Pete Doherty shares health update after revealing he’s ‘a very sick man’
Musician says he’s struggling to switch up his diet despite orders from his doctor
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Your support makes all the difference.Pete Doherty has shared an update on his health months after revealing he is “a very sick man”.
The Libertines singer has returned for a new album alongside his bandmate Carl Barat and, in a new interview, the pair reflected on the drug-fuelled public antics he was notorious for in the Noughties and 2010s.
Doherty also addressed concerns surrounding his health after telling interviewer Louis Theroux he feels “death is lurking” after years of drug and alcohol abuse took their toll on his body,
“I’ve battered it, haven’t I? I’ve f***ing caned it,” he told Theroux on BBC series Louis Theroux Interviews…, adding: “[The] heroin and the crack… I surrendered to that, and then it was cocaine and the smoking and the alcohol, and now it’s cheese and the saucisson, and the sugar in the tea.”
Doherty said doctors have told him he needs to change his diet as it would lead to “diabetes and cholesterol problems” – and, while speaking to The Guardian on Saturday (24 February), the musician revealed that he has now been “diagnosed with type two diabetes”.
He told the outlet: “Yeah, I am a bit of a glutton. It’s not a joke. I’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And at the moment, I’m lacking the discipline to tackle cholesterol.”
Doherty said he is sober and that Barat created a strict no-alcohol rule while making the new Libertines record.
“Carl insisted on there being no alcohol even. He wanted it to be pure. It’s not like I want to get pissed, but I like a glass of cider. And he’s like, no. It was pressure. We’d never done it before. The studio had always been a time of merriment and celebration.”
However, Doherty was “relieved” and “proud” to realise he could make music without drinking.
Doherty previously revealed he currently takes blocker injections to prevent drugs from taking effect, stating: “I like to think I could do without it, but that level of trust has to be earnt, doesn’t it?” In the new interview, he said the blockers have been “transformative”, saying: “With all the will in the world, I don’t think I’m ready to lose it. People around me definitely prefer me to have it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Barat said he was “not surprised” that Doherty survived his colourful past, stating: “No, he’s too smart to die. He never intended to die.”
Doherty, speaking to Theroux in November, shared what he would tell someone curious about experimenting with drugs.
He said: “My life in using was so chaotic and the consequences of [it]... you’ll be in prison and you’ll f*** your body up, and you’ll be skint, and you’ll lose your family and you’ll lose everything you love. Is it really that good? That’s beyond curiosity, that’s a right mess.
“I still get tingles thinking about it, but I’m able to talk to you rather than running off and scoring.”
The Libertines will release their new record, titled All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, on 5 April.
If you or someone you know is suffering from drug addiction, you can seek confidential help and support 24-7 from Frank, by calling 0300 123 6600, texting 82111, sending an email or visiting their website here.
In the US, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration can be reached at 1-800-662-HELP.
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