Pete Doherty and Josh Pugh Launch YouTube Series Blending Music and Comedy in “The Pete Doherty Show”

Pete Doherty and Josh Pugh have discussed their new YouTube project, The Pete Doherty Show, with NME, revealing a lineup featuring guests such as Jason Williamson of Sleaford Mods, EastEnders star Natalie Cassidy, and comedians Ivo Graham and Jamali Maddix. The musical-comedy adventure, filmed in Margate, sees the Libertines frontman and the comedian exploring their hometown, conducting interviews with creatives, and showcasing musical performances, including work by GANS in the premiere episode. Pugh even attempts Doherty’s infamous “big breakfast” at The Dalby Café.

“It’s a musical and comedy adventure that we’d like you all to join us for,” Doherty told NME. “We thought if the world needs anything right now, it needs another podcast.” He added, “First of all, I just wanted to meet Josh. It wasn’t blackmail, but it was like that couldn’t happen unless we did a show that producers had been talking about. I hated the idea of doing a show, but then they said they had all these amazing guests to interview—who all mysteriously cancelled on the first day. The guests that we did have were amazing.”

Pugh agreed, noting, “They’re not who we were promised, but yeah they were good.” Among the tantalizing guests who ultimately missed the show was Harry Shearer of The Simpsons and Spinal Tap fame. Doherty remarked, “I was a little bit grumpy and a little bit nervous about it, but we’ll see how it goes. If it is a horrible flop I can say, ‘See? I told you we couldn’t do this,’ then if it’s a success, that dry lack of confidence in it will be what people like.”

The first episode drops tomorrow, September 13, with new episodes rolling out weekly. In the interview, Doherty and Pugh delve into the show’s origin, their dynamic, and upcoming plans. Doherty joked, “We must be able to get a hacker to get the numbers up. It can’t be that difficult,” while Pugh added, “People are really excited to see it. I like going through the comments and assuming they’re about me. ‘This beautiful genius got me through my adolescence—I did what I can.'”

When asked why he chose Pugh, Doherty quipped, “He’s funny. You’ll be on a long tour on the bus and it gets to that point at 5 a.m. where you’re asking, ‘What’s left to stay up for?’ Someone would always play me Josh’s skits. Have you seen the one about the gaffer? Then someone also told me he played international football for the partially-sighted men’s national team, which was pretty cool. You’ve got this talented comedian with an amazing physical form, then you’ve got Josh too.”

Pugh described the collaboration as “exciting,” admitting, “It’s been bubbling for a bit. The guys were working on it, and you’re just never sure if anything’s ever really going to happen. I was nervous because it’s got to be good if it’s got Pete’s name on it, but Pete’s easy to be with and work with. He’s a very professional guy. Obviously, he’s a chaotic genius and we want to keep that bubbling, but he’s really easy to do it with.”

The duo spent intensive days in Margate and London, filming at locations like The Albion Rooms and organizing impromptu gigs. Pugh shared, “It was a good time: there was a heatwave, we watched the first World Cup game at The Albion Rooms. It was Pete’s first time back in Margate for a while.”

Focusing on their guests, Pugh emphasized, “Availability, mostly. That’s the best ability.” Doherty added, “It was a combination of availability, being a person that at least one of us had heard of, and that there was something about them that intrigued us.” They highlighted Jason Williamson’s brilliance and Natalie Cassidy’s authenticity, though her trumpet skills didn’t live up to expectations. “It was interesting to talk about going from that level of exposure, fame, and dedication of EastEnders—being there from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.—to now being free from it. I don’t think she misses it; she’s just trying to live her life.”

Regarding comedians Ivo Graham and Jamali Maddix, Pugh noted, “Ivo got straight into his old NME mags as soon as he got in the room. He collects stuff as well, he gave me a football card—it’s great, Ivo.” Doherty praised Graham’s intimate storytelling, adding, “A lot of his stand-up routines are intensely personal. He talks about his divorce a lot, his children. I went into it wondering how much was true; comedians are allowed to exaggerate, so that was quite interesting. He seems like quite a fragile character as well. I don’t think he’s comfortable doing interviews.”

Introducing Jamali, Doherty described them as “a fearless warrior from the east end who throws himself against far-right Nazi groups in America and EDL rallies. There’s lots of accents and color. I think we’ve got the best of British on there.” Their interaction with Carl Barât was a highlight, with Doherty saying, “He sidled up to me about a week before and said, ‘You’re not gonna forget your old pal, are ya?’ I thought, ‘Oh no, this is going to go wrong and get complicated if we don’t get Carl on.’ We had to get him on.”

They also discussed Carl’s tequila-launching antics, where “it spilt in his boot in his bag, so the only way to sample it was to actually lick it out of his boot. That was a comic masterpiece but not deliberate. Sometimes the universe just comes together.” Pugh chimed in, “That was two of his products he was plugging then—I think he’s done us there. Very clever.”

Looking ahead, Doherty said, “Yeah, bring it on!” and Pugh agreed, noting, “It’s only five days for us; it’s the other days that have to spend six weeks editing it.” Their dream guests include Harry Shearer, who might be replaced by a cameo from Eric Cantona or even French figures like Carla Bruni or Sarkozy.

Finally, when asked about their next ventures, Pugh mentioned, “I’ve got a tour coming up in September, I’ve got a sitcom in the can that hasn’t come out yet, I’m writing the next series of that now. Then just enjoying my life with my kids and my wife, having some funny ideas and having somewhere to put them.” The possibility of taking the show on the road was met with enthusiasm, with Doherty noting, “We could go on the road. It’s quite a live thing anyway, with people playing music. It could go on the road. Pete wants an American visa so we could probably take this to Broadway, I would have thought.”

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