Weekend

Strictly Come Dancing is no longer just a dance show – it’s a battlefield for culture wars, says Marina Hyde. The extraordinary story of Robbie Parker facing down right-wing provocateurs after losing his child. Philippa Perry offers advice to a reader whose partner wants more sex and more enthusiasm

‘It’s hard to think of anyone who has squandered so much electoral capital, so quickly, for so little’: Marina Hyde reflects on Keir Starmer’s first 100 days. When Al Pacino bagged the lead role in The Godfather, he couldn’t believe his luck: in an extract from his new book, he recalls the making of the film that changed his life …

Heartstopper’s Joe Locke on trolls, typecasting and turning to the dark side; ‘I wished I were holding a cat and not a baby’: the mothers who regret having kids; and Philippa Perry advises one reader struggling to cope with a rich friend who has become a boastful bore.

Marina Hyde on the motley crew of enforcers, concealers and NDA experts behind every Al Fayed or Diddy; Liz Taylor’s son, Chris Wilding, discusses his mother’s legend and legacy; and Philippa Perry helps one reader struggling to reconcile the emotions that come with a devastating illness

Marina Hyde laments the sexist gossip surrounding Charlotte Owen and her relationship to Boris Johnson; Friends writers and producers on the inside story of the iconic TV show; and Janet Jackson talks to Nosheen Iqbal about taking back control

Weekend is taking a little break. So this week, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them… Zoe Williams turns the tables on veteran interviewer Louis Theroux; how an app sparked a late-life gender transition for author Lucy Sante; and if you kill someone in your sleep, are you a murderer?

Listen to part 1 Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire. Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday. This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public. This is the second part in a two-part series, if you haven’t yet listened to part 1, you may want to before starting this episode.

Listen to part 2 Scenes from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry by Richard Norton-Taylor and Nicolas Kent On 14 June 2017, a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower in London. 72 people died. It was the worst residential fire in the UK since the second world war. The Grenfell Tower Inquiry was created to examine the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire. Two reports were published as a result of this inquiry: phase 1 on 30 October 2019; and the second, and final, report last Wednesday. This verbatim play, which was recorded in front of a live audience, is taken from excerpts of spoken evidence, given under oath, to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, Phase 2, between October 2019 and July 2022. This play was created so that some of the lessons leading up to that night, and the vital work of the Inquiry, could be more widely understood by the public.

Weekend is taking a little break. So for the next two weeks, we’re picking some of our favourite pieces from the last few months just in case you missed them… Actor Julia Fox unpacks abuse, fame, and dating Kanye; should you blame yourself for your bad habits? And what happened when one man’s boat sank in the dead of night and he had to save his seven-year-old son.

Michael Sheen talks about life back in his home town of Port Talbot and falling in love with a younger woman; from Big Brother to Bake Off, Alison Hammond discusses the highs and lows of celebrity; and Philippa Perry responds to an empty-nester who misses her adult children so much it feels like grief