s the first choice for Barbara Broccoli – he is the one to beat.’

They added of Christopher: ‘He is extremely interested in doing something very different with the franchise. If he can get his way with producers, then he is all for it.’

It’s the movie role that can transform unknown actors into global megastars – and now the British have had their say on who they want to be the next James Bond.

Thousands of Bond fans have cast their votes on who they want to replace Daniel Craig in the spy film franchise.

And topping the list is Luther star Idris Elba, who was the overwhelming favorite to perform after a survey of 2,000 Britons.

In the poll, commissioned by Lottoland, the 51-year-old beat the likes of Venom star Tom Hardy, Superman’s Henry Cavill and Oscar-winning man with the golden gong, Cillian Murphy, for the prized role.

Among the other top 20 A-listers who suggested they might be in the running were some left-wing stars such as House of the Dragons’ Emilia Clarke, James Norton, Emily Blunt and Helen Mirren. The sun revealed.

Bond is known for turning those who play 007 into global superstars.

And the franchise isn’t shy about casting stars out of left field to take on the role. The late Sean Connery, one of the most recognizable Bonds, had only appeared in a series of TV films when he accepted the role of a British spy in 1962’s Dr. No, with which he achieved international fame.

But while Idris was the first choice, fans may be left disappointed after the actor ruled himself out of playing the role last year so he could focus on his deal with Netflix, where he is starring in Luther: The Fallen Sun.

Idris brought up the ongoing discussions about the takeover of Ian Fleming’s famous British spy in February 2023.

When asked about the Luther film at the World Government Summit in Dubai, he said: “It’s very dark.

‘We’ve been working on the television show for about ten years and so the natural ambition is to bring it to the big screen, and so here we are with the first film.

“You know, a lot of people talk about another character that starts with J and ends with B, but I’m not going to be that guy.

‘I will be John Luther. That’s who I am.’

In August 2022, it was reported that Idris had left ‘years of talks’ with film bosses to take over the famous role.

He was the bookies’ favorite to replace Daniel Craig as super spy, but is keen to pursue other roles – and has even submitted a proposed list to producer Barbara Broccoli of actors who would play 007.

A source said The sun: ‘Fans and Barbara wanted Idris, but he wants to create something for himself.

“However, he has put forward names to play 007. He is ‘informally’ involved in the decision-making process, because he has been in discussions with producers for so long.’

MailOnline contacted representatives of Idris and James Bond producers at the time.

At the premiere of his film The Harder They Fall in 2021, when asked if he is considered the next 007, Idris said: ‘No, I’m not going to be James Bond.’

He told it too The Express about the rumors: “I’m probably the most famous Bond actor in the world, and I didn’t even play the part.”

Idris then added: “Enough is enough. I can’t talk about it anymore.’

Despite this, Ladbrokes awarded the actor a 3/1 for taking on the role after Daniel announced that 2021’s No Time To Die would be his final appearance as the character.

The bookmakers said at the time: ‘We have seen a huge interest in Idris Elba and have reduced his odds accordingly, so much so that he is now the clear favorite in our view to replace Daniel Craig as 007.’

Tom Hardy at 5/1, Rege-Jean Page 4/1 and Richard Madden 20/1 were also rumored to be in the running.

James Bond producer Barbara previously admitted that it will take a long time to choose Craig’s 007 replacement.

The filmmaker emphasized that it’s not as simple as choosing an actor to take on the iconic role of the friendly spy.

Speaking to Variety, Barbara said: ‘It’s a big decision.

‘It’s not just playing a role. It’s about a whole rethink of where we’re going.”

Earlier that same year, the blockbuster franchise’s producer confirmed that Idris was “part of the conversation” to become the next 007.

She told Deadline’s Crew Call podcast, “Well, we know Idris, we’re friends with him, and he’s a great actor.”

“And you know, it’s been part of the conversation, but it’s always hard to have a conversation when there’s someone in the seat.”

Barbara added that Bond bosses are in no rush to name the actor as they wanted the cast and crew to enjoy Craig’s latest film No Time To Die.

She said: ‘I think we’ve decided that until No Time To Die has had its run and Daniel has been able to – well, we’ve all been able to enjoy and reap the benefits of Daniel’s wonderful tenure, we’re not going to doing. think of or talk about someone else.’

The producer also hinted at a reimagining of the franchise. explaining: ‘It’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re trying to figure out where to go with him, we’ll talk about that.”

However, she added that any casting announcements are still a ways off, saying, “We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time,” she continued. “There is no script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how to approach the next film.

“I’d say filming will take at least another two years.”

At 6ft tall and with perfect posture, the Prince of Wales is our most stately royal.

Add a muscular physique to all his sporting activities and William, 41, has a truly impressive physical presence.

The prince can thank his six-foot-tall mother, Princess Diana, for the tall genes that make him tower over many of the celebrities and dignitaries he meets.

Poor David Beckham is just the latest star to be dwarfed by the masterful Wills.

Here, MailOnline Royals looks at the long and short of William's famous encounters.

DAVID BECKHAM

Poor Becks, this photo of him shaking hands with William at Sunday night's BAFTAs went viral.

Regardless of “bend it like Beckham,” it looks like the heir to the throne is crouching in front of Beckham. In fairness to the former footballer, William is standing on a raised platform, meaning the 6-foot-2 Becks isn't as small as he seems.

KYLIE MINOGUE

At a shade under six feet, even a pair of stilettos didn't make much of a difference when Can't Get You Out of My Head singer Kylie Minogue met Prince William at a charity reception for the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust in 2018.

The singer sat at chest level with the Prince, the next day it was probably a case of 'I can't stand my neck.'

TOM CRUISE

Want to compete with Willem? That's an impossible mission for 6-foot-4 Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, who is rumored to wear lifters in his shoes to gain some extra height.

However, 61-year-old Tom would have to wear eight-inch platform heels to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Prince, as we saw firsthand when they both attended the London Air Ambulance gala dinner and the Top Gun Maverick premiere earlier this month in London. May 2022.

JON BON JOVI

William famously performed Livin' on a Prayer when he joined Jon Bon Jovi and Taylor Swift on stage at a charity event at Centrepoint in 2013.

