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By Charlotte Karp and Lucy Manly and Cameron Carpenter for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 11:41 PM EDT, March 21, 2024 | Updated: 00:39 EDT, March 22, 2024

Richard Simmons said he was “dying” in a rare social media post on Monday – as the reclusive fitness guru reflected on his blessings.

Taking to Facebook, the 75-year-old star reflected on his existence as he said ‘we’re all going to die’ before giving his fans some fitness tips in the cryptic post.

He wrote: ‘I have something new to tell you. Please do not be sad. I’m dying. Oh, I can see your faces now. The truth is that we all die. Every day we live we get closer to our death.

‘Why am I telling you this? Because I want you to live your life to the fullest every day. Get up in the morning and look at the sky… count your blessings and enjoy it.

‘Start with a healthy breakfast. Do you like oatmeal…. Whole wheat toast…eggs once or twice a week Fresh fruit or half an English muffin?

Then there is lunch. How about a tasty salad? Don’t eat your dinner too late. Combine your protein with a starch and a few vegetables. And of course, every now and then, have dessert. Eating one healthy day will lead to the next… and the next.

‘Every day you live, you have to move. Whether you’re standing or sitting, you need to move your body every day. Start with stretching and then cardio and strength.

“I have a lot of workout videos on YouTube that you can use. Or maybe you have some videos at home. And before you go to bed, do a little stretching. Stretch your neck. Your shoulders… and your arms… and don’t forget your legs. Make some circles with your ankles. Straighten and flex your feet and I promise you will have a better night’s sleep.

‘There’s one more very important thing you need to do. Tell those you love that you love them. Hug those people and children you really care about. A big hug really goes a long way.

“If you have time, I want you to listen to a great song. It’s by Tim McGraw and it’s called Live Like You Were Dying. Live today and don’t forget to pray.

“Love, Richard.”

Simmons’ spokesperson told DailyMail.com: ‘I can confirm with 100 percent certainty that Richard is not dying.

‘He’s actually very healthy and happy. The sole purpose of the post was to be inspirational’

The star did not reveal any details about his health in the post. DailyMail.com has contacted Simmons’ representatives for comment.

The media figure, who was known for his previously outgoing personality, abruptly stopped his public appearances in 2014, and many of his fans expressed concerns about his well-being in the following years.

However, the fitness instructor’s former representative, Tom Estey, provided a statement provided a statement to New York Post in 2022, saying he was “happy, healthy and living the life he chose to live.”

Development of a biopic about Simmons’ life began back in April of last year, when Pauly Shore expressed his interest in playing the fitness instructor.

At the time, the 55-year-old actor claimed he had made contact with the reclusive media figure and was trying to secure his blessing for the project.

The performer next played the fitness instructor in a short film titled The Court Jester, which premiered last week at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

It was then revealed that Shore would play Simmons in a full-length biopic earlier this month.

The reclusive media figure quickly disavowed the project, sharing a post on his Facebook account earlier this month to let his fans know via Variety that he ‘never gave my permission for this film’.

Warner Bros. subsidiary The Wolper Organization, which is producing the project, said in a statement that they “would like [Simmons] involved’ in the upcoming film.

The production company added: “We respect his desire for privacy and intend to produce a film that honors him, celebrates him and tells a dramatic story.”

Shore further emphasized that the project would not mock Simmons’ performance during an interview with Varietyand he stated that the feature film’s creative team “doesn’t want to bother him.”

The artist added that the project’s producers “want to pay tribute to him, kiss his feet and say he has done wonderful things.”

Meghan Markle has launched her new lifestyle blog, American Riviera Orchard.

The brand, is believed to be selling cutlery – knives forks spoons – cookbooks and electronic cookbooks, coffee, jams jellies and butters.

It also extends to a physical shop from which tableware, mugs, jams, tablecloths and recipe books could be sold.

Before her life in the royal family, Meghan ran a lifestyle blog called ‘The Tig’.

The passion project’ back in 2014, naming it after her favourite Tignanello red wine.

While up and running, the blog was filled with insights into the former actress’s life, including her relationship with her now estranged father and then best friend Jessica Mulroney.

To her devoted fans, Meghan opened up about her struggles of not fitting in during her time at High School, filling her lunch times with endless extra-curriculum activities just so she did not have to ‘eat lunch alone’.

She closed down The Tig after meeting Prince Harry, of course.

