Louis Theroux sits down with The Libertines frontman Pete Doherty in the latest series of his BBC Two show and he isn't afraid to veer into darker topics – including the death of Pete's friend Mark Blanco in 2006.
The documentarian, who hosts Louis Theroux Interviews' second series, revealed that he asks Pete, 44, about actor and magician Mark, who fell to his death from a first-floor flat and died of head injuries at the age of 30 after an argument with the singer.
Speaking about the Pete Doherty episode, Louis said the conversation about Mark Blanco is "a long section of the interview".
"I did ask about the death of Mark Blanco – I felt he was truthful emotionally," he said. "He understands Mark’s mum Sheila would feel the way any mother would in those circumstances, but the idea that he had something to do with [his death] is unfair."
Louis added that he was "surprised" by his chat with Pete, who rose to fame in the 90s with The Libertines and for his on-off relationship with model Kate Moss.
"I was surprised by how funny he was. I was surprised that – and maybe I shouldn't have been – his recovery still seemed precarious," he added. "I would say that maybe I was also surprised by his level of openness.
"There's a sense in which I suppose everyone to some extent curates the persona that they present in public, and I'm sure he does as well. But his curatorial choice seemed to be 'just speak about anything like there, absolutely no question'. Occasionally he deflects a bit, but I never felt like he was especially unwilling to talk about stuff. So it's a very soul-bearing interview."
Mark Blanco's death after a party hosted by Pete Doherty's agent was recently the subject of Channel 4 documentary Pete Doherty, Who Killed My Son?. The film sees Mark's mother Sheila Blanco watch CCTV footage from the night her son died.
"This is one piece of crucial evidence. It shows Mark being projectiled out over the railing and then straight down to the bricks and pavement below," she said in the documentary. "A couple of minutes later we see Pete Doherty come down. And then he seems to pick up something from the ground and run away."
Pete Doherty now lives in Normandy with his wife Katia de Vidas, who he wed in 2021, and their daughter Billie-May.
Louis Theroux Interviews airs Tuesday 7th November at 9pm on BBC Two.
Source: Read Full Article