The prince has since said he now “cringes” when reminded of it. “I don't know what came over me,” he later admitted. His shaky vocals may not have matched the height of 6-foot-4 Bon Jovi, but his body certainly did.

GERI HORNER

In this photo, it looks like Ginger Spice actually wants a ladder so she can properly greet the future king.

Geri met William when the pair attended a primary school in Newport together last year. She famously squeezed King Charles' bum when she was a Spice Girl and he was the Prince of Wales. This time the 1.80 meter tall singer kept her fingers to herself.

RAMI MALEK

The American actor met both William and Catherine when he attended the Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston in 2022.

At 6ft tall, the princess was also taller than the 6ft tall Bohemian Rhapsody star who described meeting the pair as 'rad'. The diminutive actor is also not great at small talk, showing that he has overstepped royal protocol by being too personal with the future king and queen.

MARK OWEN

The pop star who sang in Take That's Rule the World meets the man who will one day rule the country.

The only thing we didn't need was a ruler to work out who was tallest when the Prince met the band after the Concert for Diana in 2007. William was head and shoulders above both 6ft 6in Mark Owen and Gary Barlow, 6 feet tall.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Hats are a great way to add height and a favorite trick of our little late 5ft 3 Queen.

But it would take a whole box of hats to come close to her grandson's height, as we saw when Her Majesty visited the Royal Military Academy in Camberley for the Sovereign's Parade in December 2006. Is that why William can't suppress his giggles?

PHOEBE DYNEVOR

Bridgerton star Phoebe missed out on the Rising Star BAFTA for which she was nominated this year.

And being a rising star would certainly have come in handy when the 6ft tall actress met BAFTA president the Prince of Wales later in the evening.

MICHAEL D HIGGINS

His height of just 6ft 4in doesn't stop Michael Higgins from doing the biggest job in Ireland.

When Queen Elizabeth met him, it was one of the few times she was bigger than a world leader. Sadly, the same could not be said when the President welcomed William to Ireland during a state visit in 2020.

CROWN PRINCE HUSSEIN BIN ABDULLAH

Both Kate and William attended the wedding when the Crown Prince married Rajwa Al Saif in Jordan last year.

And it was Queen Rania's 6ft tall son who greeted William at the start of his 2018 tour of the Middle East.

Both princes were educated at Sandhurst, both are heirs to a throne… The only thing they don't have in common is their height.

DANIEL CRAIG

You'd think Q would have come up with a gadget to make Bond star Daniel Craig look bigger when he meets royals.

Even his pink velvet jacket wasn't enough to distract from the height difference when 6'3″ Craig met William at the 2021 premiere of No Time To Die. No time to lift his boots either, it seems .

Scientists have found that doing simple yoga exercises for just three minutes every hour can reduce the risk of diabetes by up to a quarter.

And it gets even better: for some exercises you don't even have to get up.

Researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University asked 15 young adults to sit at a desk for eight hours and either remain still or do 180 seconds of yoga or tai chi every hour.

Tai chi had no significant effect. But those who did yoga poses such as downward dog, cobra, warrior and mountain lowered their blood sugar levels by about 10 percent.

Let's not forget the wider benefits of yoga: it strengthens and lengthens muscles (making you tighter and toned), and increases endurance, balance and flexibility, which is great if you want to boost your sex life, physically robust want to stay in middle age and surpass or advance your mental health.

The study's findings come as no surprise to leading yoga instructor Marianne O'Neill, who teaches at AMP at the Corinthia hotel, which is frequented by celebrities including Catherine Zeta-Jones, Daniel Craig and Jennifer Lawrence.

'Yoga has so many benefits – not just for diabetes, but also for anxiety, stress and weight. And that doesn't have to take long,” she says.

Set a timer on your phone and complete as many sun salutations as you can in three minutes. Or perform a spinal twist, holding for a minute and a half on each side.

Or you can do a cobra first and then a downward dog, each for a minute and a half. Repeat your micro session of yoga al deskko eight times a day, just three minutes per hour, and reap all the benefits without missing a single work deadline…

Seated stretching

Beginners can sit on a chair. You can also sit cross-legged on the floor and breathe slowly through your nose. Hold your breath for four counts, then relax and exhale slowly, lowering your shoulders. Repeat three times.

Inhale as you raise your arms above your head, then interlock your fingers and push your palms upward. Lengthen your torso, contract your core and hold. As you exhale, lean to the left, push with your palms, straighten your arms and lengthen along the right side of the body. Then raise your arms above your head and lean to the right, extending along your left side.

Spinal twist

Sit cross-legged on the floor – or, if this causes discomfort, sit on a chair with your knees together and feet flat on the floor. Open your arms wide and twist from the base of your spine, placing your left hand on your right knee and your right hand behind you, with your fingertips touching the floor or chair seat.

Breathe slowly and deeply. Sit up straight and roll your right shoulder back. Repeat on your other side. Each twist helps with digestion because it gets your system moving. It's also great for hip flexibility and stretches the chest, shoulders and back.

Sphinx pose or cobra

The cobra pose—you lie flat on your stomach, your arms at your sides, and you rise from the waist like a snake—strengthens the abs, core and spine, and even the glutes when you engage them. Some people say this stretch also compresses their lower back.

I recommend a variation for beginners: the sphinx pose. Place your elbows on the floor, in line with your chest, with your forearms flat in front of you. Keep looking at the mat and stay low. Raise your upper body to a comfortable place, push your chest forward and keep your shoulders back. Hold this position for 30 seconds.

Downward dog

Start on all fours, hands on the mat shoulder-width apart. Lift your knees off the mat and keeping your hands flat, lift your hips and press your heels into the floor until you form a triangle shape. Straightening your legs can hurt, so bend your knees if necessary.

Push away from your hands so that you straighten your arms and keep your butt high in the air. Hold for a few moments. This releases the tension and gets the blood pumping faster.

Warrior II

Stand up straight, feet hip-width apart. Step your right foot back and rotate it outward 90 degrees, bending your left knee – in line with your left ankle. Extend your arms horizontally on either side of you – left arm in line with your left leg, right arm over right leg. Turn your head so that your gaze is aligned with your left fingertips. Keep your spine vertical. A wonderful stretch for balance, flexibility and endurance.

