HELLO AUTUMN!

What’s the best thing about this time of year? Warming suppers and hug-in-a-bowl puds are strong contenders, as is choosing a fabulous new winter coat and putting on some stunning (and warm) winter boots… But for many of us, the real highlight comes on a Saturday night with Strictly back on the telly! Go on, admit it, you know you love it!

An ex-strictly finalist, our cover star,

Susanna Reid, tells us not only about her larger-than-life sofa companion Piers Morgan, but also about the experience of being in the ballroom – ‘it’s wonderful, intense and totally absorbing’ – and confesses she’s ‘just as addicted to the show as the rest of the nation’.

Another Strictly devotee, bestselling author Victoria Hislop, spends Saturday nights with her 90-year-old mum watching Strictly: ‘I’ve been known to turn down invitations in favour of staying home to watch it,’ she reveals. So we decided to make her dream come true and give her a dance lesson with one of the pro dancers, the

gorgeous Gorka Márquez, so she could tell us all what it’s like to learn how to dance. I do hope you enjoy reading about her amazing day.

I believe Strictly taps into our deep need for sparkle and escapism on dark winter days, especially when there’s so much gloom in the news. It’s vital to give ourselves chances to feel inspired and to dream... which is why we think this is the perfect time of year to bring you our 28-page travel special!

An extra section that we hope will leave you mulling over where you’d like to go on your next holiday… Enjoy!