Bafta-winning director Michael Harte has revealed that Kylie Minogue 'p***ed him off' the first time they met. Harte, who directed the new Netflix documentary series about the pop star, recalled being kept waiting at the Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles.
An Unexpected First Impression
Michael Harte, known for his work on the Beckham and Michael J. Fox documentaries for Netflix, admitted he went from feeling 'really nervous' to 'p***ed off' as he sat alone waiting for Kylie to arrive late. However, the Australian pop icon quickly won him over with her disarming charm.
'If you ever meet Kylie, very, very, very quickly, she completely disarms you with just charm,' Harte shared. 'You know she's not what you would expect from somebody who's had such a successful career in the limelight for so long. I think probably the reason that she's been in the limelight for so long is because of the way she is, and she has a cracking sense of humour.'
Building Trust Through Collaboration
As they worked together on the documentary, Harte explained that their professional relationship deepened into a trusted partnership. 'The further we got into the project, when we became more comfortable with each other, we really clicked as well – I think we did anyway – as pals, or not even necessarily pals, but we just became very, very comfortable with each other, and we just trusted each other.'
A Shocking Revelation on Camera
During filming, Kylie stunned the crew by revealing she had been diagnosed with cancer for a second time in 2021, after beating breast cancer in 2005. This time, she chose to keep her health battle private until she felt ready to share. Thankfully, she has since received the all-clear.
Harte admitted he had 'no clue' she was about to make such a personal disclosure. 'When I got there, and as we were recording, I remember thinking, 'This is nice stuff. I'm not sure what we'll use it for.' And then the conversation [about Kylie's cancer] started.'
Kylie's Emotional Confession
In the documentary, Kylie tearfully recalled her cancer journey: 'I was able to keep that to myself and go through that year, not like the first time. I've been trying to find the right time to say it – I just couldn't at the time. I was just a shell of a person.'
In 2023, the pop star was thrilled when Grammy-winning song 'Padam Padam' opened doors for her, but she felt strange about hiding the huge health battle she'd been fighting in secret. 'On the inside I knew that the cancer wasn't just a blip in my life and I really just needed to say what happened so I could let go of it.'
Why Now?
Kylie makes the revelation in the third episode of her new Netflix documentary series, titled 'Kylie'. Asked why now seemed like the right time to speak out, she said it felt 'important' to be truthful. 'Thankfully I got through it again and all is well. Making this documentary has meant looking back at so many pivotal moments in my life and this was another one. I also know there will be someone out there who will benefit from a gentle reminder to do their check-ups.'
She added: 'As part of my routine check-ups in 2021, I was diagnosed with a second primary breast cancer. Early detection was very helpful and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today.'