Sun salutation

Sitting for long hours contributes to the risk of diabetes. This movement helps control blood sugar levels.

Start in mountain pose with arms at your sides and palms facing up. Inhale, extend your arms above your head, straighten and extend them.

Exhale and slowly bend forward from your hips, pulling your core in until your fingers touch the floor. Bend your knees if that's easier. Inhale, flattening your spine until your torso is horizontal – a 'half lift'.

Exhaling, place your hands on the floor and step back into a plank. Lower your knees-chest-chin to the floor. Breathe into the cobra. Exhale into downward dog. Inhale, step or jump forward – lift halfway. Exhale, bend forward. Inhale, roll up and reach your arms above your head. Exhale, return to the mountain.

• espalifeatcorinthia.com/gym/

Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig reunited with his 007 co-stars Jeffery Wright and producer Barbara Broccoli as they stepped out for the screening of American Fiction in New York.

The triple threat dressed to kill as they stepped out at the Crosby St Hotel to support Jefferey's latest starring role in the new comedy drama.

Jeffery, 58, who played Felix Leiter in Casino Royal, stars as novelist Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison, who is fed up with the establishment profiting from 'black' entertainment.

The Batman star looked dapper as ever as he stunned in a chic all-black ensemble.

He opted for a classic look and wore a jet black sweater with a turtleneck, which he tucked into his anthracite-colored trousers.

Jeffery completed his timeless look with a fitted black blazer and refined square glasses.

Linked to his arm is Bond co-star Daniel, 55, who opted for a trendy and polished ensemble as he looked handsome in a checked gray suit.

The Glass Onion star paired his three-piece with a light blue Oxford shirt and a wide satin tie.

Inspired by the '70s, Daniel completed his serious look with oversized yellow-tinted glasses with a silver rim.

In support of Jeffery's new leading role, James Bond producer Barbara, 63, looked stunning as she turned heads in all black.

The Till producer looked sensational as she also stunned in a black sweater and turtleneck trousers.

She showed off her fashion sense with a fitted black velvet blazer with a pretty pink silk floral lining that peaked under her rolled up sleeves.

The new MGM film is said to force white liberals to confront their hypocrisy in Hollywood and beyond, and is receiving rave reviews from the very people it exposes.

Cord Jefferson's American Fiction is a commentary on the way the establishment favors reductive portraits of blackness in the name of diversity and inclusivity, often at the expense of quality.

The film tells the story of a black professor, “Monk,” played by Jeffrey, who is fed up with his snowflake students and struggles to gain any critical interest in his work.

He jokingly wrote a novel full of racial stereotypes, but it became an overnight success.

The biting satire pokes fun at powerful white liberals in the publishing industry and later in Hollywood, who picked up the bizarre parody titled “My Pafology” and later renamed “F***.”

And ironically, the film has gotten great reviews from left-wing publications eager to let it be known that they're in on the joke.

The Washington Post stated that the film is: “Racial parody rooted in chillingly familiar honesty.”

Salon stated that American Fiction “provides a new framework for what black success means for writers.”

While Rolling Stone called the film “an absolute triumph” for the way it “deconstructs how white guilt oppresses black creatives.”

In the film, Jeffrey's middle-class monk only achieves commercial success when he ignores his privilege and writes a “hood” novel under the pseudonym on-the-lam con Stagg R. Leigh.

Before his six-figure book deal, an exasperated Monk feuded with publishers who felt his classics-based work should be categorized under African-American literature because of their fixation on race.

He is advised to write something “blacker” and is ultimately inspired to do so after witnessing the success of fellow author Sintara Golden (Issa Rae), an Oberlin-educated writer praised for her “urgent” and ” raw' poverty porn novel, 'We live in Da Ghetto'.

But by combining this plot point with an exploration of Monk's personal and family life, including his struggle to connect with siblings played by Tracee Ellis Ross and Sterling K Brown, the film attempts to highlight how absurd the fixation solely on race has become.

“The important question to ask, the question I'm asking now, is: Why is this stuff being made to the exclusion of everything else?” Jefferson told Rolling Stone.

The film is expected to be released in the UK and Ireland on February 2, 2024 by Curzon Film.

Some of us struggle to shed the pounds we gain from our gluttony over Christmas, and I’m definitely in this camp. 

However, on top of that, I’m still striving to blitz the blubber I built up over lockdown, when I stockpiled reduced Easter eggs and made them a staple of my daily diet.

So when I hear that cryotherapy could reduce my body’s resemblance to badly mashed potato, I’m up for it!

What is cryotherapy? Well, it’s basically standing in a very cold shower cubicle (or ‘cryo chamber’) in pretty much just your underwear, while actual snowflakes flutter about and massacre your mascara, leaving you looking like Alice Cooper.

Celebs including Jennifer Aniston, Daniel Craig, Gary Barlow and Cristiano Ronaldo are all reportedly fans of cryotherapy, and it’s said to improve physical and mental health.

If you filled a top hat with the names of medical conditions, then picked one out, the odds are that cryotherapy has been said to help with it.

It’s a relatively new treatment that’s still being researched, however benefits are thought to include pain relief, muscle recovery, treatment of eczema symptoms, migraine relief, and reduced inflammation, which in itself decreases the likelihood of developing numerous conditions.

Then of course there are the weight loss benefits, and I find my interest piqued by a study claiming that cryotherapy can reduce waist size by more than 5%.

YES!

According to the New York Post, a study by Dr. Jacopo Fontana, of Italy’s Istituto Auxologico Piancavallo, has shown that having cryotherapy five times a week, over two weeks, resulted in a 5.6% decrease in waist measurement and a 20.2% drop in cholesterol, compared to a control group on the same diet and exercise regime (but no cryo), which saw a waist measurement decrease of 1.4% and a cholesterol drop of 9.4%.

Could cryotherapy be the secret to looking less like I’m smuggling a lumpy mattress under my clothes? And could it eliminate the Niagara Falls of fat spilling over my waistband?

There’s only way to find out, so I book myself in for a fortnight of cryotherapy at 111Cryo on the fourth floor of Harvey Nichols, in London’s Knightsbridge.

