Pete Doherty says “something has sort of shifted in me” in new lifestyle

Pete Doherty has shared a new health update, saying that “something has sort of shifted” in him and he is now following a new lifestyle.

• READ MORE: Pete Doherty: “I don’t think I ever dared to dream that I’d still be knocking about”

The Libertines and Babyshambles frontman shared the update during a new interview with Fearne Cotton as part of her Happy Place Podcast. During the discussion, he opened up about his most recent health struggles, and outlined the changes he has made to improve his wellbeing.

It comes as earlier this year, the singer revealed he was at risk of having his toes amputated and now wearing orthopaedic shoes due to type 2 diabetes. He was given the diagnosis last year, and at the time said that he believed he “was healthier when he was on heroin”.

“They were going to have to come off,” he said of his toes while talking to Cotton. “They’re kind of on the mend now.”

Doherty continued, saying that the concerns about his health mean that he now rarely drinks alcohol, and finds the temptation of it less prominent than before. “I’m letting myself have a drink once in a while, like, every 10 days,” he said. “But something has sort of shifted in me. There’s not that need.”

Explaining how the decision has improved his family life, he quipped that his wife Katia de Vidas “preferred me not on drugs”, and that he “preferred it when she liked me”. He then said that his addictions over the years led to an unhealthy relationship with his career, as his need to “write and create” was “fuelled by anxiety and darkness”.

When Doherty shared last month on The Chris Moyles Show that he was wearing orthopaedic shoes, he told the host that he had experienced people making “hurtful” and “cruel” comments about it.

Discussions about his well-being go back to 2023, when the singer said that he was “a very sick man” who felt “death lurking”. There, he explained how he has worked to overcome numerous vices over the years, ranging from “heroin and crack” and “smoking and alcohol”, to “cheese and saucisson, and the sugar in the tea”.

Then, promoting his documentary Stranger In My Own Skin – which explored his struggles with addiction over the years – Doherty told NME that he was successfully living a “cleaner” and “sober-er” lifestyle compared to his earlier years.

Last year, he then sat down for an in-depth conversation with NME, and described what it was like to be still making music with The Libertines, and how life had changed since their early days at the turn of the century. “I don’t think I ever dared to dream that I’d still be knocking about and making music,” he said.

Discussing the band’s latest album, the chart-topping ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’, in a separate interview, Doherty told us how his drug-free, serene life in France altered his approach to writing music with Carl Barât and co.

“It’s proper toe-to-toe with the demons, but because I believe so much in Carl, Gary, John and this record, it’s a pleasure,” he said.

“I just want to do my bit, be as professional as I can, let people hear the songs, and then go and play them. All we want to do is write beautiful songs. That’s what we’ve always wanted to do, but we got distracted – mostly by ourselves.”

The band are set to play numerous outdoor UK shows this summer, including stops at London’s Gunnersbury Park, Dreamland Margate, and The Piece Hall in Halifax. Find any remaining tickets here.

In terms of solo material, Doherty will release a new album called ‘Felt Better Alive’ on May 16 (pre-order/pre-save here), and has both intimate ‘Anywhere In Albion’ UK shows and ‘Felt Better Alive In Europe’ dates coming up. He has also announced a performance as part of this year’s Great Escape Festival in Brighton. Find tickets to solo dates here.

Speaking to NME about the spirit of the upcoming album, Doherty said: “There can be something uplifting about resignation, but at the same time you’re not just sat at home moping and singing these things to yourself.

“You’re still going out there and singing them. I think there’s enough melancholy in this record to fill a good-sized jerry can. The idea is to splash it on the audience and see if it ignites or not.”

The singer has also teased that a Babyshambles reunion is “on the cards” for some point this year, although details remain vague.

The post Pete Doherty says “something has sort of shifted in me” in new lifestyle appeared first on NME.