HER BEAUTY SECRETS

Debbie stays in tip-top condition thanks to a blend of vitamins and minerals – some more unconventional than others. She particularly swears by her omega and fish-oil supplements, which are known to lower blood pressure and help prevent heart disease, and she carried an emergency pack of vitamins with her to dance rehearsals. “I love my food and health supplements,” she said. “I always have tablets in my handbag and stick one into my water bottle if I need a bit of energy – it peps me up.” But there is another supplement Debbie also swears by that isn’t so well known – the silverbased liquid she uses to fend off winter bugs. “I have a spoonful of Active Silver every morning, which builds up your immune system,” she said. The silver supplement contains colloidal silver – microscopic particles suspended in water, which many believe help ward off infection, boost the immune system and treat everything from acne to eye infections.

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow is also a fan, and uses hers to ward off germs when she goes on flights. Now, thanks to the Debbie effect, it’s finding its way into more bathroom cabinets. Sales have increased 30-fold since she first revealed her secret last month. Debbie buys hers for £17 a bottle from Active Silver, which was launched two years ago by former communications worker Lucy Roberts and her father Dick Goodall.

He has been involved in the watertreatment industry for 40 years and has been making colloidal silver for over 20 years, including installing water-purification systems in hospitals and airports.

During the early 20th century, surgeons routinely used silver sutures to reduce the risk of infection, and in the First World War soldiers used silver leaf to treat wounds.

Although silver was sidelined when the widespread antibiotic use began, it’s still found in sticking plasters and dressings. And it’s used as the coating on hospital implements and catheters to prevent infection, as well as the water systems in space shuttles. POTION Her supplement