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Features

<p>There were red flags Eve Simmons missed before her husband asked for a divorce</p>

Six months married, then he divorced me – here are the signs I missed

When her husband walked away just six months into marriage, Eve Simmons went looking for answers – and found that ‘blindsiding’ breakups are a familiar pattern for many millennial women

<p>Audrey Hepburn reading in New York Public Library as Holly Golightly in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ </p>

The one thing everyone should do in 2026

<p>Researchers from the University of Copenhagen suggest there are deep-rooted biological mechanisms that make losing weight and maintaining weight loss incredibly challenging</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Why experts say ‘eat less, move more’ won’t work for weight loss

<p>Terms like ‘partner’ and ‘friend’ are rendered obsolete in the place of a more fluid approach to any kind of relationship</p>

Is 2026 the year we all become relationship anarchists?

<p>These are the styles set to take over our homes </p>

The three things making your home look dated – and what’s in for 2026

<p>I interview diet and nutrition experts weekly, and these are their top tips for improving your health</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

The diet tips most nutritionists swear by for fat loss and health

<p>Women are being encouraged to ‘cycle smart’ at the gym</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Cycle-syncing workouts: Should your period dictate your gym routine?

Latest news

More features

<p>Suited and booted: John Slattery as Roger Stirling and Jon Hamm as Don Draper in ‘Mad Men’ </p>

The new rules of dressing up for the plane

<p>The style influencer Chiara Ferragni is facing jail time on charges of aggravated fraud</p>

The style blogger whose world fell apart, now facing a fraud trial

<p>Flowers, and chocolates, and cuddles, oh my! The 'high-effort boyfriend' is the latest impossible relationship standard to hit social media</p>

Let's unpack that

Why the ‘high-effort boyfriend’ is the next toxic dating trend

<p>Mills’ very own romcom-esque abode in West Oxfordshire </p>

in focus

Why living in a cosy Cotswolds cottage is nothing like the movies

Fitness and wellness

<p>Dark showers: Experts say a candlelit bathe before bed could be the answer to an easier night’s sleep </p>

Why experts think we should all be showering in the dark

A growing number of young people are opting to ‘dark shower’, saying it helps them to de-stress and sleep better. Lydia Spencer-Elliott dims the lights and puts it to the test

Why experts think we should all be showering in the dark

A growing number of young people are opting to ‘dark shower’, saying it helps them to de-stress and sleep better. Lydia Spencer-Elliott dims the lights and puts it to the test

<p>Dark showers: Experts say a candlelit bathe before bed could be the answer to an easier night’s sleep </p>

<p>A new report has found serious failings in maternity care across NHS wards in the UK</p>

Health and Wellbeing

The best places to give birth – and what they can teach us

<p>An average of 2,660 patients per day were in a hospital bed with flu last week</p>

Should a young healthy person like me get a flu jab?

<p>Increasing your walking speed, and focusing on walks longer than 10 minutes, can offer increased benefits to heart health</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

Struggle to hit 10,000 steps? Scientist suggests trying this instead

<p>Going sober in December can feel like ’skipping the 10km race and going straight to running a marathon’</p>

Dry December: How I’m getting through the Christmas party season sober

<p>Going sober in December can feel like ’skipping the 10km race and going straight to running a marathon’</p>

Dry December: How I’m getting through the Christmas party season sober

<p>The Korean dish bibimbap</p>

How to eat for immunity for superflu season

<p>While open cup milkshakes and coffee drinks are exempt from the government’s latest sugar tax, their calorific content can still be a problem</p>

How embarrassing is your coffee order?

Food features

<p>Generation X, such as Oasis’s Liam Gallagher, were the first generation to have UPF feature heavily in their diets from an early age</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

The food Gen X is addicted to – and why it could be killing them

<p>A bowl of yoghurt and fruit – once hailed as the breakfast of the health-conscious, now caught in Britain’s food-policy crossfire</p>

Why your yoghurt isn’t as healthy as you think it is – or is it?