Meghan’s longtime friend, Suits director and producer Silver Tree, explained in Harry and Meghan’s Netflix docuseries: ‘When she first was describing [the blog] to me, she was like, “It’s like your best friend telling you all the fun things you wish you knew about in one place.”‘

But could we expect more candid confessions? Here, FEMAIL looks at some of Meghan’s most revealing posts on the Tig… 

Meghan ‘always felt like she never fitted in’ 

On her 33rd birthday Meghan declared that she had found true happiness, by being ‘kind’ to herself.

The Duchess of Sussex said her ’20s were brutal’ and her ‘teens were even worse’ where she agonised over ‘how to fit in’.

She recalled in high school spending her lunch times full of extra curriculum activities so she could avoid sitting alone in the canteen.

Writing on her blog she said: ‘My high school had cliques: the black girls and white girls, the Filipino and the Latina girls.

‘Being biracial, I fell somewhere in between. So every day during lunch, I busied myself with meetings – French club, student body, whatever one could possibly do between noon and 1pm- I was there.

‘Not so that I was more involved, but so that I wouldn’t have to eat alone.’

As she entered into her early twenties she said she struggled with ‘judging my weight, my style, my desire to be as cool/as hip/as smart/as ‘whatever’ as anyone else’.

When she was a struggling actress at 24, auditioning for different roles, a casting director told her to wear ‘less makeup’ and instead be ‘more Meghan’.

This was a mantra she decided to take with her throughout the rest of her twenties and into her thirties – ‘more Meghan’.

At the time of writing the blog post, Meghan had been divorced from ex-husband Trevor Engelson for two years and was yet to meet her Prince.

She told her fans they did not need anyone else to ‘complete’ them and that they are ‘enough’ themselves.

The ‘unladylike habits’ she vowed to give up

 Just months before she met Prince Harry, Meghan set out to ditch some of her ‘unladylike habits’ in the New Year.

Writing to fans on The Tig on January 1 2016, the future Duchess disclosed her goals and priorities for the year.

This included running a marathon, to stop swearing and to stop biting her nails as well as re-learning French.

She wrote: ‘These make my New Year’s resolution list nearly (AKA actually every) single year. The marathon hasn’t happened. The swearing comes in lulls triggered by being overworked or feeling mighty cheeky after a couple drinks.’

But Meghan also decided to not be so hard on herself if she failed to complete these goals.

She added: ‘This year I resolve to not have a resolution. If I can’t run a marathon, that’s okay. (I’m getting older – my knees are bothering me.) If it takes me a couple more years to lock down that French tutor and nail the language j’adore oh so much, that’s cool too.

‘My nails will be fine, and if I toss out a four letter word once in a blue moon, well frankly I think it adds character.’

Her one aim for the year was to ‘approach life playfully’ and ‘leave room for magic’, as advised by her Suit’s co-star Gina Torres.

Her thoughts on ‘Princess Kate’s wedding

She’s insisted on numerous occasions that she knew very little about the Royal Family before meeting Prince Harry, but Meghan Markle was certainly aware of one of his relatives – Kate Middleton .

A blog post from the Duchess of Sussex’ now defunct website The Tig reveals her feelings about royal princesses before she met Prince Harry – and they’re not completely flattering.

The former actress reflected on the ‘pomp and circumstance’ of the wedding of ‘Princess Kate’, and made a rather scathing reference to ‘grown women’ who entertain ‘childhood fantasies’ about fairytale princesses.

The entry from 2014, written by Meghan during her time on Suits, spoke about her own childhood dream of becoming ‘She-Ra, Princess of Power’.

A blog post from Meghan Markle’s now defunct website The Tig referred to the extravagant wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011, and the Duchess seemed to take a dim view of ‘childhood fantasies’ about fairytale princesses

Describing her icon, she wrote: ‘We’re definitely not talking about Cinderella here,’ and then mentioned the ‘endless conversation’ about Kate Middleton’s lavish wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Speaking of her own childhood fantasies, she said: ‘Little girls dream of being princesses. I, for one, was all about She-Ra, Princess of Power.

‘For those of you unfamiliar with the ’80s cartoon reference, She-Ra is the twin sister of He-Man and a sword-wielding royal rebel known for her strength.

‘We’re definitely not talking about Cinderella here.

‘Grown women seem to retain this childhood fantasy. Just look at the pomp and circumstance surrounding the royal wedding and endless conversation about Princess Kate.’

‘She’s savvy and fashionable and très cool, and also va va va voom pritaaaaay’

 Before she moved to the UK, where she remained for less than two years as a working royal, Meghan had a close group of friends in Toronto.