Arriving for my first session, I change into 111Cryo’s branded kit of sports-style bra and shorts, with matching headband, mask, gloves and puffa slippers – like a puffa jacket, but to keep my feet warm.

I spend three minutes in the cryo chamber, bopping about to East 17’s Steam which plays from frost-coated speakers. Then as the countdown clock hits zero, 111Cryo’s Isaac opens the door and points a little portable temperature gun at me.

‘We’re checking the skin temperature,’ he explains. ‘We check the stomach, arms, thighs and calves, looking for a drop in temperature of about 10C in each part of the body. The stomach stays the warmest, so it’s a fine line, getting your stomach below 17°C without the temperature of your arms and legs dropping too low. That’s why we keep an eye on the smaller extremities, because they get the coldest.’

The cryo chamber is kept at a temperature of -85C to -90C and Isaac tells me that some people scarper after the first 10-15 seconds.

I find the experience surprisingly OK and I suspect I may have built up a tolerance to the cold during long periods with no heating and no hot water in the flat I rent. Who knew that living in deeply unpleasant conditions could be the key to biohacking? Clearly I am the winner here!

On my second visit to 111Cryo I bump into celebrity chef Aldo Zilli who presides over the swish Lucarelli restaurant on Harvey Nichols’ Fifth Floor.

I have interviewed Aldo about 64 times, and when I last saw him, at the Lucarelli launch, I feared he might feed me into his meat grinder over an erroneous headline claiming he’d spent £XXK on a shopping trip.

Luckily this seems to be forgotten, and Aldo tells me he often pops downstairs for a cryo session. Hoisting up his chef’s top to flash his tummy at me, he declares: ‘How else do you think I look this good?!’

Wishing I had brushed my hair and put some lipstick on, I realise I shall have to raise my game when I visit 111Cryo because, who knows who I might bump into!

I tell the team I’ll be expecting them to line up celebs for all my appointments, and when I return the next day for my third session, I ask who they’ve got for me.

Sadly, they are disappointingly discreet about their celeb clients whose appointments they’ve probably now rescheduled well away from mine. However, I do hear a whisper that a certain world champion F1 driver (YES LEWIS HAMILTON!!!!!) has regularly frozen his bits in the exact same spot as me…

Ahead of my fourth session, I use the loo on the Fifth Floor, where they’re offering whisky samples. It takes all my will power to WALK AWAY FROM THE WHISKY, but I triumph. I’m committed to the cryo and I’m not sure how well it would mix with whisky, I tell Max, who’s manning the cryo chamber today.

Max says cryo is excellent for hangovers, and I make a note of this in my notepad for Very Important News.

Having started off with three minutes in the cryo chamber for my first two sessions, I increase this to three and a half minutes for my next three sessions.

The team checks my skin temperature each time I come out, and as my numbers are A-OK they give me the green light to go up to four minutes for my sixth session, at the start of my second week.

By my eighth session I am up to four and a half minutes in the cryo chamber and I’m actually OK with the cold, I’m just getting a bit bored watching the countdown clock and I tell the team they should replace it with a TV screen playing music videos. They thank me for this helpful feedback but unfortunately they’re unable to implement it in time for my next sessions.

Five minutes is the maximum anyone is allowed in the cryo chamber and Isaac tells me he’s been offered bribes by clients who are desperate to stay in longer. ‘It becomes an ego thing, but staying in too long is counterproductive,’ says Isaac, explaining that this can cause skin soreness and muscle fatigue.

He adds: ‘We have clients who come every day. We require a six hour gap between sessions, but with our opening hours, you can do it twice a day. Some clients come morning and evening.’

I ask Isaac if he’s surprised by the results of the study I’m hoping to replicate. A huge fan of cryo himself, Isaac has been freezing people since 2018 and sees clients’ fitness journeys first hand. 

He tells me that 111Cryo positions cryotherapy as a wellness treatment that complements a healthy lifestyle, and they don’t make any claims about cholesterol or waist measurements. However, he does confirm that cryo can result in burning an extra 500 to 800 calories in a day.

During my fortnight in the cryo chamber, I listen to the Arctic Monkeys and Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer (it would indeed be a cruel summer at -90C, but not much worse than usual).

M People’s Moving On Up keeps me dancing, so much so I choose it twice, and Dire Straits’ Romeo And Juliet is usefully long enough to see me through an entire session without it looping back to the beginning.

The most popular music choices are apparently Frozen and Ice Ice Baby. This Vanilla Ice classic is too much of a treat to pass up, so I choose it for my 10th and final session at the end of week two.

So having done five cryo sessions a week, for two weeks, have I replicated the results of Dr. Jacopo Fontana’s study, and managed to decrease my waist size by 5% and lower my cholesterol by 20%?

Well, I have lost 2cm off my waist. This isn’t a 5% decrease, but it does mean the waist bands of my clothes feel less like they’re crushing my internal organs, so I’m pretty happy with that. I haven’t measured anywhere else, but according to the scales I have lost 3lb, and I think my thighs are rubbing less when I walk, so presumably the weight loss is fairly evenly spread.

Unfortunately it’s a different story for my cholesterol. Instead of decreasing by 20%, it has increased by 50%.

I had my ‘before’ cholesterol test at the Harley Street Health Centre, a private clinic just off Harley Street, a few days ahead of my first cryotherapy session.

My cholesterol was measured as part of the clinic’s Silver blood test package which also measures various other things including iron and a full blood count.

According to my results, which I receive the next day, my iron and everything-to-do-with-my-red-blood-cells is so low that it’s a wonder I’ve been walking around without falling over.

As these results have been normal in the past, and the only change has been a fizzling out of red meat, I decide to reintroduce red meat into my diet, in the hope of increasing my iron (and hopefully making it less likely that I’ll fall down a man hole as a result of a dizzy spell).

After my final cryo session, I return to the Harley Street Health Centre for my ‘after’ cholesterol test, and the results show that my LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff that clogs up your arteries) has increased by 50%.

Chatting through my results, Harley Street Health Centre’s Dr. Mohseyni explains that the normal range for LDL cholesterol is less than 3 mmo1/L.

In my ‘before’ blood test, my LDL cholesterol was within this normal range, at a safe 2.6 mmo1/L.

