The fearless Chris McCausland

After losing his sight in his teens, Chris McCausland faced up to his biggest fears at his first open-mic gig. But dying on a comedy stage is not nearly as scary as dancing the Foxtrot on Strictly Come Dancing, he tells us this week in a memorable Letter To My Younger Self.

Also inside

• When it comes to festive food planning, we’d probably better start thinking about it now as the cost of living continues to squeeze consumers – as well as farmers
• Sometimes it feels like we’re living through a horrible point in history, but it’s always been that way, says Horrible Histories creator Terry Deary
• The stars of The Piano Lesson, John David Washington and Danielle Deadwyler, say a greater understanding of slavery’s legacy can help us build a better future
• Jennie Lee’s journey from Fife to political trailblazer and the driving force behind The Open University is a tale that deserves to be told
• VAR shows how technology taking over more of our lives will just be awful
• And vendor Frank who sells in Central London’s Sloane Square was recently greeted by a very famous customer. Find out who in this week’s magazine!

Plus much more!

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