Sunday Express Sunday Magazine – 16 August 2026

Summary

Chantelle Houghton, 42, has picked out her wedding dress — loosely fitted, cream, long sleeves, simple — 20 years after her Celebrity Big Brother marriage to Ordinary Boys singer Preston, in the August 16, 2026 Sunday Express Sunday Magazine, priced at £1.80. She met garden-centre owner Westley O'Bryan, 45 and 6ft 4in, in Brentwood, Essex, and says keeping her old wedding dress "felt really disrespectful" now that she loves Westley. For readers who follow reality-TV romance updates, wedding planning and Sunday lifestyle content, this 62-page issue delivers the standard weekly mix.

The Chantelle Houghton interview runs from page 4 and covers her timeline from winning Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 watched by seven million viewers, marrying Preston just seven months later, engagements to Rav Wilding (2010) and Alex Reid (2011, split 2012 after daughter Dolly's birth), engagement to Michael Strutt (2020, broke up 2021), and being celibate for four years before meeting Westley. Regular sections include The Lifestyle Edit (p.10), Fashion (p.16), Shopping (p.22), Food (p.24), Travel (p.28), Fiction (p.32), What to Watch (p.35), Puzzles (p.52), and Horoscopes (p.62).

Cover-shoot clothing prices are listed: ASOS blazer £70, M&S bra £28, Vinted boots £25, H Samuel necklace £149, New Look bangles £14.99, Sif Jakobs rings £240; second outfit: Karan Burness skirt £490, M&S jacket £50, ASOS earrings £8.99; third outfit: ASOS dress £38, Amazon tights £9.99, ASOS shoes £35, Sif Jakobs necklace £592 and earrings £145. The Gtech promotion offers the AirRAM 2 and Multi bundle at £249.98 with code BV78. The Four By Four puzzle features words: BRUNCH, GRILL, SIGN, AIM, SKEWERS, MARK, BLOG, MOTEL, TONGS, PODCAST, OBJECTIVE.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Interview

p.04 · Chantelle Houghton: "I've Already Picked Out My Wedding Dress"
The 42-year-old former Celebrity Big Brother winner met Westley O'Bryan, 45, a garden-centre owner and dad of one, at a salon in Brentwood. She was celibate for four years before meeting him. Her previous engagements: Preston (married 2006, split within months), Rav Wilding (2010), Alex Reid (engaged 2011, split 2012 after daughter Dolly's birth), Michael Strutt (engaged 2020, broke up 2021). She threw out her first wedding dress because keeping it "felt really disrespectful" now. Her new dress: loosely fitted, cream, long sleeves, simple. Anyone planning a second wedding should note her approach: small, classy, immediate family only, no TV spectacle.

▸ Lifestyle

p.10 · The Lifestyle Edit
Home, health and beauty product picks for mid-August. The spread follows standard Sunday-supplement format with hero product and secondary recommendations. Seasonal shoppers should target end-of-summer clearance on outdoor furniture.

▸ Fashion

p.16 · Fashion
Late-summer fashion edit with transitional pieces for the shift into early autumn. The spread covers high-street labels alongside premium brands. Wardrobe planners should look for the dual-season jacket that works over both summer dresses and autumn knitwear.

▸ Shopping

p.22 · Shopping
Gadget, beauty and homeware picks. An Outsunny Rattan Gas Fire Pit Table at £191.99 from Yimbly.com is featured alongside the back-to-school uniform guide and Scandi Chic interior trend piece. Garden owners should compare fire-pit heating output before buying.

▸ Food

p.24 · Food
Late-summer recipes using the season's final tomatoes, courgettes and stone fruit. The section focuses on quick midweek meals. Home cooks should freeze stone-fruit purées for winter smoothies.

▸ Travel

p.28 · Travel
Short-break features for the last August getaway window. The section covers UK and European destinations. Late bookers should check for September availability to capture lower shoulder-season rates.

▸ What to Watch

p.35 · What to Watch
Seven-day TV listings from Sunday 16 to Friday 21 August, plus highlighted programmes. PVR users should check the Saturday-evening drama premieres.

▸ Puzzles

p.52 · Sunday Puzzles / Four By Four
Ten pages of puzzles including the Four By Four visual word game with a £250 prize. Grid words: BRUNCH, GRILL, SIGN, AIM, SKEWERS, MARK, BLOG, MOTEL, TONGS, PODCAST, OBJECTIVE. Regular solvers get 20 minutes of material.

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Editor's Take

A cover interview that leans hard on nostalgia — Chantelle's 2006 CBB win and seven-million-viewer audience are the most specific numbers in the piece. The wedding-dress detail (cream, long sleeves, simple) and the £592 Sif Jakobs necklace price provide concrete visuals. Weaknesses: the "celibate for four years" claim is presented without context, and the timeline jumps between five relationships over 20 years without dwelling on any one story long enough to build emotional depth. The Express Wins promotion (up to 1000% Matchup Bonus) is prominently placed advertising. Best for readers who followed the original CBB series and want a relationship-status update on a familiar face.

Strengths
• Chantelle names exact ages, years and relationship durations across five partnerships
• Wedding dress description ("cream, long sleeves, simple, loosely fitted") is specific
• ASOS blazer £70 and Sif Jakobs £592 necklace give verifiable price anchors

Weaknesses
• Five-part relationship timeline lacks emotional depth on any single story
• Express Wins gambling promotion is prominently placed and ethically questionable in a lifestyle magazine

Verdict: Selective read — CBB nostalgia carries the cover interview, but the rapid-fire relationship timeline prevents real emotional engagement.