Louis Theroux hits back at Piers Morgan for calling him a “puny wastrel”

9 November, 2023

Louis Theroux and Piers Morgan

Louis Theroux has snapped back at Piers Morgan for calling him a “puny wastrel”, arguing that he could take the broadcaster in a boxing match.

The quarrel started when a clip surfaced online of a Theroux BBC documentary with the two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.

In the clip from the opening episode of the new series of Louis Theroux Interviews, which aired on Tuesday (November 7), Joshua suggested that he could promote a fight between the documentary-maker and the TalkTV presenter. In response, Theroux said he could “take him”.

This led to Morgan responding on X, formerly Twitter: “Have you lost your marbles? I’d destroy you in 30 seconds, you puny wastrel”.

Not about to let the issue go, Theroux chimed back by saying, “I don’t think you’ve got the cardio fitness, Piers, TBF. You’d gas out and after that I’d just be playing music on your chin like a boxing Beethoven.”

Morgan clapped back, posting a video from 2011 of the broadcaster in a sparring session led by the legendary Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, alongside the message: “Watch this, then see how cocky you’re feeling Big Guy.”

In the current series of Louis Theroux Interviews, he will conduct longform interviews with Pete Doherty, singer-songwriter Raye, Top Boy’s Ashley Walters, whistleblower Chelsea Manning, acting legend Dame Joan Collins, as well as Joshua.

In October, Theroux named Tom Cruise and Dave Chapelle as public figures that remain on his interview bucket list.

He also shared that he’d “love to speak to” Grease star John Travolta and American singer-songwriter Erkyah Badu.

And despite meeting and aspiring to interview all these famous faces, Theroux did also admit that he still occasionally gets starstruck. He shared, “It feels a bit like playing favourites to say who, but in the rushes, I think I can play it off…but when we look at the material, my face gives me away and sometimes I can look too excited. It can be a problem.”

In July, Piers Morgan was ridiculed for his reaction to the gender politics of the film Barbie.

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