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OUR much-loved astrologer Meg sadly died last year but her column will be kept alive by her friend and protégée Maggie Innes.

Read on to see what’s written in the stars for you today. 

ARIES

March 21 to April 20

A new moon and a new month make this your moment to review so many aspects of your life – starting with how you think, and talk, about yourself.

Pushing negative views away and maintaining a positive picture of who you are and where you are going, can start to create your own luck.

 TAURUS

April 21 to May 21

What a team does for you matters just as much as what you give to them – and if this is out of balance right now, you can correct it.

But you do need to be more clear about where you draw a responsibility line.

In love? A love-load can lighten when you accept you can’t do everything all at once.

Get all the latest Taurus horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

GEMINI

May 22 to June 21

Saturn is close at hand in your chart to support a final fitness push – so if there’s a programme to finish or a goal to achieve, it is within sight.

Your career dreams get a lift too – but you could be surprised which of two different routes appeals to you more.

Remember the difference between listening and judging.

Get all the latest Gemini horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CANCER

June 22 to July 22

It’s not too late to reach out and end a time of silence – the new moon is fresh and ready to forget.

But it’s important, if you decide to offer a reconnection, not to carry any resentment or regrets with you.

Passion can be on the agenda at work when a meeting time is changed at the last minute.

Get all the latest Cancer horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

LEO

July 23 to August 23

Your home-based plans may feel stuck in neutral, but this gives you a chance to stormproof them.

Look back and you will see some gaps that need attention sooner rather than later.

When a face you are so familiar with on a screen appears in real life, what happens next can change your future.

Get all the latest Leo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

VIRGO

August 24 to September 22

It’s never easy for you to say things you assume other people won’t like – but today this is an essential action.

At work, you can see just where a team is going wrong and how they could correct this, so they do need to know.

And at home, maybe a change would slow down a process, but it will still happen.

Get all the latest Virgo horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

Getty

The moon’s new outlook and ambition is centred on your own sign[/caption]

LIBRA

September 23 to October 23

Instead of automatically assuming you’re no good with cash – this is your day to try a new tactic.

When you choose to see yourself as someone who can learn, and make good choices, it can start to happen.

And if you are already on top of money matters, your decision just get bolder, and better.

Get all the latest Libra horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SCORPIO

October 24 to November 22

The moon’s new outlook and ambition is centred on your own sign – so you should feel the effects all day, and beyond.

Your future links to doing what you feel is right, rather than what looks good.

This can mean some major rethinks.

In love? Commit your heart even if you head still holds something back.

Get all the latest Scorpio horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SAGITTARIUS

November 23 to December 21

A secret from a family’s past can resurface with a challenging role for you.

Remember you have the right to refuse – deep down you do know what you need to do.

New moon energy intensifies your ability to feel what others feel, see what they see.

But this needs careful handling, as it could feel overwhelming.

Get all the latest Sagittarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

CAPRICORN

December 22 to January 20

A very different lifestyle, in a radical new setting – the germ of this idea can start today, as the new moon energises your community chart.

Maybe you’ve never seen yourself living, or working, anywhere else – until now.

Passion is your natural state with such a sensitive, sensual chart overall.

Get all the latest Capricorn horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

Supplied

Saturn keeps a close check on your purse strings and therefore savings can be made[/caption]

AQUARIUS

January 21 to February 18

However much you have poured into a particular ambition, this can be your day to scrap it, and start again.

You won’t look back, as from the start your next goal will be a simpler, but also better-suited, match.

Saturn keeps a close check on your purse strings and therefore savings can be made.

Get all the latest Aquarius horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

PISCES

February 19 to March 20

Travel blocks crumble, learning barriers crash and that open road to a brighter future is clear on the horizon.

Your listening skills are so finely-tuned, and a chance to do further training or experience in this area should be taken seriously.

Love wants, and deserves, more – but try not to rush this. Pace yourself.

Get all the latest Pisces horoscope news including your weekly and monthly predictions

SAINSBURY’S has revealed its Christmas advert for 2024 and it features an iconic children’s character.

The star of the festive clip is The Big Friendly Giant (BFG), a loveable creature from Roald Dahl‘s children’s book.

It begins with the Giant asking how he can make his Christmas more “phiz whizzing” a word – which means amazing – that was made up by the author and used in the book and 2016 movie adaptation.

Sainsbury’s 60-second clip is set to premiere on TV at 8:15pm this evening during Coronation Street on ITV.

The ad opens with a scene featuring the BFG chopping up the infamous ugly vegetables that feature in the tale while listing off food to go alongside his meal.

He then turns to the camera and asks: “Hey Sainsbury’s, how can we make this Christmas a bit more… phizz-whizzing?”

It then cuts to a Sainsbury’s name badge labelled “Sophie,” which is a nod to the orphan character in the book.

Sophie asks: “I hear you need our help”.

There’s a brief pause as the BFG’s enormous fingers stretch out and land on the ground in front of her, as he confirms he needs her help.

The ad cuts to the BFG and Sophie travelling in search of great-tasting food.

The camera pans out to reveal a dining table in the BFG’s cave overflowing with Sainsbury’s dishes.

This includes a roasted Carrot Galette, a Smoked Salmon and Maple Terrine, and a Golden Forest dessert.

It comes as a number of Sainsbury’s festive food items have landed on shelves, with a final handful of desserts and meats to land in December.

The advert concludes as we see Sophie and the BFG wishing each other a Merry Christmas.

Viewers then hear the voice of Stephen Fry inviting them to seek the retailer’s expertise, asking “Want to go big this Christmas? Ask Sainsbury’s. Good Food for all of us”.