Her closest friend was said to be Canadian mother-of-three and stylist Jessica Mulroney, who she met on the set of Suits and for years they were reportedly inseparable.

In December 2015, Meghan raved about her bestie on the defunct blog: ‘She’s savvy and fashionable and très cool, and also va va va voom pritaaaaay.

‘And here’s the other thing – she also happens to be an incredible stylist, clothing the likes of Canada’s First Lady, Sophie Trudeau.’

The piece went on to list Jessica’s style tips for the festive period.

The women remained extremely close over the following years, so much so that Meghan even called Jessica on the night Harry proposed.

In the Netflix series, the Suit’s star appears to have video called Jessica where she said: ‘Oh my God Jess, it’s happening. He told me not to peek.’

Their close relationship was once again shown at the royal wedding, when Jessica was included in the bridal party, with her young daughter Ivy acting as a flower girl.

Her sons, Brian and John, were also page boys. The stylist was given a starring role as she entered the chapel alongside the Princess of Wales.

The day of the royal wedding Jessica shared snaps captioned: ‘Proud friend. Proud mom.’

More recently, however, the pair’s friendship seems to have cooled, with Jessica being noticeably absent from the couple’s Netflix docuseries, which included Meghan’s other friends like tennis star Serena Williams and Suit’s co-star Abigail Spencer.

She also made no public comments on the revelations made in Harry’s biography Spare.

It appeared as though the friendship started to become distant in 2020, after the style guru was called out by lifestyle blogger Sasha Exeter for comments she made regarding ‘white privilege’ while the pair had a conversation about the Black Lives Matters movement.

Following on from the blogger’s claims, Jessica issued three public apologies but despite this was still dropped by a number of television networks.

This included her stints as a fashion contributor on Good Morning America as well as the Canadian TV network, who said they would be pulling all episodes of her wedding-themed reality show, I Do Redo.

Jessica has not commented on rumours of them drifting apart.

In January, however, Jessica did share a snap of herself at the Duke and Duchess’ wedding, which was seen on the Netflix docuseries.

The style guru shared the picture on her Instagram without a caption and disabled comments on the post in a cryptic move.

 The day Meghan said her life changed forever – and it involved a £36 dress, rattling car and cheap blow-dry

One post on her blog, from January 2015 recalled the moment the Duchess said her life changed forever.

Meghan, at the time a struggling actress, had just finished an audition for a television show pilot called A Legal Mind – later to become known as the legal drama Suits.

But she thought she ‘blew it’ telling her agent: ‘I kept forgetting my lines, I was distracted, and I blew it. Which sucks because I really wanted this one. I really like Rachel.’

Following what she thought was a setback, the actress wrote: ‘I went home and ate my feelings (likely some iteration of bread and cheese – pizza, quesadilla, it didn’t matter) because I wasn’t in a place to be able to let it go. I wanted it, and I lost my shot at it. Or so I thought.’

Instead, the casting directors liked her enough to invite her back to audition in front of the studio and network bosses.

After being given some last-minute advice about her appearance, ‘more conservative, think hair pulled back and business attire’, she bought a $45 outfit and had her ‘hair blown out at DryBar because it was close to my house’.

The audition ended up being a success despite how ‘nervous’ and ‘hungry’ the actress said she was at the time.

She added: ‘I had no idea that this late August morning of 2011 would change my life.

‘That I would get the part. That I would live in a little apartment in Manhattan to shoot the pilot. That over a lunch of lentil salad and muhammara on Beverly Drive, I would get a call saying we were picked up. That I would film the series in Canada.’

During the blog post, she also gushed about her friends and cast-mates Gina Torres and Sarah Rafferty.

She said: ‘I didn’t know that the regal looking woman was Gina Torres, who would end up feeding me picadillo and white, burgundy in her home.

‘Or that Sarah Rafferty would become not just my Suits sister wife, but my sister – the one I hike with, and vent with, and laugh til it hurts with.

‘I didn’t know my cast would become my family, and that so many #suitors would welcome us into their homes.’

 How she bonded with tennis champion Serena Williams over hot sauces

Serena Williams and Meghan’s friendship has been well documented over the years.

The tennis superstar and the Duchess first met in 2010 at a Superbowl Party, then once again in 2014 where they ‘hit it off immediately’ according to The Tig.

The close relationship between the pair was evident when Serena starred in the Duke and Duchesses’ Netflix docuseries, Meghan and Harry.

She featured in the third episode where she said: ‘I’m looking at it through the lens of my friend, not a princess.

‘They as a couple are so tight. And rely on each other so much… I was just super excited.’

