Louis Theroux comes face-to-face with two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua

Louis Theroux made a name for himself inoffensively embedding himself in people’s lives and using his ‘affable Englishman’ routine to discover more about them than the average documentarian.

Nowadays, he is far too recognisable around the globe to take people by surprise, and is instead focusing on the lives of fellow celebrities, who clearly know who he is and what he does, but are still willing to open up.

During the early noughties Theroux’s interviews with the likes of Ann Widdecombe, Neil and Christine Hamilton and Chris Eubank were TV gold.

And he revisited the celeb chat idea last year, with his series Louis Theroux Interviews, in which he got up close and personal with Stormzy, Dame Judi Dench, Yungblud, Bear Grylls, Katherine Ryan and Rita Ora.

The 53-year-old journalist is back with another run tonight, and this year’s line-up sounds just as strong.

Over the next few weeks, we will see him travel from New York to France, and from Glastonbury to Kent, to spend time with actor and rapper Ashley Walters, activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning, Hollywood legend Dame Joan Collins, Libertines and Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty, and Tooting-born singer-songwriter Raye.

As before, the series will feature both one-on-one conversations and Theroux’s ‘signature immersive filming style’ as the subject’s lives and careers are explored up to the present day.

“Working with the team on these six new programmes has been an enormous pleasure,” Louis says.

“The six guests are all distinctive and brilliant in different ways, all of them people who have endured setbacks and huge successes, and who have something to share with the world based on their journeys through life.

“We have tried to build on the success of the first six Louis Theroux Interviews, while pushing further this time into terrain that is gritty and difficult, exploring subjects like mental health, brushes with the law and political controversy.

“Each show mixes stylish master interviews with behind-the-scenes moments and actuality shot on location, so viewers have the double pleasure of a thoughtful in-depth conversation alongside a revealing look into the lives of contributors – RAYE’s dressing room before her Glastonbury set, Joan Collins’ house in the south of France.

“The tone of the shows is always open-minded and generous-hearted, while hopefully being funny, and always mindful of the need to keep viewers interested.

“I like them, and I’m notoriously hard to please.”

First up, Louis comes face to face with two-time world heavyweight champion, Anthony Joshua, at his local boxing gym in North London.

Against the backdrop of AJ’s fight with American heavyweight Jermaine Franklin in May, Louis explores the boxer’s success, humbling defeats and his sporting motivations, as well as spending time with him on the Watford estate in which he was raised.

Louis also quizzes the 34-year-old about his future plans, potential fights with Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, and getting back to the top of a sport where the opportunity for fighters to earn life-changing amounts of money comes with considerable risks.