Louis Theroux addresses reports he's cut ties with BBC
Louis Theroux has responded to speculation that he has cut ties with the BBC for the foreseeable future.
Louis Theroux has quashed speculation he has cut ties with the BBC for the foreseeable future.
Recent reports suggested the 54-year-old investigative journalist and documentary maker had decided to pause his 'Interviews' series - where he grilled the likes of rapper Stormzy and actress Dame Judi Dench - due to his production company Mindhouse turning to Netflix for a new celebrity show, but he has now come out and insisted that he will continue working on other projects for the corporation.
Speaking about how his Spotify exclusive 'The Louis Theroux Podcast' did not fit on TV, the star told Deadline: "They don’t sit that well alongside each other, but what I got from the article was that I am not making programs for the BBC anymore, which is not true.
"The bottom line is, I am still making programs for the BBC — I am making a documentary for the BBC at the moment ['Girl Bands Forever'].
"I also make programs outside the BBC and am making a documentary [for another platform] at the moment. We’ve put that to bed, haven’t we?"
Louis suggested the rise of content creators, social media platforms and streaming services has caused an "evisceration of the industry", and so he and his team - including his wife Nancy Strang and ex-BBC producer Arron Fellows - feel very lucky to still be in the business.
He admitted: "We’re just pleased to still be in business because the environment has been very unforgiving.
"It feels as though there’s been this evisceration of the industry, and a lot of it is to do with streaming and specifically phones, social media, TikTok, Instagram Reels and people making content themselves."
However, he looks at it in a positive light because as a dad-of-three to Frederick, Walter and Albert, Louis can see how habits are changing.
The 'Boy Bands Forever' creator said: “In some ways that’s a beautiful thing and it is exciting.
"I have kids so I can see how habits are changing, but for those who came up in TV making when there were five channels and a few more on cable, it is quite an adaptation.
"We have tried to stay true to what we believe in and what we’re good at.
"Not to sound really basic, but that means make good programs, documentaries that challenge and provoke, and trust the audience will be there for them.”
