With the greatest respect to other guests who have been lightly grilled in Louis Theroux Interviews (BBC Two), it felt like an intriguing scoop to line up Chelsea Manning. Where conventional celebrities make a choice to live in the public eye, Manning has a far more fretful and involuntary relationship with a global fame that is attributable to one lone contentious act.
Thus Theroux had to bring his tactical A-game – lashings of trademark charm and po-faced joshing, plus the patience of a crocodile to out-wait a sphinx. Manning was resistant in a manner that bordered on the comical. “Thank you for doing this,” said Theroux at the start. “Doing what?” “This interview.” “Oh. Yeah. It was on the calendar.” “It’s on the calendar because you agreed to do it.” This nut was not going to crack in a hurry.
Sitting uncomfortably close, at times they silently eyeballed each other like real-life contestants in Big Train’s World Stare-Out Championships. Theroux, who has gone toe-to-toe with hardened thugs and religious wingnuts, seemed close to intimated by someone so unfazed by awkwardness.
1 comment
***The Telegraph reviews***
With the greatest respect to other guests who have been lightly grilled in Louis Theroux Interviews (BBC Two), it felt like an intriguing scoop to line up Chelsea Manning. Where conventional celebrities make a choice to live in the public eye, Manning has a far more fretful and involuntary relationship with a global fame that is attributable to one lone contentious act.
Thus Theroux had to bring his tactical A-game – lashings of trademark charm and po-faced joshing, plus the patience of a crocodile to out-wait a sphinx. Manning was resistant in a manner that bordered on the comical. “Thank you for doing this,” said Theroux at the start. “Doing what?” “This interview.” “Oh. Yeah. It was on the calendar.” “It’s on the calendar because you agreed to do it.” This nut was not going to crack in a hurry.
Sitting uncomfortably close, at times they silently eyeballed each other like real-life contestants in Big Train’s World Stare-Out Championships. Theroux, who has gone toe-to-toe with hardened thugs and religious wingnuts, seemed close to intimated by someone so unfazed by awkwardness.
**More: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/12/05/louis-theroux-interviews-chelsea-manning-bbc-two-review/**