Best of Friends
True stories of friendships that blossomed or bombed

Friendship can be better than falling in love.
‘Some days my jaw would ache from having laughed so much.’ Cathy Hopkins, writer

or it can break your heart
‘I was suddenly terrified that all of our friendship had been one great big lie.’ Flic

And some friendships stay with you forever
‘She started to crop up in my dreams, and I did in hers. And that’s when we got back in touch again.’ Sophie Ellis-Bextor, singer

Sophie Parkin has talked to teenage girls and high-profile women about the friendships which have meant the most to them. Their stories - affectionate and angry, bittersweet and tragic - show just how much our lives are shaped by our best friends.