Denise Van Outen’s “gobbling down” of food speaks volumes about her relationship with partner Eddie Boxshall

The Telegraph

I’ve visited 36 American states – but this one is my favourite

Declaring that you have a favourite American state is a little like saying that you have a preferred colour of wallpaper. Myriad hues and designs are available, and your opinion will, by definition, be subjective. After all, one man’s eggshell white or foggy grey is another woman’s bland abomination or dreary pall – and William Morris’s flowery patterns may be, respectively, your idea of bright warmth, or of a padded cell with petals. There are, of course, not as many US states as there are ways to decorate your home. Fifty is a sizeable figure – especially if you are six and it is the number of days until your birthday, or you are Cool Hand Luke, attempting to eat a half-century of hard-boiled eggs in an hour – but not an enormous one. Still, affections will always vary. The rocky coast and sprawling potato fields of Maine are not the hickory-smoked swampiness of Louisiana, and the country twang and lush mountain-scapes of Tennessee are not the winter-glazed cool of Minnesota and its vibrant Twin Cities. We all have our chosen places – and if you have spent more than a minute on American soil, you will have yours.