Williams added Meghan and Harry are each other’s’ ‘best, best, best friends’.

In 2014, Meghan spoke about the first time she met Serena: ‘We hit it off immediately, taking pictures, laughing through the flag football game we were both playing in, and chatting not about tennis or acting, but about all the good old fashioned girly stuff.

‘So began our friendship. She quickly became a confidante I would text when I was traveling, the friend I would rally around for her tennis matches, and the down to earth chick I was able to grab lunch with just a couple weeks ago in Toronto.’

Their friendship continued to grow over their love of fashion, ‘hot sauces’ and their ‘endless ambition’.

After Meghan became Prince Harry’s girlfriend in 2016, the Duchess leaned on the tennis pro who advised her on how to handle the paparazzi.

According to Mark Hodgkinson in Serena: A Graphic Biography of the Greatest Tennis Champion, the women’s friendship evolved through regular phone calls and texts.

Serena told Meghan to ‘stop being so nice’, according to Hodgkinson.

She went on to be invited to Meghan’s hen do and her New York baby shower in 2019.

More recently, as well as appearing in the Netflix series, Meghan invited her to star on the first episode of her Spotify podcast Archetypes.

The wish Meghan makes every birthday inspired by her mother 

Every year for her birthday Meghan makes the same wish, inspired by her own mother Doria.

She said that every birthday acts as ‘your own personal New Year’ where you can make resolutions for yourself.

Celebrating her birthday in August 2016, around the time she met Prince Harry for the first time, Meghan wished for ‘a big old happy blank filled with ‘more surprises, more adventure, more opportunities to grow, more days filled with giggles and cheeky jokes, more delicious meals, and more inspiration’.

 Her ‘Eat, Pray. Love’ month

In one of her later blog posts, months after meeting Prince Harry, Meghan wrote how she had spent the summer like the main character in Elizabeth Gilbert’s novel Eat, Pray, Love.

The Duchess had decided to spend her August hiatus from filming Suits with one simple mission, to ‘eat everything, pray (meditate) often, and simply love her (my) life, every ounce of it’.

Meghan spent the summer on ‘extravagant’ getaways, accompanied by some ‘trusted friends who met her (me) along the way for my various adventures’ who helped her ‘celebrate’ her life.

Speaking to her devoted fans, who would have seen her gallivanting abroad throughout that month, she explained she did not always lead such a luxurious life.

Meghan wrote: ‘It wasn’t long ago (cough – about ten years ago – cough) that I only had $40 in my bank account, that I could barely book an audition, and that my circle of friends was even smaller.

‘But even then, without all the pomp and circumstance, I made time to celebrate my life. Maybe it was pizza and a bottle of two buck chuck from Trader Joe’s with a couple girlfriends, tucked in for the night sitting on my living room floor.

‘Or maybe it was a dance party in my tiny apartment or a sobbing session to purge all of those feelings with my nearest and dearest.’

We have been visiting Mallorca for over 20 years and always rent a car, using different companies depending on what is available. However, last October we had a terrible experience.

We rented a car from OK Mobility at Palma de Mallorca airport. When we returned it, an employee went around with a flashlight looking for ‘damage’. She found two small scuff marks on a hubcap. She then asked if we had any photos of it from when we picked up the car.

We said no, which wasn’t surprising because we would have had to get down on our hands and knees with a flashlight to see what she had found.

She promptly said the points would be charged – and when we got home we got a notification saying it would cost £496. This seemed excessively high, so we requested the amount from OK Mobility. Their response was that we took the car without pointing out the damage, so it was on us.

We accept that this is the case to the letter of the law, but we doubt whether this ‘damage’ occurred at all during our rental period, although we realize there is nothing we can do to prove this. Surely such high costs are wrong? We have asked OK Mobility for their repair estimate matrix, which they sent to us, but we have no evidence that this repair work has been completed. We feel like we were charged way too much. Can you help?

Pat and Anthony Smyth, Baldock, Hertfordshire

The Mail’s holiday guru Mark Palmer responds. This sounds terrible – and it seems you are far from the only ones facing such accusations. Surveys of car rental customers routinely reveal dissatisfaction with “unreliable damage.” Which? Travel recently found that more than 40 percent of respondents said they had been charged for pre-existing scratches and dents.

Fortunately, after writing to us and after many months and emails, you have now received your money back. It took some time, but OK Mobility finally admitted that the damage to the hubcap was already present and that the accusation was ‘incorrect’.

In your case, the company eventually threw up its hands and admitted that its staff had somehow made a mistake and even apologized.