The best new no and low-alcohol drinks to try now

<p>Humble no more: beans have gone from back-of-the-cupboard staple to the food world’s hottest ingredient</p>

Fitness and wellbeing

How bean fibremaxxing became the secret to better gut-health

Recipes

<p>A hearty reminder that autumn salads can be every bit as comforting as roasts</p>

Autumn recipes to cook now, from squash to apple pie

<p>A thrifty twist on minestrone from Tom Kerridge – proof that a clear-out can still taste like comfort</p>

15 soup recipes from Tom Kerridge, Fearnley-Whittingstall and more

<p>Slow-cooked beef goulash – rich, smoky and perfect for soaking up with dumplings or crusty bread</p>

How to make classic Czech beef goulash

Life Stories

<p>After having five children of her own, Charlotte Johnson-Daniels decided to help childless couples and become a surrogate in 2022</p>

‘I’m a surrogate – but I don’t want to make money from a baby’

<p>Mohammed Nayef Salem is 18 and has been training as an entertainer since he was 12</p>

‘I’m a clown in a war zone – it’s an incredibly important job’

<p>Lauren Bateman, who received under-eye filler from a woman without medical qualifications</p>

‘I got under-eye filler – then felt like my face was going to explode’

<p>Rachael Doman and her husband Paul with their three children</p>

‘I went from zero children to being a mum to three kids overnight’

Independent TV

<p>TV presenter Alison Hammond talks about having a positive mindset and how she boosts her wellbeing in winter (Alamy/PA)</p>

Alison Hammond reflects on incredible 11-stone weight loss journey

Jesy Nelson emotional as twins diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy

Coronation Street legend addresses weight loss jab rumours

Boris and Carrie Johnson celebrate 2026 with ‘Pink Pony Club’ song

Deals

<p>Enjoy luxury garden decor at without the pricetag at Garden Trading</p>

Enjoy 25% off all homeware and garden at Garden Trading

<p>These are the best ways to save at M&S right now</p>

M&S discount codes for January – how to save 10%

Up to 50% off luxury bags and jewellery at Aspinal of London

<p>Enjoy the best of Jacamo with these deals</p>

Save more than 25% on fashion, tech and gaming at Jacamo

Design

<p>Laying the table to an art form to showcase your festive flair</p>

How to elevate your Christmas dinner with stylish tablescaping

Organise the home with these must-haves (Mustard Made/PA)

9 stylish storage solutions to clear the clutter

Pantone’s Colour of the Year – Cloud Dancer, is a captivating shade of white (Pantone/PA)

How to style Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2026 – Cloud Dancer

Royal Family

The Royal Butler forecasts big 2026 for Prince William and family

Kate and William unveil favourite unseen moments of 2025

<p>Queen Camilla</p>

Watch: Queen Camilla recalls anger at train attack for first time

Women

<p>Vote in our weekly Independent Women poll</p>

Vote in our Independent Women poll: Have you had the ‘superflu’?

<p>‘Rather than a constructive conversation, it is more like an argument about who is doing more jobs’</p>

‘I have never been happier’: Readers on life after divorce

<p>Independent Women: Sign up to Victoria Richards’ weekly newsletter </p>

Independent Women: Sign up to Victoria Richards’ weekly newsletter

Dating and Relationships

<p> (L to R) Steve Carell as Nick, Kerri Kenney as Anne, and Tina Fey as Kate Netflix’s The Four Seasons which examines at marital upset in midlife</p>

Why ‘walkaway wives’ are leading the charge in midlife divorce

<p>After 18-years of marriage Jane moved to Marrakech for a new beginnning </p>

The brutal truth about my first post-divorce Christmas

Lovehoney has launched a sell-out advent calendar range

indy100

tv

The biggest reactions to the Stranger Things finale episode as fans say an emotional goodbye to the show

The biggest reactions to the Stranger Things finale episode as fans say an emotional goodbye to the show

sport

Press Association’s best sports pictures of 2025

news

Double-amputee aims to show people can ‘achieve anything’ in mountain challenge

gaming

PS Plus Essential January 2026 game leaked early and gamers are split

lifestyle

What is the invisible guest theory? New Year's Eve trend explained

lifestyle

What is the invisible guest theory? New Year's Eve trend explained

science-tech

This reimagining of the perfect human body is absolutely terrifying

science-tech

Scientists think there’s a hidden universe created by ‘dark big bang’