Being Bill Nighy…

Difficult, eccentric, non conformist, a little dissolute but well turned out, smart, very well-known but refusing to be defined by convention – Bill Nighy is in many ways an ideal Big Issue cover-star. Here, Sylvia Patterson locks horns with him and wrestles out some great thoughts on the Robin Hood tax, the craft of acting, trees and Ronaldo (the good one).

Atos want out. After a year of attempting to implement cuts in living allowances to the most in need, the embattled French company are looking to remove themselves from the £400m contract. Adam Forrest speaks to families affected by the changes and looks at what might come next.

And more…

Our Letter To My Younger Self is with celeb chef John Torode. Memories of trampolines and a father he misses a great deal feature. The story of a test he set for pal Greg Wallace when they met bears repeating. Friendship tests don’t get any tougher than this.

John Bird is considering comedy and its power. He kicked off his stand-up world tour last week and here channels Socrates, Swift and Pauline in her pyjamas. That tour will be round your way soon.

Harry Potter wants to sell The Big Issue. Daniel Radcliffe tells us why he likes The Big Issue a lot – and how he wants to get out on the street to try and sell it and raise some awareness. Good man, Daniel. You know we’ll hold you to that…

Yulia became a symbol of the Ukrainian democracy movement last week. Her ‘I Am A Ukrainian’ video went viral and has been viewed more than seven million times on YouTube. She is in The Big Issue’s coveted My Week spot this week. Great piece.

Samira Ahmed this week looks at the joy of dressing in drag, and what that says about breaking accepted boundaries.

Our featured vendor this week is Charlie Dupiazza, who works a pitch down at Waterloo. He is, he says, a confidant and storer of secrets for some of his regulars. In Street Lights there is also news of a great vendor exhibition in Bath.

Elsewhere, MacKenzie meets Maverick’s squeeze – it’s Kelly McGillis. A Top Gun sequel does not appear to be high on her list. There is more, of course – including Sam Delaney having a pop at Downton, the swine!

If you’d like to subscribe to The Big Issue, or if you wish to buy a copy but can’t locate a vendor, email robert.white@bigissue.com