However, it is rare for car rental companies to pull out – and your case underlines the need to always take extra care when renting vehicles. According to the RAC, the key to avoiding ‘misunderstandings’ is to take plenty of time to thoroughly check the vehicle during collection.

This may seem annoying at the start of a holiday, but the RAC recommends taking photos all around, focusing on ‘wear and imperfections’. Pay close attention to the wheels/hubcaps: photos of all four are a good idea. Also take photos of any imperfections in the car.

All this must be done in the presence of a rental car employee, who must record any damage on a schedule sheet. When you’re done, take a photo of this sheet, or request a copy – and also take a photo of the car in its entirety, including the license plate and the number of the parking lot it is parked in. Both the license plate and the lot number in one shot is ideal. This entire process should take no more than ten to fifteen minutes.

If a problem arises upon your return, you will have everything you need. During the drop-off, Which? Travel advises you to have the vehicle inspected in your presence. Then take a photo of the signed damage report.

In the unlikely event that damages are subsequently charged, what? Travel recommends that you request proof of the damage and how the repair costs have been calculated. Of course, if you have photos showing that there is no damage, the car rental company has nothing to fall back on.

Finally, it is highly recommended to take out excess insurance when renting a car. This protects you from automatic excess liability, often up to around £2,500, whether or not you are responsible for the damage to the vehicle.

However, never do this at the car rental desk. It is estimated that insurance from a rental company will cost as much as £205 more per week than if you book independently before you leave. Which? Traveling suggests trying chewinginsurance.com, questor-verzekeringen.nl And rentalcover.com – which came out best in a price comparison. If you rent cars regularly, annual policies are available.

WE ARE HERE TO HELP

If you need advice, the Holiday Guru is ready to answer your questions. Email us at holidayplanner@dailymail.co.uk

The IM-1 mission features an etching on its surface that honors the service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a Hindu spiritual leader who championed the universal human value of selfless service.

The American space agency NASA’s spacecraft, Odysseus¸, which is currently on its way to the moon, pays a unique tribute to the fifth guru of the BAPS Swaminarayan organization, Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The IM-1 mission has an etching on its surface that remembers and honors the service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj. “Such cultural engagement between countries and companies enables the development of shared values, efforts and responsibility in the pursuit of space exploration,” Intuitive Missions said in an update.

Pramukh Swami Maharaj

Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a Hindu spiritual leader who championed the universal human value of selfless service. Born on December 7, 1921 in Gujarat, he played an important role in the growth and development of BAPS. The spiritual leader spread the principles of Hinduism and the teachings of Swaminarayan – founder of the Swaminarayan tradition. Pramukh Swami Maharaj was known for his teachings on religious harmony, community service and philanthropy.

The IM-1 mission, created in coordination with Relative Dynamics, is an eternal tribute to His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the world’s fifth guru. @BAPS Swaminarayan organization.

The etching honors the life and service of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, a Hindu spiritual leader… pic.twitter.com/4gEXthJykX

— Intuitive Machines (@Int_Machines) February 20, 2024

Odysseus spacecraft

NASA’s spacecraft will attempt to make soft land near the south pole of the moon’s surface on February 22. If successful, Odysseus will be the first American mission to do so in more than 50 years.

Notably, the lander carries six payloads under the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative. The payload includes scientific instruments to measure the moon’s plasma environment. The initiative was also intended to support NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to send astronauts back to the moon and even build a permanent base there.

A previous attempt to land on the lunar surface by NASA’s Peregrine mission under the same initiative in January was unsuccessful.
In addition, Odysseus will test new technologies such as a LIDAR-based sensor for descent rate and range detection, and an electrostatic dust removal system.

Most people probably think it’s never been harder to find a partner, but if you talked to my grandmother she would say it was worse when she was young: there were only eight men in her village to choose from. The truth is, it’s not necessarily harder today – the challenges are just different.

The dating app Tinder has been downloaded more than 530million times and made over 75billion matches. It is easy to feel paralysed by the thought that you have to sift through that massive pool of people to find the right one for you.

The thought that you have endless options does several things. One is that each choice has less value, as you can just select again if you make a bad decision. And it’s hard to make a choice in the first place. But I can help.

I’ve worked as one of the world’s best-known matchmakers and couples’ counsellors for over a decade and I’m Tinder’s global relationships insight expert. I have co-hosted one of the world’s largest social experiments on love with Oprah Winfrey, and advise on the popular dating shows Celebs Go Dating and Married At First Sight UK. I’m therefore perfectly placed to help you find love.

