Pete Doherty's "Jailhouse Shakespeare" Turn

Pete Doherty is currently locked up in a West London jail which has the ridiculously resounding name of "Wormwood Scrubs", and where he is said to be receiving the star treatment - that is, enjoying a series of privileges other inmates work hard to achieve. However, since this is Doherty we're talking about, no one should be surprised he's actually being handed things rather than having to earn them. Because Petey is currently said to be sharing the prison's segregation wing 16 high-risk prisonners, including pedophiles, it's only natural that the long-suffering Babyshambles front man is looking for a distraction - which he is said to have found in the form of Shakespeare.

"He's in the segregation unit because of who he is," says a source. "It's thought he could be vulnerable. He's been put on enhanced privileges, which means he can have virtually what he wants, so that includes an extra mattress, TV and radio. It's basically the five-star treatment, which takes most prisoners weeks of good behavior to achieve," the same insider added. Well, of course Pete is at risk - when a guy looks as good in drags as he does (check out the above older photo), guarding his back ought to receive top priority. And thanks to his "enhanced privileges", Pete' popularity with the other inmates has, um, increased exponentially.

"Pete obviously didn't want to go to prison but he was philosophical," Doherty's lawyer has stated. Of course, people who smoke crack, shoot up, inject girls, skip rehab frequently, steal a car, not turn up at gigs, get their cat addicted to crack, let down fans and get arrested several times should not end up in prison - so it's a wonder Doherty ended up behind bars in the fist place. The funny part is that once in jail, Doherty is still holding on to his inner artistic self. Wormwood Scrubs jail will soon be offering a two-hour Shakespeare lecture within its prison education workshops, and Pete is said to be attending and putting his "good performing skills" to great use. Last we heard, he was auditioning to play Romeo. How do you think the other inmates will feel about that?