Pete Doherty celebrates avoiding toe amputation with day at Bondi Beach in Australia
PETE Doherty was all smiles as he soaked up the sun at Bondi Beach, celebrating avoiding his toe amputation.
Libertines frontman Pete, 46, was warned by doctors in February that he risked the operation, as revealed by The Sun.
But, having made some big lifestyle changes amid his struggle with type 2 diabetes, the singer’s managed to avoid the surgery.
Pete, who is currently touring Australia with the band, was pictured enjoying a relaxed day out with his wife Katia de Vidas at Sydney’s iconic shoreline on Saturday.
Wearing just black swim shorts, he appeared in good spirits as he emerged from the ocean in images exclusively obtained by The Sun.
The musician ran a hand through his hair after diving head-first into the sea.
He then reunited with Katia and their daughter Billie-May, 23 months, back on the sand.
The Libertines are currently performing across Australia,with upcoming shows scheduled in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Earlier this year, Pete was performing from a chair for five dates of a European tour.
He told fans in Munich, Germany: “I saw the doctor today and he said you need to stay off your feet as much as you can otherwise you’ll lose your toes.”
The Can’t Stand Me Now singer had been wearing slippers or socks on stage but later changed to strip-fastener orthopaedic shoes.
At a show in Cologne, his bandmate Carl Barat was photographed helping him off stage.
Previously, Pete also held a walking stick at a gallery launch in Berlin.
He later told Fearne Cotton on her Happy Place podcast that he was in the all-clear.
Pete explained: “They were going to have to come off. They’re kind of on the mend now… I’m letting myself have a drink once in a while, like, every 10 days.
“But something has sort of shifted in me. There’s not that need [to drink].”
The singer, who dated Kate Moss from 2005-7, said last year he had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The condition raises the risk of serious foot problems and amputation.
Last spring he said: “I’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. And at the moment, I’m lacking the discipline to tackle cholesterol.”
He is believed to be more at risk because of years of drug abuse.
He said in 2022: “I was pushing the limits. There were close calls.
“I nearly lost my feet and horrible things like that. It was very close, just because of the injecting.
“That’s what happens when you run out of veins.
“It all seems so long ago now though but it was a hell of a ride.”
In November 2023 he said years of addiction had taken their toll.
Months before his diabetes diagnosis, he told Louis Theroux: “You are looking at a very sick man. I’ve battered it, caned it.
“The heroin and crack I surrendered to that. Then it was cocaine, smoking and alcohol.
“Now it’s cheese and the saucisson, and the sugar in the tea… it’s all gotta go.
“They told me a while ago if you don’t change your diet you’re going to have diabetes and cholesterol problems. Death’s lurking.”
Diabetes UK said: “Over time raised blood sugar levels can damage the vessels that supply the nerves in your feet.
“This stops nutrients reaching the nerves. You can lose feeling — peripheral neuropathy — and damage feet without noticing.
“Blood supply to the feet is also reduced. Cuts and sores may struggle to heal. You may get cramps and pain.
“Left untreated, these problems can lead to foot ulcers, infections and, at worst, amputations.”
Pete was approached for comment at the time.
Type 1 vs type 2 diabetes
There are two main types of diabetes, which causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong condition where the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the cells that produce the hormone insulin.
It affects around 344,000 people in the UK.
Type 2 diabetes on the other hand is far more common, accounting for more than 90 per cent of the 4.4million adults with diabetes.
It occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the body’s cells don’t react to it properly.
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of type 1 diabetes.
But you may be at higher risk of type 2 diabetes if you are overweight or obese, eat unhealthily, have a family history of the condition, take certain medications for a long time, have high blood pressure, and have had gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
People of Asian, Black African or African Caribbean origin are also at increased risk.
Source: NHS and Diabetes UK