To my mind, there are parallels between a job interview and finding love. If you are advertising a job as the employer, you don’t just say, ‘Hey, does anybody want to come work for me?’ Instead, you outline the job’s role and responsibilities and describe the characteristics you are looking for in the successful candidate.

It helps to think the same way about dating: if you define what you are looking for before embarking on a relationship, it will empower you to make a better choice of partner.

On Tinder, one of the first things you are asked to do is identify your relationship goal. There are six options but by far the number-one selected option is: I’m looking for a long-term relationship.

Number two – I’m looking for a long-term relationship but open to a short-term relationship – has become very popular in recent years. This is sometimes called probation, especially on platforms like TikTok, the idea being that I’ll give you three months and, if things are working, we’ll consider long-term.

There’s a challenge in this because the strategies that you would use to find a long-term partner don’t necessarily translate to a short-term relationship – which can mean casual sex, or just hanging out, with no intimacy. A lot of women fall into the trap of saying they want a short-term relationship because the man does, then hope that they’ll get him to stay.

My aim is to help you to make good decisions right from the outset.

Let’s start with the basics.

When I joined Tinder, I remember talking to people in the company about how horrendous the men’s photos were. They were holding a fish they’d caught. Or they didn’t have a shirt on and were leaning up against a car. Just terrible photos.

So that I could better understand the app, I set up an account. It took me a while to find a good photo. I then had a call with the head of product development, and she told me my photo was terrible, too – and she was right.

When online dating began, this wasn’t an issue. The first online dating services just involved filling in a questionnaire.

The launch of Tinder in 2012 changed online dating forever by introducing the swipe feature (swipe right if you’re interested, swipe left for no) meaning judgments about who might be of interest as a date are now instant, and based largely on whether someone likes the way you look.

But the bottom line is that a dating site or app is a tool, and it can be used badly or well. Before worrying about how good your photos are, make sure you include some in the first place. You would think this is obvious, but a lot of people don’t include any photos at all. 

And having multiple photos is better, because the data shows that if you have three to five photos, you will be engaged with more than if you have just one.

So, you need to have the right number of photos, but you also need to have the right types of photos. There are three kinds that are optimal. Number one is a photo of you smiling a nice, authentic smile. So how do you do that? Ask somebody to tell you a joke and have them fire off a couple of photos at the same time.

Number two is a full-body shot, because the truth is everyone wants to see what your body looks like. The third photo is one of you doing an activity that you’re passionate about. This is much more engaging than just a photo of you on a night out drinking.

Next, you need to complete your profile. And I mean really complete it because online dating is a computer system, and the algorithms will favour you if you have filled out all of the questions and uploaded your photos. This is because the app wants to showcase people who look like they’re fully using and engaging with it.

When it comes to the content of your profile, you should stay away from saying all the things you don’t want. Talk about what you are interested in as opposed to what you are not interested in. This is a much better way of getting across your values. 

These tips might all seem very basic, but they are the keys to optimising your profile, and you’d be surprised, in my experience, how many people don’t do it.

Of course, creating your profile is only half the battle. To use a dating app or site effectively, you actually have to engage with people. It’s not uncommon for someone to spend 30 minutes on a dating app and not engage with anyone.

You really need to do so: this means being open to people who you are only remotely interested in and getting to the point where you’re actually meeting them in real life.

Not everyone is good at talking about themselves or putting themselves forward and identifying what their virtues are, but you can get help: ask your friends and family to look at your profile and photos so that they can give you honest feedback.

Some online daters are hooked on the idea of finding The One, but I don’t subscribe to the idea that there’s only one partner out there for you and that fate will decide if you meet them – I think soulmates are made. Still, it helps to fish in the widest pool possible.

Studies have shown that when you have a larger dating pool, you make better choices and end up in a stronger partnership. Let me emphasise that I don’t mean a perceived pool – it’s not the perception that you have a million people to choose from online that matters; it’s the people you actually interact with directly. And that means in real life, too.

Today, many of us work on the kitchen table and exercise in the front room. We buy goods online rather than going to the supermarket. We live a much more isolated life with far less in-person interaction.

If you’re only meeting half a dozen people in real life each year, and most of those are not suitable, you could go a long time without having a strong candidate for a partner. 

That’s when it becomes easy to take the first thing that comes along. If you go five years without a date and then meet someone who is just OK, you might be tempted to settle.

But there are still countless ways to meet people in real life, via social and family events, common interests, school and continuing education, restaurants, bars and clubs, festivals, public spaces such as dog-walking parks, gyms and other fitness classes, charity and volunteering, sporting events, museums and art galleries. 

