When U.S supercop Bill Bratton and wife Rikki were pictured in The Mail on Sunday last week, her elegantly manicured fingers were lightly – but oh so firmly – resting upon her handsome husband’s torso.
And a little research reveals that in almost every photograph taken of the couple, TV personality Rikki has adopted a similar pose.
Bill is the charismatic policeman credited with reversing America’s crime epidemic – and the fact that Rikki is his fourth wife is perhaps a clue to the significance of her sub-conscious hand signals.
Because body-language expert Judi James says the pose is classically adopted by women everywhere to send a hands-off gesture to any rivals who may be interested in their man.
‘This is a possessive barrier gesture,’ explains James. ‘Although it is a sign of affection, principally it is a signal to other females, who may be potential rivals.
‘Basically, what the woman is communicating to others is, “I’ve got him – hands off.” ’
It’s a tactic that doesn’t work with all men, warns James. So The Mail on Sunday set about finding the stars who use the hands-off hand signal to most effect with surprising results.