However, in my ‘after’ blood test, following 17 days of eating red meat, my LDL cholesterol has rocketed to 3.9 mmo1/L which is no longer within the normal range.

By reintroducing red meat into my diet, I’ve thrown a spanner into the works, as there’s now no way of knowing whether the cryotherapy would have reduced my cholesterol had I continued eating normally.

There’s also no way of knowing if my cholesterol would have shot up even higher if I hadn’t been having cryo.

If the opportunity arises in the future to have a second go at the study (without throwing any extra variables into the mix) then I’d interested to see what happens.

However, for now I’ll be putting the cryotherapy on ice as I give my body a break from blood tests and get everything back on an even keel with a return to my fish based diet – supplemented by iron tablets.

As James Bond, he was often able to quickly take down his enemies in a hail of bullets.

But when it comes to chopping down trees in his £6million London mansion, Daniel Craig likes to take them down slowly – limb by limb.

He and his wife, Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz, have been given the green light to level a backyard laurel tree “by sectional take-down.”

The Hollywood couple applied to the municipality for a ‘license to kill’ to allow a garden renovation and the planting of more trees.

They needed permission because their monumental terraced house, which dates from 1840, is located in a protected nature reserve.

There were no objections from neighbors, but Colin Jacobson, a resident for more than 50 years, called for other trees to be protected.

In a letter to the council, neighbor Colin Jacobson wrote: ‘My concern is to ensure that the fall of this tree and associated garden developments do not adversely affect the two beautiful plane trees at the rear of the site.

‘These trees have been an integral part of my family’s lives and experiences and also provide vital oxygen to this notoriously traffic-polluted area.

‘I therefore urge the Tree Department to be extremely vigilant in ensuring the long-term survival of these trees in this and future similar applications.

‘It would also be encouraging to receive reassurance from applicants that they too value the plane trees and will do all they can to protect and care for them.’

It’s not the first time Daniel and Rachel have gotten into a fight over a tree.

In 2017, a neighbor claimed that the roots of an 80-foot plane tree in the couple’s garden were causing cracks in his Victorian home.

But it was saved from the chainsaw after Craig and Rachel applied to the council to cut it back – rather than fell it.

Daniel plans to expand his lavish home with a Dressing Room-style makeover.

They want to demolish a ‘poorly constructed’ conservatory and build a larger rear extension with a balcony above, and carry out a Ground Force-style garden regeneration.

The couple want to move the kitchen from the front to the back of the property and make internal changes, including widening the opening in the rear wall of the lower ground floor.

They also want to split the double reception room on the ground floor in two and install a larger rear window on the first floor in their five-bedroom home.

In a design statement, the couple’s planning agent said: ‘The proposed new extension would replace an existing late 20th century conservatory, which is poorly constructed and inefficient (it is very cold in winter and overheated in summer) and does not in accordance with expectations. original building.

‘This would mean that the least successful part of the existing building (in terms of materials, form and proportions) could be recast so that it is elevated to a quality equal to the rest of the property.

‘The enlarged extension allows the kitchen (the busiest room in the house) to be moved to the back of the property, giving it direct contact with the garden and bringing in much more natural light.

‘On the ground floor it is proposed to restore the wall between the two reception rooms to create a formal sitting room and separate TV room.

‘On the ground floor cupboard wing, the existing study would be divided to allow for a guest toilet on the stair transition between the ground floor and the lower ground floor.’

The agent added: ‘Elsewhere, the majority of the existing building fabric will remain unaffected by the proposed scheme.

‘The reconfigured accommodation resulting from this proposal would improve the balance between the main living areas of the house. Overall, the impact of the subject property and its surroundings would be positive.”

Craig, 55, and Weisz, 53, bought the pad in 2008 for £3.2 million but it is now thought to be worth £6 million.

It comprises a basement kitchen, conservatory, utility room, bedroom and bathroom with a double reception room and study on the ground floor.

There is a master bedroom, dressing room and bathroom on the first floor and three further bedrooms and two bathrooms on the second floor.

In 2010, the couple were given the green light for internal changes to the first floor, including a reconfiguration of the layout and the relocation of two internal doors.

They also obtained planning permission to move an existing bathroom to the rear and remove a partition wall that separated the master bedroom and bathroom.

Sinds hij voor het eerst optrad als Simon Basset, de o zo sexy hertog van Hastings Bridgerton in 2020 riepen zijn vele fans op tot een Britse acteur Rege-Jean Pagina om de volgende te zijn James Bond.

En het lijkt erop dat hij een elegante stap dichterbij is gekomen, want deze week heeft hij op de stippellijn getekend om in de rol van Simon Templar te verschijnen in een nieuwe film gebaseerd op The Saint.

Dat is het tv-programma uit de jaren zestig dat gemaakt werd Roger Moore beroemd, voordat hij Bond was – en Moore nam de vlotte branie van de heilige over in zijn interpretatie van de spion van Ian Fleming.

De film, gemaakt door Paramount, zal losjes gebaseerd zijn op de boeken van Leslie Charteris over een huurdief, maar dan een dief met een sociaal geweten. Er wordt gezegd dat het een ‘prioriteit’ is voor de studio na de staking.

Met Bond op een lange pauze (Daniel Craig‘S Geen tijd om te sterven kwam twee jaar geleden uit), zou nu het perfecte moment kunnen zijn voor een nieuwe spionagefilmfranchise.

Zeker, dat dachten de streamingdiensten, met de casting van Amazon Richard Madden als spion in de serie Citadel, en Netflix gebruik makend van Ryan Gosling als geheim agent in de film The Grey Man. Beiden hadden megabudgetten, maar geen van beide vloog in brand.

De re-boot van The Saint wordt geregisseerd door een ander Bond-waardig talent, Doug Liman, de man die de enorm succesvolle Bourne-franchise lanceerde.

Toneelschrijver en acteur Kwame Kwei-Armah, artistiek directeur van de Young Vic, gaat een nieuw concept schrijven.

De Saint-film was eerder in de maak met acteur Chris Pine en de Britse regisseur Dexter Fletcher, maar die versie ligt op de plank.

Wat de terugkeer van Bond betreft, zijn de bookmakers momenteel geïnteresseerd in Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Maar Bondproducent Barbara Broccoli zegt dat een beslissing nog ver weg is. . . waarschijnlijk jaren.

