We’re all in the thick of it now: Armando Iannucci saw it coming

In this issue…When Armando Iannucci created The Thick of It 10 years ago, Blair was in office and spin was in its infancy. He never intended to prophecy the future of politics, but as it turns out that’s exactly what he’d done. He and his scriptwriters tell us how The Thick of It invented the Bedroom Tax and how its foul-mouthed evil spin-master Malcolm Tucker (our cover star) was killed off by Ed Miliband’s “omnishambles”.

In Letter To My Younger Self Jonathan Pryce reveals was going to pack in acting at 60 so he wouldn’t become a has-been, but as the newest star in Game of Thrones the man from Brazil is finding a massive new fan-base.

Katie Hopkins is divisive to put it mildly, but Sam Delaney thinks there might be a surprising twist beneath her gobby, obnoxious, insulting exterior.

Last month we highlighted campaigners calling for a tax to be cut on sanitary products to help women in need. It’s fast gathering momentum. We catch up with a new group fighting for free towels for homeless women.

Viggo Mortensen takes us back to his roots in Argentina, find out about his upbringing in the dramatic South American landscape.

Electioneering is everywhere but is it all showbiz and selfies? John Bird exhorts us to look beneath the veneer, while former MP Denis MacShane says we must vote by our principles and not be swayed by twitter trends.

Everything you ever wanted to know about sex (but were afraid to ask) is revealed by author Emily Nagosi. She takes the bull by the horns and reveals the real questions we should be asking.

Spring is sprung – learn to identify the bumblebees currently humming around parks and gardens in Pause.

Nearly 20 years ago, our columnist Brendan O’Neill defended the splat-fest video game Carmageddon. Today some still insist that video games influence players – despite the evidence to the contrary.

Our My Pitch vendor is Keiron Hollinrake, in Oxford, who has some lovely customers. He tells us about his Easter Sunday lunch treat, and his love for fantasy fiction.