Onscreen, Tom Selleck has a reputation for playing reliable, straightforward men; but his life offscreen is a little more complex, proving that there is more to everyone’s favourite moustachioed actor than meets the eye.

Those growing up in the 80s will best remember actor Tom Selleck as private investigator Thomas Magnum in the eponymous hit TV show Magnum, P.I.; or perhaps it’s his charming turn in romantic comedy Three Men and a Baby and 1990 sequel Three Men and a Little Lady that resonates best when it comes to one of the industry’s most likeable guys.

Further roles as dashing ophthalmologist Dr Richard Burke in Friends and Commissioner Frank Reagan in CBS’s hit cop show Blue Bloods, followed, not to mention a brilliant portrayal of brave police chief Jesse Stone in the Hallmark film series based on Robert B. Parker’s crime novels.

Selleck has done the lot, and across multiple genres since securing his break at the ripe old age of 35 (by Hollywood standards, anyway) with ...

A friend once said to me: “You’re really funny. You should be a stand-up comedian.” Many of us have had the experience of making a group of friends laugh down the pub. Or, if you’re middle-aged like me, at a friend’s house for a dinner party – where laughter can become infectious, particularly if the red wine is flowing. It’s one thing having a laugh with your friends but making a group of complete strangers laugh for five minutes is another matter entirely...

I have always been fascinated by comedy. I grew up watching Tommy Cooper, Spike Milligan and Les Dawson. The more ridiculous they were, the more I laughed – children laugh around three times more often than adults. I loved silly jokes like “I went to my doctor and asked for something for persistent wind. He gave me a kite” (Les Dawson).

I run my own brand and graphic design business, so I’m no stranger to being creative and presenting my ideas to clients. I have, on occasion, also led services in my church. But I wanted to ...

North Korea has enough prisoners in concentration camps to easily fill Wembley, Twickenham and Old Trafford. These prisoners have been stripped of their humanity and are forced to live in gruesome conditions.

Hea Woo* was one of those people. She spent many years in a small labour camp in the north of the country where she was tortured, starved and forced to work 12-hour days.

Growing up, Hea Woo heard lots of stories about Christian missionaries. They infiltrated North Korea and enticed vulnerable citizens, hospital patients and children down into cellars. They locked them away and harvested their organs and blood to sell. Christians, Hea Woo believed, were the enemy working in collaboration with America. They would not hesitate to catch her and kill her.

What Hea Woo didn’t realise was that her mother was a Christian. “She was always mumbling – barely audible,” Hea Woo said. “I realise now that she was praying.” Like most Christian parents in North Korea, Hea Woo’s mother ne...

“You’ve got a migraine? Surely, it’s mind over matter. Think happy thoughts and you’ll be fine.” “Broken your leg? It’s all in your head. Stop thinking so much and just shake it off!” “Cancer? Could be worse – chin up.”

We would never talk to someone with a physical ailment like this, and yet anyone who has suffered with a mental health issue is likely to have been told it’s all in their head, or that they should be able to “get over it”. Depression and anxiety aren’t things we can pull ourselves together over. It’s not a person’s fault, and it’s not something they can control.

As a society we’re more comfortable talking about and looking after our physical health than our mental health, but we haven’t always known so much about caring for our bodies. Years ago, people didn’t know that brushing your teeth keeps them from going rotten and falling out, or that washing daily is a good idea (the Anglo-Saxons thought the Vikings spent far too much time bathing because they did it once...

Let me introduce you to a different spirit, a dragon with the mind of a genius. I was offered a chance to drive a brand-new DS 7 Crossback from York to Paris, and back again. For those who have suffered at the hands of the M25, you’ll understand that I didn’t jump at the opportunity immediately. After seeing one photo of the SUV, I came to my senses, and thank goodness I did. At first sight the car leaves a lasting impression. Parked in front of the house, you could almost hear it begging to be driven, much to the envy of the neighbours.

Instantly you know that it’s a car that is clearly on the side of the driver and the passenger alike. A beast with class. A powerhouse with poise. The latest technological innovations with the brand’s Parisian savoir faire, introducing new levels of driving comfort and performance, this SUV effortlessly oozes luxury and technology. With a plug-in hybrid petrol drivetrain hosting a 200hp petrol engine, two electric motors (with an output of 80kW...