Maria Coole
Maria Coole is a contributing editor on Marie Claire.
Hello Marie Claire readers – you have reached your daily destination. I really hope you’re enjoying our reads and I'm very interested to know what you shared, liked and didn’t like (gah, it happens) by emailing me at: maria.coole@freelance.ti-media.com
But if you fancy finding out who you’re venting to then let me tell you I’m the one on the team that remembers the Spice Girls the first time round. I confidently predicted they’d be a one-hit wonder in the pages of Bliss magazine where I was deputy editor through the second half of the 90s. Having soundly killed any career ambitions in music journalism I’ve managed to keep myself in glow-boosting moisturisers and theatre tickets with a centuries-spanning career in journalism.
Yes, predating t’internet, when 'I’ll fax you' was grunted down a phone with a cord attached to it; when Glastonbury was still accessible by casually going under or over a flimsy fence; when gatecrashing a Foo Fighters aftershow party was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy and tapping Dave Grohl on the shoulder was... oh sorry I like to ramble.
Originally born and bred in that there Welsh seaside town kindly given a new lease of life by Gavin & Stacey, I started out as a junior writer for the Girl Guides and eventually earned enough Brownie points to move on and have a blast as deputy editor of Bliss, New Woman and editor of People newspaper magazine. I was on the launch team of Look in 2007 - where I stuck around as deputy editor and acting editor for almost ten years - shaping a magazine and website at the forefront of body positivity, mental wellbeing and empowering features. More recently, I’ve been Closer executive editor, assistant editor at the Financial Times’s How To Spend It (yes thanks, no probs with that life skill) and now I’m making my inner fangirl’s dream come true by working on this agenda-setting brand, the one that inspired me to become a journalist when Marie Claire launched back in 1988.
I’m a theatre addict, lover of Marvel franchises, most hard cheeses, all types of trees, half-price Itsu, cats, Dr Who, cherry tomatoes, Curly-Wurly, cats, blueberries, cats, boiled eggs, cats, maxi dresses, cats, Adidas shelltops, cats and their kittens. I’ve never knowingly operated any household white goods and once served Ripples as a main course. And finally, always remember what the late great Nora Ephron said, ‘Everything is copy.’
Latest articles by Maria Coole
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The Pandemic-Fighting Inventors: 'We created a fast and unique Covid test'
By Maria Coole
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The World-Beating Scientist: 'My DIY kit will transform women's reproductive health'
By Maria Coole
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Sex in lockdown: the women hooking up with their lovers (and the partners who have no idea)
It might be illegal to have sex with someone you don't live with this Valentine's Day, but that hasn't stopped these women breaking the law with their secret lovers
By Maria Coole
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World Cancer Day: 'Black Women Rising empowers women like me navigating their cancer journey'
This World Cancer Day, we meet the remarkable Leanne Pero – a woman connecting and empowering BAME cancer patients, following a life-changing diagnosis of her own.
By Maria Coole
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How to deal with jealousy and envy at work (and, yes, it's still happening WFH)
This is an oddly taboo subject, says Cate Sevilla, who's survived plenty of toxic workplaces. Now Sevilla's sharing the expert strategies she's learnt while researching her latest book, How To Work Without Losing Your Mind
By Maria Coole
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How to get a grip during this never-ending lockdown
With almost a year of lockdowns under our belt, Kate Lucey's new book, Get A Grip, Love, is perfectly timed. Reminding us that it's fine not to feel OK, Lucey sharing her strategies on how we can manage our mental health
By Maria Coole
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Fancy working out with a royal PT (yes really, great auntie is The Queen)
Personal trainer Arthur Chatto is 26th in line to the throne and the youngest person to row round the UK. But who cares when you’re definitely King of the Biceps
By Maria Coole
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Which royal family member has binge watched Bridgerton not once but TWICE?
And no it's not the Duke of Sussex or Cambridge...
By Maria Coole
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Why so many women are struggling with 'analysis paralysis' syndrome
Like a half-eaten bag of spinach, assertiveness is something we often observe from afar and wonder what to do with, argues Abigail Mann. Seems we're looking for role models in all the wrong places
By Maria Coole
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Washington insider Kate Andersen Brower on what to expect from Kamala Harris
Journalist Kate Andersen Brower has interviewed Trump, Obama, Biden and many other presidents in her time covering the White House. In this exclusive dispatch, the leading CNN contributor and NY Times best-selling author predicts how Kamala will operate inside the White House
By Maria Coole
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Why no matter what your age, it’s never ok to break the girl code
The Crown's Gillian Anderson is said to be 'bemused' after her ex 'moves in' with her friend, Jemima Khan. Best-selling author, Daisy Buchanan, recalls why it's hard struggling with those complicated feelings...
By Maria Coole
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7 expert-approved tips on mentally preparing for Lockdown 3.0
New year, same lockdown. But don't lose hope for 2021, writes psychotherapist Sasha Bates. Here's how to reframe your mental outlook when a return to normality is still a long way off
By Maria Coole
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Marie Claire launches Save The Arts campaign with celebrated creatives
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Jade Anouka: 'It took a while for me to stop, to breathe, to feel the loss'
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts: Five industry-leading creatives on why the arts matter
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Jess Murphy: 'We organised a live music protest outside Parliament'
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Sabrina Mahfouz: 'There are embers of hope across the creative industry'
By Maria Coole
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#savethearts Beth Steel: ‘A week before rehearsals my play was postponed’
By Maria Coole
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Christmas is coming but so is separation from (a lot) of loved ones. A psychotherapist has coping strategies
We're still months away from the normal times, so psychotherapist Owen O'Kane shares four top tips on dealing with separation during the pandemic
By Maria Coole
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Tropes for women: why The Crown's not the only one show needing an urgent reset
The Crown's portrayal of Diana as a one-dimensional victim is the latest and unsurprising example of tired tropes for women. Author and performer, Anneka Harry, says it's time for accurate representations of imperfect female characters
By Maria Coole
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Coercive control: how to spot the signs when love turns sinister
Have you seen Is This Coercive Control? If not, why not? It's the jawdropping BBC Three social experiment asking people if they know what constitutes coercive control. Journalist, filmmaker and presenter, Ellie Flynn, writes for the first time about making the show and what lessons we can learn about this misunderstood form of domestic abuse
By Maria Coole
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Help fight breast cancer by bidding on iconic portraits
Top artists and photographers are taking part in breast cancer charity Future Dreams amazing virtual art auction
By Maria Coole
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The Crown season four has officially lost the plot and here's why
It’s a right royal scandal - as fake storylines tarnish The Crown. Kerry Parnell is not amused
By Maria Coole
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International Men's Day: 'We're struggling with the chaos of modern masculinity' says Martin Robinson
This International Men's Day seems a good time to ask Martin Robinson, founder and editor of The Book Of Man, to tell us honestly what impact lockdown and a post MeToo world have had on the fractured male identity
By Maria Coole
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Meghan and Diana: the poignant parallels between the rebel royals
As we all binge-watch Princess Diana in the new season of The Crown, Kerry Parnell investigates the stark similarities between Meghan's emotional confession on being trolled and this week's 25th anniversary of Diana's bombshell Panorama interview
By Maria Coole
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'Why lingerie is still a feminist issue'
For far too long, lingerie was designed and marketed through the male gaze. Emma Parker, a lawyer turned founder of Playful Promises, tells us why feminism and diversity is at the heart of her mission to represent everyone
By Maria Coole
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Accent bias: Is yours a problem and should you change it?
Speech therapist Shermeena Rabbi explains why accent bias is still a thing and what to do if you're being judged negatively
By Maria Coole