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TARA'S TOP DATING TIPS

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson is not known for being lucky in love but she’s never had a shortage of dates. Here’s what she’s learnt along the way…

Not sure what to wear for a first date? It's a compliment to your date if you make an effort to dress up but don’t go for anything too flamboyant.

If in doubt choose something simple and classic. You can’t go wrong with a little black dress and a great pair of killer heels.

You can tell a lot about a man by his manners, so pay attention on your first date.

If he stands when you approach or leave the table and pours your drink for you, you’re onto a winner.

Got a man coming round to your place for dinner? Light a candle at the same level as your eyelashes – it’s the most flattering way to light your face, and will make your eyes sparkle.

After a date wait for him to call you.

Men by nature are predatory so they prefer to call first – and remember nobody ever lost a man by not calling.

Ideally, he should call the next day after a date.

If you still haven’t heard after three days delete him from your phone.

Guys don't respond to shouting and screaming.

Let's say your boyfriend was flirting with a girl at a party and put his hand on her leg.

If you storm over to him and accuse him and abuse him, he's just going to get defensive and deny it.

Instead say this: ‘When you touched that girl's leg tonight it made me feel that I wasn't important to you and that made me feel fear and pain."

How’s he going to argue with that one?

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JULY 20 BIKINI HEROES, DENISE LEWIS, KIM MEDCALF, ANDREA CATHERWOOD, ANGELA GRIFFIN, KATY BRAND, STYLE-SLIM CELEBS

JULY 13 SURANNE JONES, GLAMMED UP V DRESSED DOWN, TRACEY COX, LIZ MCCLARNON, SINITTA, RICHARD FLEESHMAN, OPRAH DIET

JULY 6 PATSY KENSIT, MARIELLA FROSTRUP, LINDA ROBSON, JAIME MURRAY, CLAIRE RICHARDS

JUNE 29 DENISE VAN OUTEN, CELEB WEIGHTS, MEET THE 'WINOS', JUNE SARPONG, KYM RYDER, LULU, SUZI WALKER, VANESSA FELTZ

JUNE 22 TESS DALY, JACKIE CLUNE, NELL MCANDREW, ZOE SALMON, NATALIE PINKHAM, ROXANNE PALLETT

JUNE 15 SHOPAHOLICS, SHAZIA MIRZA, JENNY FROST, POOJA SHAH, CAPRICE

JUNE 8 FEARNE COTTON, JUSTIN LEE COLLINS, PARIS HILTON, CAROLE SMILLIE, TAMARA BECKWITH

JUNE 1 DAVINA MCCALL, VICTORIA BECKHAM, JESSE MCCARTNEY, ABBEY CLANCY, EVA LONGORIA PARKER, KIRSTY ALLSOPP, ANTHEA TURNER

MAY 25 TRINNY & SUSANNAH, SALLY LINDSAY, SAMANDA DO KYLIE, ESTELLE, FAYE TOZER, DR LINDA PAPADOPOULOS

MAY 18 MEL B, GILLIAN MCKEITH, COLEEN'S WEDDING, JENNI FALCONER, JENNIE BOND, ZIGGY, DAVID KIRSCH

MAY 11 FEARNE COTTON, JANE DANSON

MAY 4 LISA SNOWDON, JANET ELLIS, SUSIE AMY, MICA PARIS, THE CHEEKY GIRLS, JK AND JOEL, NATALIE CASSIDY, GISELE, DENISE VAN OUTEN, KELLY ROWLAND, COLIN AND JUSTIN

APRIL 27 MARTINE MCCUTCHEON, ULRIKA JONSSON, SARAH HARDING, NANCY SORRELL, KATIE HOLMES, ZARA ABRAHAMS, ERIN BOAG

APRIL 20 KIRSTY GALLACHER, ANNA FRIEL, AGGIE MCKENZIE, KATIE HOPKINS, MICHELLE KEEGAN

APRIL 13 NATASHA BEDINGFIELD, SIAN LLOYD, KONNIE HUQ, HANNAH SANDLING, JESSICA ALBA

APRIL 6 AMANDA HOLDEN, ANGELA GRIFFIN, KACEY AINSWORTH, SARAH CAWOOD

MARCH 30 HEIDI KLUM, SUZANNE SHAW, BEN COHEN, KIMBERLEY WALSH, SINITTA

MARCH 23 JOSS STONE, LEIGH FRANCIS, JENNIFER LOPEZ, ROISIN MURPHY, DAVINA MCCALL

MARCH 16 EMMA BUNTON, SHARON HORGAN, TRINNY WOODALL, JACQUELINE GOLD

MARCH 9 SUGABABES, TINA O'BRIEN, GENE HUNT, SAIRA KHAN

MARCH 2 RIHANNA, PENNY LANCASTER, JONATHAN ANSELL, SARA COX, TAMZIN OUTHWAITE

FEB 24 KARA TOINTON, NATALIE CASSIDY, TRISHA GODDARD

FEB 17 NICOLA ROBERTS, SUSIE AMY, KATY BRAND

FEB 10 JAMELIA, KONNIE HUQ, EMMA GRIFFITHS, TARA PALMER TOMKINSON, TRACEY COX

FEB 3 KELLY OSBOURNE, ANNA RYDER RICHARDSON, SUZANNE SHAW

REGRETS, SHE'S HAD A FEW, BUT TARA, 36, DOESN'T LAMENT HER MISTAKES WITH MEN. NOW SHE'S EMBRACING SINGLEDOM

I might not have the best track record when it comes to relationships, but where lessons in love are concerned, I’ve learnt the lot – and yes, most of them the hard way.

When I was younger, I moved from one short-term relationship to another. I didn’t feel right unless there was a boyfriend on the scene. I guess I wasn’t as secure with myself back then. It made for some great date experiences though. While I was at finishing school, I was whisked off to Paris in my lunch hour by a prince of somewhere or other. I think he was a bit disappointed when I wouldn’t stay the night, although bizarrely he sent me pancakes from the Paris Ritz every day for the next two weeks.

Dating has always been the easy bit for me. I’m good at playing the role of the perfect girlfriend at the beginning. It’s when I fall in love that things get messy.

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It took me a long time to recover from my break-up with Jamie (Hargreaves, the Matalan heir) three years ago. I can honestly say it was the worst experience of my life. After two years of being together, I really believed he was The One. When it was over,?it felt as though I was grieving a death. I didn’t leave the house for the first three weeks.

I’m still not ready to see anyone and I hardly ever get approached by guys. I think a lot of men assume I’ve got dates lined up and are too intimidated to make a move.

But when I do meet someone, I’m now armed with all my hard-earned dating wisdom. The trick to keeping a man is to remember why he was attracted to you in the first place and maintain it – for example, your sense of humour. Another little tip is to make yourself a necessary, indispensable part of his life – especially if he’s ever going away without you. That way, he’ll realise how much he misses you and can’t be apart from you.

I have some strict rules when it comes to men. Dirty fingernails are a no-no – if a guy can’t take care of himself, how’s he going to take care of you? I won’t move in with someone unless we’re engaged either. If he hasn’t asked you to marry him before you move in, don’t assume he’ll change his mind later on. And my perfect partner must have a passion too – even if it’s for his minicab firm.

It’s been a tough journey, but I’ve finally learned it’s OK to be single. In fact, it’s just where I want to be right now. When I look at the friends around me who are unhappy in long-term relationships and marriages, it makes me realise it’s better to be with no man than with the wrong man.

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