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State of the nation…

Issue 1392

State of the nation…

We live in crazy times. Somehow ITV’s new show The Masked Singer seems to sum the age up perfectly. Mystery celebs sing songs in disguise and we have to guess who they are. That’s the concept. It’s silly, surreal and love it or hate it everyone has been talking about it. So we asked the programme’s host Joel Dommett to explain its success and put a person in an elaborate unicorn costume on the cover, even though we don’t know who they actually are. Here’s a video of Unicorn singing Babooshka – any thoughts?

Also inside…

  • This week’s Letter To My Younger Self is Terry Gilliam who talks protest, Python and lunch with Kurt Vonnegut.
  • The Australian bushfires are taking a terrible toll on the environment and wildlife. People are being advised to stay inside to avoid the smoke, but what about people who are homeless? In collaboration with The Big Issue Australia we look at how the bushfires are impacting those on the margins and hear from vendors caught up in the crisis.
  • Begbie for PM? Actor Robert Carlyle plays the Prime Minister in a new Sky series. He tells us what he thinks current politicians are lacking and how he’s up for Trainspotting 3…
  • Plus: Is drinking tea the secret to eternal life? Can you race cars using brain waves? We have reaction to our momentous Changemakers countdown and Ncuti Gatwa from Netflix hit Sex Education shares his own experience of homelessness.