Letter To My Younger Self
The Chase star Paul Sinha on his Parkinson’s battle: ‘I’ve got a life to live’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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The Chase star Paul Sinha on his Parkinson’s battle: ‘I’ve got a life to live’
He became a comedian to be more interesting at dinner parties. Then a TV quiz sent him in an unexpected direction
The Chase’s Paul Sinha: ‘My mum found out I was gay through an act of emotional sabotage’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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The Chase’s Paul Sinha: ‘My mum found out I was gay through an act of emotional sabotage’
The comedian turned Chaser has reflected on tough experiences growing up and his Parkinson’s diagnosis in this week’s Big Issue, out now
Paralympics host Ed Jackson: ‘It puts a smile on my face just to be able to walk down the stairs’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Paralympics host Ed Jackson: ‘It puts a smile on my face just to be able to walk down the stairs’
A life-changing accident made the rugby star-turned-broadcaster find purpose in steering others through trauma
Ex-Premier League star Troy Deeney: ‘My dad used to beat us up. Football was my only escape’
Ex-Premier League star Troy Deeney: ‘My dad used to beat us up. Football was my only escape’
Olympics star Steve Cram: ‘TV’s thrilling but nothing else feels like winning a race’
Olympics star Steve Cram: ‘TV’s thrilling but nothing else feels like winning a race’
Karl Jenkins: ‘I’m still not respected in some quarters of classical music’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Karl Jenkins: ‘I’m still not respected in some quarters of classical music’
Olympic champion Laura Kenny: ‘I was told cycling wasn’t a proper job’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Olympic champion Laura Kenny: ‘I was told cycling wasn’t a proper job’
Rory Stewart: ‘I assumed I’d die a heroic death in my early 30s’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Rory Stewart: ‘I assumed I’d die a heroic death in my early 30s’
Children’s author Malorie Blackman: ‘As a teenager I had never read any books by Black authors’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Children’s author Malorie Blackman: ‘As a teenager I had never read any books by Black authors’
Rowan Williams: ‘The challenge is whether religion is part of the solution or part of the problem’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Rowan Williams: ‘The challenge is whether religion is part of the solution or part of the problem’
Line of Duty’s Martin Compston: ‘I was a wee bit of wide-o. But I don’t think there was any malice’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Line of Duty’s Martin Compston: ‘I was a wee bit of wide-o. But I don’t think there was any malice’
CBeebies star George Webster: ‘If we were all the same the world would be very boring’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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CBeebies star George Webster: ‘If we were all the same the world would be very boring’
Line of Duty’s Martin Compston: ‘I’ve been dreaming of going to the Euros since I was 14’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Line of Duty’s Martin Compston: ‘I’ve been dreaming of going to the Euros since I was 14’
Furiosa star Tom Burke: ‘It stung when someone said I didn’t have a face for TV’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Furiosa star Tom Burke: ‘It stung when someone said I didn’t have a face for TV’
Author Alexander McCall Smith: ‘At 16 I took myself terrifically seriously. And no one else did’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Author Alexander McCall Smith: ‘At 16 I took myself terrifically seriously. And no one else did’
Bikini Kill star and riot grrrl legend Kathleen Hanna: ‘I was singing to my younger self on Bikini Kill’s early songs’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Bikini Kill star and riot grrrl legend Kathleen Hanna: ‘I was singing to my younger self on Bikini Kill’s early songs’
Liz Carr: ‘I was told all the time I wouldn’t live to be old – and I believed it’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Liz Carr: ‘I was told all the time I wouldn’t live to be old – and I believed it’
Actor Liz Carr says it hurts to hear her younger self ‘wanted to die’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Actor Liz Carr says it hurts to hear her younger self ‘wanted to die’
Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson: ‘You don’t need some rock star saying war is a bad thing’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Iron Maiden legend Bruce Dickinson: ‘You don’t need some rock star saying war is a bad thing’
Sananda Maitreya: ‘You don’t have to suffer. You can just choose happiness’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Sananda Maitreya: ‘You don’t have to suffer. You can just choose happiness’
Olly Murs: ‘As soon as I met my wife Amelia I could see her raising a child with me’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Olly Murs: ‘As soon as I met my wife Amelia I could see her raising a child with me’
Labi Siffre: ‘I’ve had far more difficulties in my life due to being a homosexual than being Black’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Labi Siffre: ‘I’ve had far more difficulties in my life due to being a homosexual than being Black’
Helen Lederer: ‘There was no room for more women on TV in the 80s and 90s, the slots were taken’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Helen Lederer: ‘There was no room for more women on TV in the 80s and 90s, the slots were taken’
Nish Kumar: ‘My experience of being a brown man in Britain shifted after 9/11’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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Nish Kumar: ‘My experience of being a brown man in Britain shifted after 9/11’
Fool Me Once star Adeel Akhtar: ‘Drama school felt like running away and joining the circus’![](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mNkYAAAAAYAAjCB0C8AAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
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