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Louis Theroux: Under The Knife
Louis Theroux has had plastic surgery for his next film – Louis Theroux: Under The Knife – in an attempt to fully immerse himself in the subject matter.
For the film, to be screened on BBC Two this autumn, Louis travelled to California to explore the obsessive world of plastic surgery.
He met those who are desperate for surgery and the surgeons who are literally cutting a swathe through the valley! Whilst there, Louis decided to take the plunge and undergo a procedure himself.
Never one to shy away from really trying to get to grips with his subject matter, Louis is renowned for getting immersed in the stories he covers. He got a role in a gay porn film for one documentary, in another he slept in Jimmy Savile's mother's bed.
This project was no different, as Louis says: "I started this film with an open mind about experiencing the world of plastic surgery at first hand.
"To begin with, I'd thought I might get something minor like botox injections in my forehead but some of the surgeons I met suggested I needed a nose job, and others said I'd benefit from a brow lift.
"I wasn't keen as I've got rather used to the way my face looks! A leading surgeon then told me I'd be a good candidate for lipo on my stomach and love handles."
By this point, Louis had already met some interesting and intriguing characters but still felt he was experiencing the subject from the sidelines. So, not a man to take stupid risks and wary of being seen as simply trying to shock his audience, Louis thought very carefully about the offer.
This was not a decision to be taken lightly. The potential risks of surgery were a serious consideration, although this procedure would take place under a relatively safer local anaesthetic, rather than general. It was also going to cost him around $5,000 of his own money.
Thinking through the pros and cons, Louis explains: "I decided that, with lipo, the worst that can happen – apart from the usual risks involved in surgery – is you get some lumps under your skin. I felt it a risk worth taking as I really wanted to understand how this kind of surgery can make you feel afterwards, if I'd feel like a new and improved man!"
Explaining further, Louis continues: "In general, I try to get involved in these sorts of stories as a way of understanding the motivations of the people I meet so I can experience what they experience and see if it does the same for me. Hopefully it's also a way of showing that I'm not overly judgemental of their choices, if I can belly up and do it too."
Viewers will have to wait till the film airs later this year to see the results of the surgery and find out how Louis felt about it after it was all done. Could he be planning more nips and tucks or is the one experience quite enough for this life time?
EDA
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