Yahoo News Louis Theroux details struggle to secure interview subjects for When Louis Met… series
While Louis Theroux is best known now for his hard-hitting BBC documentary shows that tackle everything from polyamory to postpartum psychosis, the filmmaker has revealed that it hasn't always been so easy for him to secure people to interview – particularly when it comes to celebrities.
Louis was once known for his popular documentary series When Louis Met... in the early '00s, which saw him interview everyone from magician Paul Daniels to boxer Chris Eubank, but he's now admitted that once the series started airing it become more of a struggle to book new names.
"At a certain point I made a couple of documentaries with high profile public figures who were eccentric in some way, or just over the hill, and there was something amusing about people in the afterlife of celebrity," Louis told Graham Norton on his Radio 2 show today (September 14).
Related: Louis Theroux's future on the BBC confirmed as his next documentary project is announced
"And those rated really well and were received as a success, they were called the When Louis Met… series – we did one on Paul Daniels, I did one about Chris Eubank, Ann Widdecombe – and it sort of led to [broadcasters] saying, 'We think that's what you should do from now on'.
"There were aspects of it that I liked, but it became quite stressful trying to get people to agree – especially once the first few had come out and there was a sense in which they were perceived as ever so slightly… fun-poking, that's a nice way of putting it."
Louis continued to reveal that often their interview requests wouldn't even get passed on to the stars themselves, adding that he wouldn't have been surprised if they'd asked host Graham Norton to take part but he was never told about it.
Just went on Graham Norton radio 2 show. Thanks for having me! #gottagettherouxthis pic.twitter.com/HrKfe8ItX8
— Louis Theroux (@louistheroux) September 14, 2019
Related: This is when Graham Norton returns, and who will be on the show
"We probably approached you back in the day," Louis told Graham.
"I wouldn't have been surprised if your agent didn't even forward the request to you and thought, 'There's no way Graham's doing that'.
"I remember one agent came back and said, 'Oh well, I didn't even put it to the client' whoever it was, and my assistant producer at the time said, 'Why not?' and they said, 'Well, it's not exactly a compliment is it?'
"The idea that you get asked for an interview by Louis Theroux, that's actually offensive!"
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Louis was on Graham Norton's show to promote his new book Gotta Get Theroux This, which charts his life and career, from his anxiety-prone childhood through to landing his own series on the BBC and beyond.
His next documentary project will be titled Selling Sex and is set to premiere on BBC Two later this year, exploring the ins and outs of the new sexual economy that has sprung up in our technologically advanced age.
Gotta Get Theroux This, will be published on September 19, while When Louis Met... is available to stream now on Netflix.
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