I once gave a talk and a contestant from The Apprentice was seated in the front row. A guy who had come to listen to me sat next to her. They had never met, and now they are married.

Our social circle – friends, acquaintances, present and former workmates or fellow students – can typically add up to around 150 people. We tend to go to those nearest to us for help. So, you ask your best friend to hook you up with somebody.

But we have already exploited all of those connections. It is with the 150th friend, the one who is a so-called ‘weak tie’, the one you haven’t talked to in a while, where the real opportunities lie.

My weakest ties are certainly where most of the opportunities in my life have originated. It’s where all my big projects have come from, and it’s how I ended up moving from America to work in the UK.

There are three steps to strengthening your weak ties. The first is that you need to constantly introduce new people into your social circle. That doesn’t mean as potential romantic partners. It just means you need to be introducing new people into your life in general.

For example, I have been hosting brunches for a few years now, to which I’ll invite people I don’t know very well. The last brunch I did was 20 guys who were all in the entertainment industry. They won’t all stay in my network, but some might. You can do this on a smaller scale by inviting a friend of a friend or a work acquaintance for a coffee or lunch.

Every week, I pick three people whom I haven’t talked to for an age – two years, five years, ten years – and I’ll send them a WhatsApp voice message: ‘Hey, just checking in. I saw on your Instagram page that you got promoted. Congratulations!’ Or, ‘How are you? Jill and I and the boys moved to London. If you’re ever here, look us up. Let’s have dinner.’ Cultivating those weak ties leads to opportunity.

Adding a new person to your social circle means that the connection in 150th position drops out, but it’s OK to say goodbye to people when you are no longer adding value to each other’s lives.

If a new person stays in your circle, it typically means they have shared values and interests with you and your current group of friends. This in turn means their circle of 150 friends probably overlaps a lot with your and your friends’ values and interests. Think about that. That person becomes the bridge to a whole new circle of people you’ve probably never met before, some of whom are going to be single.

In the process of meeting new people, it’s important to remain open-minded. When I worked as a matchmaker, most of my clients were professionals in their 40s and, right out of the gate, they would give me a long list of things they wanted in a partner.

I had one client who gave me a spreadsheet of up to 150 things she wanted in a husband – no exaggeration – even down to him having good feet, along with photos to illustrate what she meant.

Meanwhile, my oldest client was in her late 70s. To be honest, I was reluctant to take her on, but I did, because I liked a challenge. When I sat down to do my intake call with her, I was ready for her to give me a long list of requirements.

Instead, she said, ‘Paul, I’m in my 70s. Do you know how hard it is to find a man my age who can walk up the stairs to my apartment? I want you to find me a man who can walk up three flights of stairs.’

I said, ‘OK, what else?’

‘That’s it.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘Yes, I’m absolutely serious.’

Once I got over my surprise, I realised that she was very wise. As well as being an indicator of good general health, she was also telling me that she was completely open-minded.

She was saying, ‘I don’t care about ethnicity or religion. I don’t care if they have five children or no children. I’m just looking for a companion for the rest of my life.’

Most people start with a narrow idea of what they want – you need to have good feet just to get in – and when you do that, you severely limit your potential matches. In fact, you can soon start to believe that this person doesn’t exist. And that is a very dangerous place to be.

So, use every tool at your disposal. And, whether you’re online or meeting in real life, show up as your best self.

Work on your ‘brand’, what I call your ‘mate value’, before you get out there. What aspects of your life should you be content with before embarking on a relationship?

If you are not in the best place personally when an opportunity to connect presents itself, you are going to be at a disadvantage.

It’s like running a race. It’s better to have bought a great pair of running shoes and have a water bottle in your hand before you get started. You could, of course, go back to the starting line to pick those things up if you wanted to, and you’d still be in the race, but you’d be behind.

In relationship terms, if you go back and do the work on yourself once you’ve already chosen a partner, further down the line you might find that you’re not happy in life, your values don’t align, you have different goals and you shouldn’t have been in the relationship at all. It’s far better to have started ahead of time.

You don’t have to be at the destination to find your perfect partner, but you do have to be on the path.

If, along the way, something emotionally challenging happens in your life – you lose a job or a close family member passes away – how quickly do you bounce back? Those who are lower on the neurotic scale are able to rebound from adversity more easily and make better partners.

Take a look at your career and your personal goals. Identify the things in life that you’re passionate about and work towards becoming exceptional at them. And it’s like a tide – it lifts up everything else, including your romantic life.