Nu James Bond aan het einde van de laatste film dood is, moeten ze beslissen of ze opnieuw willen beginnen met een prequel die zich afspeelt in het Dr No-tijdperk; herschikking van een 007 die geen James Bond is; of een andere mogelijkheid nastreven, waarbij je misschien negeert wat er in No Time To Die is gebeurd.

Ter promotie van haar op 007 geïnspireerde realityserie 007: Road To A Million gaf Broccoli toe dat ze nog niet eens begonnen waren met het uitwerken van de heruitvinding en dat de casting zou volgen.

‘Ik ga terug naar GoldenEye, toen iedereen zei: ‘De koude oorlog is voorbij, de muur is voorbij, Bond is dood, Bond is niet nodig, de hele wereld leeft in vrede en nu zijn er geen schurken’, en dat had de jongen verkeerd !

‘Deze films weerspiegelen de tijd waarin ze zich bevinden en er ligt een grote, grote weg voor de boeg, waarin we deze opnieuw moeten uitvinden voor het volgende hoofdstuk – en daar zijn we nog niet eens mee begonnen.’

Zoet succes voor de vrouw die Wonka’s lekkernijen tot leven bracht

Chocolatier Gabriella Cugno lijkt zeker een enorme boost te krijgen, want (fluister het maar) zij is de echte Wonka. . . de vrouw die de chocolaatjes maakte voor de blockbuster met Timothée Chalamet in de hoofdrol als de excentrieke uitvinder van Roald Dahl.

Tot nu toe heeft de in Londen gevestigde Cugno in luxe restaurants gewerkt en haar adventskalender met chocolaatjes kost £ 55.

Ze maakte en temperde alle chocolaatjes voor de film met de hand, inclusief lekkernijen als ‘hairreparatie-eclairs’ (200 stuks) en 900 Hoverchocs. Ze maakte ook eetbare paarse en oranje paddenstoelen, bijen, peren en boomschors. Regisseur Paul King zei: ‘Alles wat in de film wordt gegeten, is niet alleen eetbaar, maar ook heerlijk. Ik beloof!

‘Op een dag moest ik denken aan het stukje waarin Gene Wilder speelde [as Willy Wonka in the 1971 film] eet het theekopje. Ik had zoiets van: “Oh, als ik hier maar aan had gedacht, zouden we een chocoladekopje kunnen krijgen dat Willy kan maken.”

‘En Gabriella zei: “O, dat kan ik.” ‘

Wonka, dat het oorsprongsverhaal vertelt van het geliefde personage van Roald Dahl, is vanaf 8 december in de bioscopen te zien.

Nic vermaakt zich prima met het spelen van de slechte vrouw

Nicole Kidman, die op grote schaal onrecht werd aangedaan in de enorm plezierige (zij het onwaarschijnlijke) miniserie The Undoing, lijkt een ‘slechte vrouw’-fase van haar professionele carrière te zijn ingegaan.

Eerder dit jaar voltooide ze Holland, Michigan, een ‘Hitchcockiaans’ melodrama waarin ze een affaire heeft en vervolgens veel ergere geheimen over haar man ontdekt, gespeeld door Matthew Macfadyen.

Nu bereidt ze zich voor op de opnames van nog een binnenlandse noir-film, dit keer een erotische thriller genaamd Babygirl, waarin ze een baas is die een schandalige affaire heeft met een 21-jarige stagiaire.

Antonio Banderas is haar ongelukkige echtgenoot en de Britse nieuwkomer Harris Dickinson – uitstekend in Triangle Of Sadness en low-budget charmeur Scrapper – is de jongen met wie ze flirt. De foto, voor indie-moloch A24, zal volgende maand in New York worden opgenomen. Dickinson groeide op in Walthamstow, Oost-Londen, en werkte in een Hollister-winkel voordat hij aan zijn acteercarrière begon.

Ondertussen heeft Kidman ook The Perfect Couple gemaakt, waarin ze de beroemde detective-romanschrijver, moeder van de bruidegom, speelt wiens huwelijk wordt verstoord door de ontdekking van een moord. Dat is een zesdelige tv-show voor Netflix en ook Bono’s dochter Eve Hewson speelt de hoofdrol. Geen spoilers over de vraag of ze ook in deze een slechterik is, maar laten we zeggen dat de vinger van wantrouwen op vermakelijke wijze rond de hele cast wijst.

Toen Bowie Tom Jones wilde zijn… maar zijn platenlabel zei nee

Er is maar één David Bowie, maar het kan worden onthuld dat toen hij begon, hij genoemd wilde worden… Tom Jones.

Toen hij nog maar 17 was, speelde Bowie met een band genaamd The King Bees, en hij gebruikte de naam ‘Tom Jones’ op hun single Liza Jane (B-kant: Louie Go Home), uitgebracht in de zomer van ’64. Het was een knipoog naar de film Tom Jones, die vorig jaar uitkwam, en waarin ook netjes zijn echte achternaam, Jones, was verwerkt.

Er was maar één probleem. Een andere opkomende zanger, op hetzelfde label, had zijn naam veranderd van Tom Woodward in Tom Jones. Een Welshman. En hij zorgde ook voor wat opschudding.

Dus veranderde Bowie zijn naam – opnieuw – in Davie Jones. Dat stond op de plaat die naar de meeste winkels ging, maar niet die van een oude vriend van hem, Mick Wakelin.

Bassist Wakelin, 82, zei: ‘Het waren allemaal bizarre omstandigheden. Dave en ik werden allebei geleid door Dick James, hoewel ik in een band zat die The Naturals heette en hij in The King Bees.

‘We dronken samen een biertje en hij was al een beetje extravert, en je kon zien dat hij een goede muzikant was op de saxofoon. Dave vertelde me dat hij de artiestennaam Tom Jones gebruikte – er was een film genaamd Tom Jones die over een jonge rebel ging, en daarom denk ik dat hij hem leuk vond.

‘Ik kreeg een schijfje van hun opname met zijn naam erop als “Tom Jones”. Toen moest hij het veranderen, vanwege de botsing met de andere Tom Jones.’ Helaas duurde Davie Jones ook niet lang, want The Monkees ontstonden in 1966 – onder leiding van de Engelse acteur en zanger John Smith. . . Davy Jones.

