Second Act Relationships

Last Updated On | 3 Aug 2026

Famous family

Andi Oliver: 'My daughter Miquita saved my life after my brother died'

Celebrity chef and broadcaster Andi Oliver opens up about recovering from a breakdown and eating disorder, how daughter Miquita saved her life and supporting Lily Allen through divorce

The 7 types of friend every woman needs in her 40s and 50s

Midlife is a team sport. Jo Hoare counts down the mdlife mates every woman needs in her arsenal to survive with her sanity - and eyebrows - intact.

Kate Wills: 'What Victoria Beckham's no-show at Mel C's wedding reveals about midlife friendships'

When Posh missed Sporty's wedding, the tabloids cried feud. But for any woman who has ever agonised over an RSVP, Victoria’s no-show felt surprisingly familiar to Kate Wills...

How Love Island helped me teach my daughter about consent and relationship red flags

Everyone says Love Island is trash - but Anniki Sommerville is using it to teach her daughter the red flags she wish she'd spotted in her younger days.

Why midlife's secret superpower is the one nobody thinks they want

Becoming invisible in midlife may feel uncomfortable at first - but author Emma Straub says it can be a secret weapon to live a life you love

The 5 questions to ask if you want your marriage to last

Masterchef star Nisha Katona reveals the death and rebirth behind her own 25 year marriage and why love language is everything

The midlife divorce dilemma: How do you know whether to stay or go?

Expert Kate Daly helps us unpack the stigma and overwhelm around divorce, separation and starting all over again

'It is so important to have female friends who we can talk to about menopause'

FRIENDSHIPS

Jane Green: How I knew it was time to end my marriage after 18 years

Bestselling author Jane Green opens up about the shame she felt of living a lie, ending her marriage and coming out as bisexual in her second act

The Rivals finale gave midlife women permission to prioritise themselves and I’ve never seen a reaction quite like it

Why that heartbreaking Rivals scene has us all vowing to ‘Live Like Blazes’. Writer Rose Gallagher on why that shock mid-season ending resonated so deeply...

I was a midlife bride like Harriet Sperling - we deserve our fairytale too

The wedding of Harriet Sperling and Peter Phillips brought back memories for fellow midlife bride Jenny Holliday

Psychology says midlife women prefer one-to-one friendships over large groups - it's not burnout, it's 'socioemotional selectivity theory'

A smaller social circle often raises fears of loneliness, yet experts emphasise that loneliness is not defined by numbers.

Beware the Four Seasons 'sleep divorce' - this is why I'll always share a bed with my partner of 29 years

In Netflix comedy The Four Seasons, midlife couple Tina Fey and Will Forte start to see the appeal of separate beds - but it's not a move Anniki Sommerville will be making

'This can be a time for a sexual renaissance' - here's how to enjoy sex if you're perimenopausal or menopausal

How to overcome the menopause 'bedroom gap' and enjoy sex into your 90s. The menopause symptoms don't have to ruin your sex life, our expert.

A menopause meltdown changed my life for the better

When Jennie Godfrey, bestselling author of List of Suspicious Things, felt her life falling apart it led to her pursuing the career she had always dreamed of - and brought her closer to her dad

Like Jane Fallon, I’m childfree by choice – but being an aunt is one of the great joys of my life

Jenny Holliday is a proud PANK - professional aunt, no kids - and she explains why she takes her role extremely seriously

Gabby Logan: I didn’t realise I needed therapy to process my grief

Match of the Day presenter Gabby Logan on the how the tragic death of her brother and father helped her to find happiness

Psychologist explains why celebrating divorce might be the healthiest thing you can do

Psychologists say the trend actually reflects something far deeper

Why letting your partner handle the bills is a risk you can’t afford to take

Does your partner pay the bills? A financial expert says why you need to take back control

I'm twice divorced and now dating in my 50s - this is what it's really like when your life splits in two

From gossiping about post-divorce sex to confronting being alone, amicable founder Kate Daly has learned a lot about herself over the past few years

How a sleep divorce helped save my marriage

Journalist and author Bryony Gordon on the bedroom taboo that keeps her long term relationship together after rehab

Bryony Gordon: How hitting rock bottom at 10am changed everything

Journalist and author Bryony Gordon opens up about coping with lifelong OCD, how her marriage survived rehab and why she is still running marathons in her knickers

My relationship with my ex-husband's family has turned toxic and it's getting me down

Divorce drama is the hot topic of conversation today for menopause campaigner and HELLO! agony aunt Mariella Frostrup.

Goldie Hawn: ‘Sex at 80 keeps me happy’

The Hollywood actress reveals her secrets to happiness and how she keeps the relationship spark alive after 42 years with Kurt Russell

Glynis Barber on the relationship taboo that has kept her 30 year marriage strong

The HELLO! columnist reveals the honest truth about her long-term relationship with her Dempsey and Makepeace husband

Sarah-Jane Mee: 'There is no 'step' in our blended family'

Sky News Presenter Sarah-Jane Mee opens up about finding love in midlife and how she makes her blended family work

I blew my wedding budget on my 40th birthday — then met my husband a month later

In this week’s episode of HELLO!’s Second Act podcast, Sky News presenter Sarah-Jane Mee opens up about her shock stalker and her ideal step-family dynamic

Kathy Lette: 'Women don’t give up sex when we get old, we get old when we give up sex' - the joy of sex in my sixties

Author Kathy Lette writes exclusively for HELLO!'s Second Act on how she's having the best sex of her life in her sixties

My puppy has transformed my empty nest - and brought me closer to my husband

Mariella Frostrup has realised she's replaced her grown-up children with a very demanding puppy

Hermione Norris on marriage and menopause: 'I'm suspicious of people who say they're madly in love at my age'

The Cold Feet actress on the lessons she learned from the menopause and why she is ‘suspicious’ of midlife passion

When my life blew up, these women saved me — and taught me what it really means to be strong

In the past few years, writer and comedian Helen Thorn has navigated divorce and grief — and she couldn't have done it without these women

Hermione Norris: 'I'm not who I was 10 years ago - and I really like it'

In this week’s episode of HELLO!’s Second Act podcast, Cold Feet actress Hermione Norris opens up about how her volatile childhood shaped her approach to life and motherhood

Your divorce questions answered: from dealing with a hostile ex to the lawyer myth

We were joined by amicable founder Kate Daly for a live Q&A on all things divorce and separation — here's what we learned

Sarah Beeny: I'm 'in denial' about my sons leaving home - but there's one thing I'll do to cope

TV presenter and entrepreneur Sarah Beeny on the dirty new hobby she shares with Zoe Ball and Jo Whiley as she gears up for an empty nest

Q&A with amicable co-founder Kate Daly on all things divorce

Find out how to divorce without the drama

Sienna and Savannah Miller are so lucky - I felt so lonely having babies in my forties

Beauty editor Cassie Steer on why having a fellow midlife bump buddy can make midlife motherhood much less isolating

Daughter Amber on Yasmin Le Bon: 'Mum is a dragon - I don't want her disciplining my child'

Amber Le Bon sets model grandmother Yasmin straight - but what is the role of a grandparent and how do you avoid overstepping the mark? We ask the experts

Rachel Weisz in Vladimir captures the secret midlife libido explosion - and I think it’s down to HRT and weight loss jabs

We're conditioned to believe that everybody goes off sex in midlife — but Second Act's Isabel Mohan is delighted that Netflix's Vladimir tells a different story

Yasmin Le Bon: 'Simon still makes me laugh more than I want to kill him!'