The actor has voiced a number of the grocer’s advertisements.

Sainsbury’s has also enlisted the support of real Sainsbury’s store colleagues to take part in the advert.

A food services assistant plays the role of Sophie in the TV clip.

Sainsbury’s Christmas ads through the years

It is vastly different to the ad the grocer displayed last year, enlisted the help of one-hit-wonder Rick Astley.

The clip was based around a young girl asking what Santa has for Christmas dinner and the Never Gonna Give You Up singer makes a cameo.

In 2022 This Morning’s Alison Hammond features as a fussy countess picking food from the food range this year.

It was a light-hearted tale set in a fantasy medieval world where a festive feast is being planned.

The year before, the ad’s goal was to remind families to savour every moment of being together again on the big day and highlighted a restriction-free Christmas after the pandemic.

In 2020, the nostalgic home-style footage, saw a daughter and dad discussing how much they want to see each other for Christmas.

Before Covid Sainsbury’s advert told the story of how Santa started out as a chimney sweep.

Its 2018 advert featured a super cute eight-year-old in her school’s festive play.

It comes as the retailer has also launched its festive food range, which you can read here.

Sainsbury’s is one of the first retailers to reveal its festive advert for Christmas 2024.

Viewers will be anticipating the likes of John Lewis and Marks and Spencer, which should be debuting as we head into the run-up to the holiday.

TWO supermarkets’ own-brand roast spuds have beaten Aunt Bessie’s taters to top spot in a blind taste test.

The group of shoppers put together by consumer group Which? crowned the two retailers’ roasties winners of the test.

Alamy

Which? conducted a blind taste test of own-brand and branded frozen roasted spuds[/caption]

Testers were asked to blind taste eight supermarket own-brand and two branded varieties of frozen spuds – Aunt Bessie’s and McCain.

And Aldi and M&S’ came out joint winners with a 74% overall rating based on flavour, appearance, aroma and texture.

Three quarters of shoppers said Aldi’s Best Buy and Great Value Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes were fluffy on the inside with two thirds saying they packed a decent crunch on the outside.

At 25p per 100g and coming in a 1kg bag, they were the cheapest option across all 10 packs of spuds too – ideal if you’re on the lookout for Christmas.

Tasters gave M&S’ Maris Piper Roast Potatoes a 74% overall rating, with three quarters loving the fluffy interior and general texture.

One gripe tasters had was that the spuds could have been a bit more flavoursome though.

Pricewise, the M&S spuds came in middle of the pack at 38p per 100g, coming in a 800g bag.

In a close third, Aunt Bessie’s Duck Fat roasties scored an overall 72%, with 80% loving their colour.

Most were fans of the spuds’ crunchy texture but over two fifths said the insides were a touch dry.

The Aunt Bessie spuds were the only ones in the test that are cooked in duck fat instead of beef fat, making them the priciest on the list.

A 700g bag came in at £4.50, or 64p per 100g.

In fourth were Morrisons’ The Best Beef Fat Roast Potatoes which shoppers scored well in terms of texture.

But they performed badly for bite and overall flavour, with their overall score coming in at 71%.]

The 800g bag cost £2.75, or 34p per 100g.

In joint fourth alongside Morrisons’ spuds were Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Maris Piper Roast Potatoes with Beef Dripping and Tesco‘s Finest Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes, scoring 71%.

Shoppers’ were keen on the Sainsbury’s bag, which cost 30p per 100g and £2.95 for a kilo, but almost half of the taste testers wanted a stronger flavour.

Tesco’s spuds were branded a good all-rounder with more than half enjoying their flavour and crispy outsides.

The pack came in at £3 for a bag of 800g, or 38p per 100g.

Then followed Co-op‘s Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes, Waitrose‘s Frozen Roast Potatoes in Beef Fat and Asda’s Extra Special Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes.

The packs cost 45p, 34p and 34p per 100g respectively.

Bottom of the pack were McCain’s Triple Cooked frozen roasties which came in at £3 for a bag of 700g – 43p per 100g.

Shoppers said the spuds were too pale and weak in flavour, with over 40% saying they lacked crunch too.

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of home products and services, said: “Roast potatoes are a staple for a Christmas dinner but can often be time consuming to make from scratch while juggling other things.

“We tested a variety of frozen alternatives on offer from big brands and supermarkets that require next to no preparation and are the perfect cooking hack – saving precious time in the kitchen.

“Aldi’s Specially Selected Beef Dripping Roast Potatoes and M&S’ Maris Piper Roast Potatoes proved to be the most popular among our taste-testing panel for their fluffy interior and crispy outsides, both receiving a Best Buy award.

“Aldi’s offering also received a Great Value award as it was the cheapest on test, costing almost £2 less than Aunt Bessie’s offering.

“This highlights that you don’t necessarily need to splash out on the big brands for a great tasting frozen roast potato.”

It’s worth bearing in mind, the prices included in Which?’s taste test were correct as of October 24.

That means you might have to pay more or less when you come to buying one of the bags as supermarkets change prices on products regularly, sometimes daily.

It’s worth using a price comparison site like trolley.co.uk which compares prices on thousands of products.

The frozen roasted potatoes blind taste test is not the first Which? has carried out in recent months.

The consumer website, a non-profit which advocates for consumers, recently revealed the results of a blind taste test of Irish creams, with Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference bottle coming out on top.

Shoppers also recently tested own-brand cheddar cheeses versus Cathedral City to see how they matched up.

Meanwhile, Which? also had shoppers look at supermarket tea bags to see which one stood up the best.

And BBC Good Food recently announced the results of its yearly Christmas Supermarket Taste Awards.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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