Bowie scoorde zijn eerste hit met Space Oddity in 1969.

Wakelin zei: ‘Ik was met mijn zoon Gavin herinneringen aan het ophalen en door wat oude spullen aan het bladeren, en hij zei: “Dit zou wel eens een paar cent waard kunnen zijn.”

De plaat werd uiteindelijk verkocht aan een niet nader genoemde koper voor £ 6.250. Mark Hochman van Propstore, die het veilde, zei: ‘De Welshe Tom Jones had in dat stadium maar één single gemaakt die niet in de hitlijsten stond. Maar een jaar later deed hij Thunderball voor de James Bond-film, dus er moet veel over hem gedacht zijn.

‘En Decca zag waarschijnlijk een betere toekomst voor hem dan voor Bowie’s Tom Jones.’

Kenwrights laatste project gaat van start, dankzij Travolta

John Travolta, wiens liefde voor vliegtuigen algemeen bekend is, speelt een piloot in een ontroerend kort drama gebaseerd op een verhaal van Frederick Forsyth, The Shepherd.

Een piloot die solo naar Norfolk vliegt, speelt zich af in de jaren vijftig en krijgt te maken met instrumentstoringen in de mist en wordt in veiligheid gebracht door een ‘herder’ – een mysterieuze oudere piloot.

Travolta koos oorspronkelijk voor het boek en wilde de hoofdrol spelen als de jonge vlieger, maar decennia gingen voorbij en hij is aan boord gekomen als de oudere man.

Regisseur Iain Softley zei: ‘Hij is een echte luchtvaartfanaat. Wat ik ook geweldig vind, is dat het een oudere John Travolta is en ik vind dat hij er geweldig uitziet. Hij is knap, elegant en waardig.’

Softley zei dat Forsyth zelf vond dat de rol van de ‘Herder’ gespeeld moest worden door iemand die ‘iconisch’ was. ‘Hij zei dat hij altijd het gevoel had gehad dat er iemand nodig was die zo’n iconische status had, als het ooit op het scherm zou verschijnen’, zei de regisseur. De film, die vanaf 1 december te streamen is op Disney+, is het laatste project van impresario Bill Kenwright. Hij stierf op 23 oktober.

Hij werkte aan een muzikale versie van It’s A Wonderful Life, waarbij Sir Paul McCartney de nummers schreef, maar het is niet duidelijk of die voltooid zal worden.

Makers van Slow Horses, de veelgeprezen Apple TV+-serie, zeggen dat het spionagedrama deels Bond is. . . deels komedie op de werkplek.

Het is zeker een grote hit gebleken, dankzij de betoverend grappige beurt van Gary Oldman als slordige spionnenmeester Jackson Lamb (foto). Oldman zegt: ‘De cocktail van donkere humor en de smerige realiteit ervan, gecombineerd met het spionagegenre waar we bekend mee zijn en waar we van houden – de Bond-films en The Bourne Identity – is geweldig voor een acteur. .

‘Het is zo’n interessante manier om naar deze mensen te kijken. Sean Connery heeft nooit gezegd: “Wacht even, ik heb een whizz nodig!”’

Producent Saul Metzstein voegt eraan toe: ‘Het is duidelijk niet alleen een komedie op de werkvloer, maar dat is de echte ruggengraat. Ik denk dat het geheim van een succesvolle serie de personages zijn. . . En de personages in Mick’s [author Mick Herron] boeken zijn gewoon geweldig.’

De show begint met een geweldige actie en veel gevaar voor een geliefd personage uit Slough House.

Hier echter geen spoilers. Het wordt gestreamd vanaf 29 november.

When I told my son I was pregnant at the age of 50, he was pretty startled, spluttering: ‘Aren’t you getting on a bit, mum?’

He was born when I was 21, and I was planning to deliver his brother or sister at the age of 51, when most people are thinking about grandchildren, rather than launching into another round of endless nappy changes and sleepless nights.

Having two children with a 30-year age gap allows me to compare pregnancy and motherhood three decades apart, and, despite all the tut-tutting levelled at older mothers such as me, I can hand-on-heart say having a baby in my 50s is the best thing I have ever done — yes, including having one in my 20s.

Alice is now five, I’m 56, and apart from aching joints and menopause (thankfully controlled by HRT), I’m loving every single minute of late-life motherhood. 

In fact, I’d say the whole process has been easier this time around: I’ve got more time, patience, self-belief and I’m certainly a much better mum than I was 30 years ago.

I get angry with the way high-profile older mothers such as Tana Ramsay and Victoria Coren Mitchell are sometimes criticised. The assumption is that they must be utterly exhausted, and that they will be far too old to cope with the trials and tribulations of their children’s teenage years.

This is so completely wrong! Being a mother in my 50s is the most joyful thing I’ve ever done.

I think late-life babies are going to become more and more common. As a GP, I tell my patients not to lose hope: it’s never too late. Women have options that include natural pregnancy (rare, but it does happen over 50), your own frozen eggs or frozen embryos, or donor eggs or embryos.

I’m delighted to see more and more women are joining our little gang and we have got some high-profile role models: Cherie Blair had her youngest child at 45; actress Rachel Weisz (married to Daniel Craig) at 48.

Many of the older mums I speak to agree that they are better mums at 50 than they were at 20. Yet the older women tend to attract criticism while high-profile men are busy fathering children in their 80s without raising any eyebrows.

My pregnancy with Calum, who is now 34, wasn’t planned. I had been with Calum’s father for five years but we were both very young: he was 24, I was just 21. 

We split up pretty quickly after Calum was born, although we stayed friends and he has always played an important part in Calum’s and my life. Alice calls him Grandad Micky.

As a single mum with a mortgage to pay, I had little choice about returning to work when he was just 28 days old. My career progressed very fast (partly thanks to a string of brilliant au pairs) and I reached the heights of publishing director for OK! magazine.

When Calum was 12, I decided to change career and study medicine. That’s where I met my partner Colin, a spinal surgeon.

I was 43 and he was 50, divorced with five children, now aged between 25 and 34, so we all bundled together with Calum as one big happy family.

