The Sunday Times Magazine – August 23, 2026

Summary

Richard E Grant reveals the time his father tried to kill him and why he now forgives him in The Sunday Times Magazine (23 August 2026), as Matt Rudd meets the actor revelling in grandparenthood after the loss of his wife. Elsewhere, Rachael Stirling recalls her mother Diana Rigg's final months — the Campari toast, the stairlift ride and the Dame who said being made a DBE meant "I'm not supposed to say 'f***' any more."

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The 23 August issue clusters around three emotional anchors. The 8-page Richard E Grant cover story covers his father's attempt on his life, his wife Joan Washington's death and his new role as a grandfather — he describes his "piercing blue eyes" and his refusal to call himself a narcissist: "I have maybe too much empathy for people." Rachael Stirling's extract from All About My Mother (John Murray, £25, September 10) documents Diana Rigg's final year with cancer — the Campari she ordered after bad scan results, the family photo with pink drinks and the laughter that carried them through. Nigel Cope profiles five British family businesses still operating after centuries: Lock & Co hatters (1676), Fortnum & Mason, Berry Bros & Rudd, and others. An undercover drug policeman tells Decca Aitkenhead about his use of psychedelics on the job.

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Regular columns provide ballast. Sam Thompson and his mum Karen do Relative Values — the Made in Chelsea star and his mother on fame and family. A driving instructor covers emergency stops and sweaty seats in That's My Job. Katy Salter's health page argues tea is very good for you. Anna Ansari's recipes focus on Iranian dips and platters. Camilla Long reviews a Peruvian restaurant in Greenwich. Pete Brown locates Britain's oldest pubs; Will Lyons finds bargain bank holiday wines. Jeremy Clarkson, now Farmer Clarkson, laments his decomposing fields of flax — "I've accidentally ended up in the 18th century." Zandra Rhodes, 85, closes with A Life in the Day.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.32 · Richard E Grant: on the loss of his wife and the time his father tried to kill him
Matt Rudd interviews Grant in full force — his blue eyes "so piercing it feels like you're being x-rayed," his father's attempt on his life, his forgiveness and his new life as a grandfather following Joan Washington's death. Grant's self-diagnosis: "I am not a narcissist. I have maybe too much empathy for people." For any reader facing parental estrangement: Grant's timeline to forgiveness took decades, and he says it was worth the wait.

▸ Feature

p.12 · My mother, Diana Rigg: Campari, cancer and the final curtain call
Rachael Stirling's extract from All About My Mother describes her mother's last year. The detail: when the doctor called with promising scan results, Rigg immediately phoned her agent to accept a film role. She ordered Campari after bad news. She took the stairlift after wine and tramadol. Her reaction to the DBE: "I think it means I'm not supposed to say 'f***' any more." Read this before you watch any Rigg performance again.

▸ Feature

p.26 · Confessions of a drug cop: an undercover policeman on psychedelics
Decca Aitkenhead interviews a former undercover officer who used psychedelics as part of his police work. The piece explores the ethical boundaries of covert operations and the psychological toll. The officer's defence: "I was taking risks for what I believed was the right thing to do."

▸ Feature

p.18 · It's a family affair: five British family businesses still going after centuries
Nigel Cope profiles Lock & Co (1676, St James's Street), the world's oldest hat shop, alongside other multigenerational British businesses. Each entry names the founding year, the current generation running it, and the secret to survival. The takeaway for any business owner: adapt the product, not the values.

▸ Interview

p.8 · Relative Values: Sam Thompson and his mum Karen
The Made in Chelsea star and his mother discuss his rise to fame, their relationship and how she handled his public profile. Thompson's mother provides the grounded counterpoint to his TV persona.

▸ Regulars

p.7 · Matt Rudd: A cottage far from London? What a horror story
Rudd's opening column argues against the rural cottage dream — the damp, the distance, the silence. "It may not be my forever home but there's no way I'm moving again."

p.11 · That's My Job: Driving instructor
A driving instructor on emergency stops, drive-through burgers and the students who sweat through the seat. Average pay: £27,000. Key insight: "I'm not training people to pass the driving test, I'm teaching them a life skill."

p.40 · Recipes: Anna Ansari's zingy Iranian dips and platters
Summer sharing food built around yoghurt, herbs and flatbreads. Each recipe names the key spice or herb. Cookable within 30 minutes.

p.42 · Long Lunch: Camilla ventures to a Peruvian in deepest, darkest Greenwich
Camilla Long reviews a Peruvian restaurant. The review focuses on the authenticity of the ingredients and the setting.

p.44 · The Drinks Cabinet: Britain's oldest pubs and bargain wines
Pete Brown identifies the oldest continuously operating pubs in Britain. Will Lyons picks bank holiday wines under a specific price point.

p.46 · Health: Let this percolate — tea is very good for you
Katy Salter reviews the evidence for tea's health benefits — heart health, cognitive function, hydration. A practical guide to how many cups deliver measurable benefits.

p.48 · Farmer Clarkson: I thought flax would be my fortune
Jeremy Clarkson describes his failed flax harvest: "I've accidentally ended up in the 18th century." He and Lisa are combing seeds by hand using what looks like "medieval village stocks with a few rusty nails."

p.58 · A Life in the Day: Zandra Rhodes at 85
The fashion designer describes her current routine — still working, still designing. She answers the standard format questions with characteristic forthrightness.

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Editor's Take

The Richard E Grant interview and the Rachael Stirling extract make this a must-buy for anyone interested in either subject — Grant's disclosure about his father is genuinely new, and Stirling's Rigg memoir extract is the best piece of writing in any August issue of this magazine. The drug cop feature is a bold editorial choice that delivers. Weaknesses: the family business feature is illustrated beautifully but reads like a commissioned advert for the five companies — it soft-pedals any commercial reality. Matt Rudd's column is a thin premise stretched to 800 words. Clarkson's flax story is a one-joke piece. But the emotional weight of the front half — Grant, Stirling, the drug cop — carries the issue comfortably. The That's My Job slot (driving instructor) is the weakest of the series so far.

Strengths
• Richard E Grant discloses childhood trauma with genuine candour
• Rachael Stirling's Diana Rigg extract is the month's best writing
• Drug cop feature tackles a subject most magazines avoid

Weaknesses
• Family business feature lacks critical edge — reads as PR
• Matt Rudd's column is a thin premise
• That's My Job (driving instructor) is the weakest entry in the series

Verdict: Recommended — the Grant cover and Stirling extract are worth the price; skip the family business section.