Six great reads: meeting Matthew McConaughey, stodgy puddings and the truth about the ‘Boriswave’

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1. ‘I don’t want to stop believing in humanity’: Matthew McConaughey on faith, fame and the shocking incident that defined him
Matthew McConaughey. Photograph: Derek Shapton/The Guardian
Simon Hattenstone met the Oscar-winning actor – who was once so stoned he missed his own birthday party – and found he’d swapped pot for poetry. In a revealing interview, McConaughey revealed the trauma and triumph that taught him why it’s more important to be a good man than a nice guy.
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2. Steam, stodge – and so much suet: I made 10 endangered British puddings. Are any actually worth saving?
Tim’s Sussex pond pudding. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian
From jam roly-poly to treacle sponge, many classic puddings are sadly on the verge of dying out. Tim Dowling set out to discover which ones should be back on the menu – it turned into a journey through some of the heaviest desserts in history.
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3. What does ‘Boriswave’ mean and what is its political significance?
Nigel Farage announces Reform UK’s proposal for the abolition of leave to remain. Photograph: Tayfun Salcı/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
Nigel Farage and his media cheerleaders have been repeatedly using this term for the sharp increase in non-EU inward migration during Boris Johnson’s premiership. In this extract from his First Edition newsletter, Archie Bland forensically broke down how a buzzword coined by the “extremely online right” entered the political mainstream.
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4. For years I struggled with infertility and loss. Then I had a life-changing call with a psychic
Elizabeth Day in London. Photograph: Alice Zoo/The Guardian
In a highly personal piece, author and podcaster Elizabeth Day described how, desperate to have a child and angry with the fertility industry, she turned to an unlikely source for help. On some level, she knew it was unhinged. But what did she have to lose?
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5. The human stain remover: what Britain’s greatest extreme cleaner learned from 25 years on the job
Ben Giles, the UK’s foremost expert in stain removal. Photograph: Dimitris Legakis/Athena Pictures
From murder scenes to whale blubber, Ben Giles has seen it – and cleaned it – all. Tom Lamont’s latest long read was a fascinating encounter with a man who can restore order in the stickiest hours. “Are you all right to talk about this while you’re eating?” Giles asked him.
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6. ‘If he can be found, every one of the users can be’: unmasking the man behind toxic gossip website Tattle Life
Unmasking the trolls. Illustration: Nicolás Ortega/The Guardian
For almost a decade, the site’s users have torn apart the lives of celebrities and ordinary people, while its creator’s identity has remained a mystery. That all changed when one couple turned super sleuths. They talked to Sali Hughes about why they want to see Tattle shut down for good.
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