Their tumultuous relationship played a significant part in the rock and roll excesses that defined Pete Doherty’s chaotic life in the mid-2000s, at the height of his fame with The Libertines.
But sixteen-years after ending their short-lived romance and three years after swapping his beloved Margate for life in a remote French bolthole with wife Katia de Vidas, the reformed hellraiser is still surrounded by reminders of supermodel Kate Moss.
Featuring in the latest instalment of Louis Theroux Interviews, Doherty, 44, gave the documentarian a guided tour of his self-styled ‘Atelier,’ a dusty back room filled with mementos from his colourful life and times with The Libertines and, later, Babyshambles.
The charismatic musician, now three years clean after overcoming well publicised addictions to crack cocaine and heroin during the pandemic, revealed he still owns one of Kate’s personalised suitcases.
Designed by British luxury goods brand Asprey, the brown leather case featured an interior leather embellishment bearing the words ‘KATE MOSS – DO NOT TOUCH.’
Opening up: Pete Doherty reflected on his relationship with Kate Moss in a new BBC documentary with Louis Theroux
Blast from the past: The charismatic musician revealed he still owns one of Kate’s personalised suitcases
Property of Kate: Designed by British luxury goods brand Asprey, the brown leather case featured an interior leather embellishment bearing the words ‘KATE MOSS – DO NOT TOUCH’
‘That caught my eye,’ said Louis, commenting on the personalised branding.
‘Oh my God, and mine,’ added Pete. ‘It’s an old suitcase that had loads of stuff in it. I hadn’t opened it for ages and bang! When I opened it, do not touch. It is quite a strange thing to have on your suitcase.’
‘Especially inside your suitcase,’ observed Louis. ‘By the time you’ve got it open, it’s too late.’
Among the piles of photos and preserved newspapers, some of which document his high-profile, drug-related arrests, Doherty also discovered an old photo of himself posing alongside a collage of Kate at the National Portrait Gallery.
‘You’re starting to make me look like I’ve got this locker full of Kate Moss memories or something,’ he joked. ‘That’s complete chance.’
Doherty went on to reveal he’s recently seen the supermodel in a TV commerical, and admitted it was a reminder of why he went cold on their three-year relationship.’
‘I saw her in a Coca Cola ad the other day,’ he said, mimicking the model’s south London twang. ‘That’s what she’d say in the morning, to her assistant, and then I learnt Donald Trump does the same thing and it put me off a bit.’
‘What, drinking Coke?’ asked Louis.
Remember this? Doherty also discovered an old photo of himself posing alongside a collage of Kate at the National Portrait Gallery
Iconic couple: Their tumultuous relationship played a significant part in the rock and roll excesses that defined Pete Doherty ‘s chaotic life in the mid-2000s
‘Well, ordering it from her assistant all the time,’ he replied.
Doherty and Libertines bandmate Carl Barât also recalled a difficult period in the group’s history as Theroux visited them on tour.
Doherty said he was ‘in the honeymoon period with crack and heroin’ which led to him being excluded from the band before breaking into Carl’s flat.
Telling Louis: ‘They were doing these gigs without me, they did Glastonbury without me and I went round [to his home] to beg him to say “I know you are worried about the drugs but please don’t carry on without me”‘.
Barât then revealed how his pal’s spiralling addiction had made it impossible for him to continue with the band’s schedule and commitments.
Doherty, who is now healthy and happily married to filmmaker Katia de Vidas, explained how he had kicked open his friend’s front door in a desperate bid to stay in the group, only to discover nobody was home.
Recollection: Doherty went on to reveal he’s recently seen the supermodel in a TV commerical, and admitted it was a reminder of why he went cold on their three-year relationship’
Off-putting: The musician admitted he didn’t like the way Kate repeatedly demanded Coca Cola from her assistants whenever she woke up
During that period Barât was performing in Japan in what he called the ‘guilt tour’ without Doherty, and suffering from his own addiction issues.
‘People kept saying to me, your friend is going off the rails, he needs help, “You can’t let him do this” “You can’t let him do that” but you’ve seen the man, he’s a law unto himself’.
He added: ‘But I knew I had to keep the band together and I knew we had these commitments, and Pete was running round with this new crew and I felt like he was getting away from me’.
‘I felt like I was breaking out bond, our pack, everything we had sworn in blood together and although Pete says he got kicked out the band that was never the case, but of course he didn’t see it that way’.