My two best friends had given birth aged 43 and 49, so I had a strong belief that something could happen. And if you think about it, for people who want a baby but can’t fall pregnant naturally, there are many options. The door is never as truly closed as it used to be, and how you conceive is irrelevant.

It’s nobody’s business bar the parents and the child, and aiming for a happy, well-balanced child should never be decried or judged by anyone.

For me, a healthy pregnancy was a state of mind: I refused to believe it would be hard at 50. I was determined to do it well and properly.

Although I had been initially referred to the ‘high risk pregnancy unit’ at UCL in London, the doctors discharged me the same day, telling me I was considerably fitter than most of the 30-year-olds on their books.

I think I probably look younger than my years, so you would be unlikely to identify me as an older mother unless you studied my notes anyway.

I was working as a GP in a busy practice in the capital and, although friends and family knew, I decided not to tell anyone at work until 24 weeks. 

My bump was so small I probably could have got away with concealing it longer. It certainly helped that I did not ever really feel pregnant.

One of the reasons I kept my pregnancy secret is that one of my bosses had spoken out against the idea of older women having babies. She believed you’d be stupid to get pregnant after the age of 30. In fact, when I did eventually tell her, she asked if I’d considered a termination.

The truth, as I discovered, is that pregnancy — at any age — can either be wonderfully easy, or hard, problematic and complex. It’s a very individual thing and age is just one small factor. 

Yes, older mothers are at risk of genetic complications and potential problems, but the monitoring and testing process is very sophisticated now and that is hugely reassuring.

I was so hyper-aware of all that could go wrong that I paid privately to have my pregnancy hormones tested every three days in those early weeks, to make sure all was going as it should (expensive neurosis on my part!). The seven-week scan was terrifying.

I remember the relief on seeing and hearing that tiny heartbeat as if it was yesterday.

The whole experience could not have been more different to when I was 20 and completely oblivious to any potential risks or complications. Back then, I remember being furiously hungry all the time and by the time Calum was born I had gained three stone.

This time I set myself a mental target of 10kg max (one and a half stone). I had (and still have) an incredibly healthy plant- and fish-based diet.

I love to run, and I was determined that pregnancy would not stop me from keeping to a schedule of 5 km three times a week. I kept going right through to the end (I did wear a support band under my bump in the last few weeks) and I was meticulous about doing pelvic floor and abdominal exercises every day.

Although Calum’s birth had been quick and pretty easy, Colin urged me to book a C-section. I was initially horrified but my consultant agreed, telling me that there’s a high risk of stillbirth in older mums (the placenta can be unreliable but it’s not something that shows up on scans) and that even if I started labour naturally, there was a very high chance of things ending with an emergency C-section anyway.

Alice was born at 38 weeks, weighing 6lb. I was back home within 18 hours and out shopping after two days. I was so proud of my fitness levels — they really held me in good stead.

I remember saying to the consultant as he prepped me for the birth, ‘Please look after my abs!’ — and when he popped in to check on me afterwards he said: ‘That’s the first C-section where I actually came across a full set of abs!’ I’m very proud that I walked out of that hospital in my pre-pregnancy, size 8 jeans.

Now, when I socialise with other mums, I think I blend in pretty well. I certainly don’t look as if I might be Alice’s grandmother.

But when new friends discover my age their reaction is usually surprise. They exclaim: ‘You must be exhausted!’ and ‘How on earth do you cope?’

The truth is, I’m finding the whole process significantly easier than I did when I was 21.

As a doctor, I know when to worry and when to stay calm, and that experience takes away so much of the stress I had as a young mum.

I know I’m lucky to enjoy far more financial security than I had at 21 and that removes a big layer of stress. I still work as a freelance GP (and Talk TV presenter), but part-time.

I’m just not the ambitious person I used to be. The career drive has gone. When she’s not with me, Alice is with my mum who lives just around the corner.

That’s another big difference: Mum was working full-time (as a PA to a dermatologist) when Calum was young, but she’s 80 now, and was happy to give up work to help me out. She says caring for Alice has given her a new lease of life. She’s so fit and active, people often mistake us for sisters.

When Calum was tiny, I was so busy I confess I found babies boring, but with Alice I’ve been enthralled by every minute.

Every stage adds to the wonder and I’m very conscious I missed all this with my son because I just wasn’t there. Calum and his girlfriend gave birth to my granddaughter, Bella, just two months after Alice was born.

The little girls are auntie and niece, and they get on brilliantly. We all spend lots of time with Colin’s brood and Alice has grown up loving the fact that she’s got loads of brothers and sisters.

I will admit that mothering in your 50s is not all plain sailing. Although I did experience a few menopausal twinges in my late-40s (the odd missed period and a few hot flushes), my body was bathed in lovely oestrogen for the full nine months of pregnancy (no need for any hormone support) and the buffer continued while I was breast-feeding. 

But when I switched to bottles after three months, my hormone levels went into full, menopausal freefall.

I knew exactly what was going on, and got myself put on HRT, but I’ve been left with horrid joint pain (a common menopausal symptom) and I seem to pick up every round of coughs and sneezes Alice brings home from school.

Alice, meanwhile, is thriving. She is in her first term of reception year at primary school, which she loves. I do think she is a shining example of older, wiser and more time to be involved parenting.

I’m fully aware that I’ll be 69 when Alice is 18, and 71 when she’s 20. Her dad, Colin, is 63 now and says he doesn’t care if anyone thinks he’s Alice’s grandparent. I think I would care, because I’m very proud to be her mum — and I’m proud that I’ve worked hard to stay young and fit and healthy.

My advice to women at my stage of life would be ‘go for it’ — but do it from a place of fitness. Your start point dictates your journey and endpoint. Having a baby at 51 is the best thing I ever did.

I couldn’t imagine being without Alice. Watching my little girl tearing around, I can’t help thinking how empty life would be without her.

And being in my 50s has allowed me to enjoy every wonderful moment and so much more.

Daniel Craig’s daughter Ella Loudon, 31, sizzles in a skimpy white bikini as she poses for scantily clad snaps on her sunny beach getaway

By Chloe Govan For Mailonline

published: 12:34 EDT, Jun 9, 2023 | Updated: 1:40 PM EDT, Jun 9, 2023