You get the network, the connections, the introductions; you’re happier and more satisfied. And that means your pool is wider, your ‘mate value’ is higher and the people you are meeting are better candidates to become your long-term partner.

I’m not suggesting you have to be the number-one person in your field or become a billionaire. As long as you’re on the journey towards becoming your best self, that’s what’s really important. And the further you travel on that journey, the more you’ll get out of life – and love.

Find Love by Paul Brunson (Ebury publishing, £16.99). © Paul Brunson 2024. To order a copy for £15.29 (offer valid to 17/02/24; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to www.mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.

By Monique Friedlander for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 7:36 PM EST, February 4, 2024 | Updated: 7:49 PM EST, February 4, 2024

Martha Stewart is accused of taking credit for a recipe she didn't create during the early years of her career as a domestic lifestyle guru.

In a new CNN docuseries charting her legacy, the 82-year-old's former catering worker Sarah Gross claims she was the mastermind behind one of the popular creations from Martha's groundbreaking 1982 cookbook, Entertaining.

Speaking on the premiere episode of The Many Lives of Martha Stewart on Sunday night, Sarah recalled bringing her “cranberry nut pie” when she applied for a job at Martha's first cooking venture, The Market Basket.

After years of making the cake with Martha for the parties they catered, Sarah was less than impressed when the recipe not only appeared in Entertaining, but when the celebrity chef also took credit for its creation while publishing the book TV promoted.

“They've become so part of the repertoire that who knows if she even remembers it being my recipe,” Sarah said.

In a clip from a promotional TV appearance at the time of the book's release, a presenter asked Marta about her cranberry nut cake and where all her new recipes came from.

Martha responded, “A lot of these are recipes I've made all my life, and a lot of them were made just for the book.”

Martha has since said she was inspired by Sarah's recipes and even recalled why she lost credit for some of her work during a March 2023 episode of the In The Kitchen With Martha podcast.

In a conversation with Thomas Joseph and Sarah Carey, Martha explained how 'Alexis' famous chocolate chip cookies' came to be.

“Forty-five years ago, when Alexis developed the recipe for me, that recipe was an evolution,” Martha began.

“Sarah Gross, who worked for me in my catering company. She had a delicious cookie recipe and I asked her for the recipe, but she wouldn't give it to me.”

She continued, “So I said to Alexis, I gave her the cookie and said, 'Here, make this recipe.' And in two tries she had the recipe.

“You know, it could have been Sarah's famous chocolate. Sorry Sarah, but it's Alexis.'

In the episode, photographer Michael Skott – who shot the images used in Entertaining – stated: ' [Martha] I worked hard for it and she was driven, but everything was a team effort and there were a lot of people who worked with Martha when I was involved who also came up with ideas.

'How did it come to be Martha's idea? Well, that's another story.'

During her time with Martha, Sarah said she ended up running Martha's catering company as the celebrity chef's star began to rise on a national scale.

However, Sarah says their business relationship came to an end when she demanded she be given due recognition for her work within the company.

She explained, “I worked for Martha and was paid a maximum of eight to ten dollars an hour. I don't think I've ever been paid more than that, and I did so much for her.

'So I set up a time to talk to her. I got there and Andy Stewart was there and I asked Martha… I told her that if I was going to give my heart and soul, and at that moment I felt like I was, I needed a title.”

Sarah continued, “I needed something I could call my own in relation to this company that was growing before me.

“And Andy says, 'Martha's going to be as big as McDonald's, and we're not giving that away.'

The disgruntled caterer concluded, “That's Martha, she had a vision of where she wanted to go and nothing and no one was going to stand in her way.”

After parting ways with Martha, Sarah launched her own catering company called Cabbages & Kings Catering.

In 2019, a recipe for a cranberry pie with nut crust was shared on marthastewart.com.

The description simply said, “Martha made this recipe on episode 701 of Martha Bakes,” referencing an episode that originally aired in July 2016.

Since starting her catering business in the basement of her home in 1976, Martha has become a business mogul to be reckoned with.

When Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia went public in 1999, its success made her the first female self-made billionaire in the United States.

With 48 books and several TV shows to her name, the New Jersey mother of one has also built a hugely successful website and writes a newsletter, which reportedly has a readership of 12 million.

DailyMail.com has contacted Martha's reps for comment.

The final two episodes of The Many Lives of Martha Stewart air on CNN on February 4 at 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM

By Monique Friedlander for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 10:15 PM EST, January 3, 2024 | Updated: 10:24 PM EST, January 3, 2024