Lily Allen says she was ‘shocked’ by backlash to Noughties antics

Lily Allen confesses she loves her children ‘but they ruined her career’

lily allen, keith allen, lily allen says she was ‘shocked’ by backlash to noughties antics

Lily Allen has spoken about how she was taken aback by the press attention she received in the past while getting up to mischief as “the bad girl of pop”.

The singer and actor, 39, rose to fame in the mid-Noughties upon the release of her debut single “Smile”, which topped the charts in July 2005. Her first album, Alright, Still, went to No 1, receiving critical acclaim along with a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Music Album.

During that time, Allen, who is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and producer Alison Owen, received considerable press attention due to her public antics, as she struggled with issues such as addiction and disordered eating.

She was also the subject of a number of controversies as she made disparaging remarks about other pop stars, which regularly made tabloid headlines.

In a candid and wide-ranging interview on the BBC Radio 4 programme This Cultural Life, Allen explained to host John Wilson that she was “very confused” by the backlash she received, having grown up surrounded by men “who behaved 10 times worse than I did and seemed to be lauded for it”.

Asked if she felt prepared for fame given her famous father, she responded: “No, I thought I would be, but I think stardom [as a woman] is very different than stardom as a male.

“I was brought up to think you could do anything you wanted, as a woman, so I was very confused when I got the backlash that I did, purely because I’d been surrounded by men who behaved 10 times worse than I did and seemed to be lauded for it… it was a bit of a shock.”

lily allen, keith allen, lily allen says she was ‘shocked’ by backlash to noughties antics
Lily Allen performing in Germany in 2006 (Getty Images)

Allen said she “probably did” invite some of the press attention, stating: “I don’t think I’d wake up in the morning and think, ‘Right, I want to be on the cover of the Evening Standard tomorrow, I’m gonna go and do this.’

“But I’d certainly say things or do things that I know would rub people up the wrong way. I don’t know if it was necessarily to increase my visibility, I think it was more that I just wanted to push boundaries, do things that people didn’t do, piss people off and say things that people hadn’t heard before.”

Allen took a break from music after releasing her second album, It’s Not Me, It’s You, in 2009, then returned in 2014 with Sheezus, which included the Top 10 hit “Hard Out Here”.

In the same interview, she spoke about her parents’ divorce and how she and her two siblings – including her younger brother, the Game of Thrones star Alfie – were looked after by nannies or au pairs while their mother was away for work. She attended 13 different schools and was “asked to leave a few”.

lily allen, keith allen, lily allen says she was ‘shocked’ by backlash to noughties antics
Lily Allen at the Olivier Awards in 2022 (Getty Images for SOLT)

Allen also addressed why she dislikes singing her older material at live shows: “When I play live gigs, people want me to play the old songs but… if you had to go back to when you were at university and listen to yourself putting the world to rights in the student union, you would run a million miles because you sound like a moron.”

“So while I’m proud of what I did at the time, that person hasn’t experienced anything, so it’s kind of painful for me to listen to,” she concluded.

Allen, who is married to Stranger Things star David Harbour, is currently working on her forthcoming fifth album. She told Harris that she is soon travelling to Nashville where she will spend two weeks recording new music.

The album will be her first since 2018’s No Shame, which she called her “best work” despite its mixed commercial success.

Beyond music, Allen has developed her career in TV, film, and theatre, taking on the lead role in the West End play 2:22 A Ghost Story and in Sharon Horgan’s 2023 six-part comedy Dreamland.

OTHER NEWS

20 minutes ago

George Strait Breaks US Concert Attendance Record

20 minutes ago

Steelers Fall To Middle Of The Pack In Final NFL Offseason Power Rankings

20 minutes ago

The Bosasa connection: Gwede Mantashe faces bribery probe

20 minutes ago

The current favourite to be Ireland's next manager

20 minutes ago

Architect David Chipperfield: ‘We used to know what progress was. Now we’re not so sure’

20 minutes ago

‘Panda diplomacy’: China pledges to send Adelaide Zoo two more pandas

20 minutes ago

He Immigrated to the U.S. and Got a Job at McDonald's — Then His Aversion to Being 'Too Comfortable' Led to a Fast-Growing Company That's Hard to Miss

20 minutes ago

‘We’re going to give it a full go’ – Glasgow Warriors throw down the gauntlet ahead of URC Final against the Bulls

20 minutes ago

Trump allies hope his daughter Tiffany's father-in-law can help flip Arab American votes in Michigan

20 minutes ago

England starting XI for Euro 2024 opener against Serbia revealed with Saka set to start

20 minutes ago

James Haskell is every inch the doting dad as he spend some quality time with his daughter Bodhi, 22 months, while out in Hampstead

20 minutes ago

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese resume WNBA's fiercest rivalry TODAY: Fever host Sky for first time since Chennedy Carter's body check on No. 1 draft pick... but will tensions boil over again?

20 minutes ago

Rebecca Judd reveals bizarre way she winds down at night: 'This could sound controversial'

23 minutes ago

Incredible new photos of John Farnham revealed at son’s wedding

26 minutes ago

Sydney Vivid Festival: NSW Premier Chris Minns apologies for drone show cancellation on final night

27 minutes ago

Teacher accused of having sex with female ex-student and tried to lure her into threesome with her husband loses her license

28 minutes ago

‘Titanic deckchairs’ as governor at super-prison suffering staff exodus sent to run jail hit by deaths

28 minutes ago

5 Of The Most Expensive Pontiacs Ever Sold At Auction

28 minutes ago

New Caledonia airport to fully reopen following closure during deadly unrest

28 minutes ago

All eyes on who Ramaphosa will elect in his new Cabinet

28 minutes ago

80 countries at a Swiss conference agree that ‘territorial integrity’ of Ukraine must be basis of any peace agreement

31 minutes ago

North Richland Hills fire, EMS departments adopt potentially life-saving app technology

33 minutes ago

MORE travel hell at Birmingham Airport sparked by 100ml liquid rule as travellers queue out the door - amid fears chaos could last all summer

33 minutes ago

Video: Dutch fans line the streets of Hamburg in their thousands ahead of their Euro 2024 opener vs Poland... as 'CRAZY' sea of orange goes viral

34 minutes ago

Serbia are 11/2 outsiders with Sky Bet to upset England in Three Lions' Euro 2024 opener, with Gareth Southgate's men heavy favourites for Group C clash

34 minutes ago

Ex-Man United and Serbia star highlights England's 'major' problem ahead of Sunday's Euro 2024 clash... as he claims Gareth Southgate has ALREADY made a mistake with his squad

34 minutes ago

Voters reveal which political leader they would like to manage the England football team

34 minutes ago

Murray to headline Britain team at Paris Olympics, Raducanu out

34 minutes ago

German's Can switched Spanish holiday for Euro 2024 and opening-match goal

34 minutes ago

Turkey aim to bounce back from Euro flop against debutants Georgia

34 minutes ago

Ronaldo faces Schick in battle of top marksmen from last Euros

34 minutes ago

Buksa to lead Polish attack in place of Lewandowski against Dutch

34 minutes ago

Online misogynistic content and harmful algorithms drive new anti-domestic violence push

34 minutes ago

Winter Storm Maps Show Where State Could Be Hit With 7 Inches of Snow

34 minutes ago

Tito Mboweni throws shade at Zuma: ‘Why did you do this?”

34 minutes ago

Watch as the man who taught Michael Jackson the Moonwalk does it live in London

34 minutes ago

The anti-Ulez vote helped Tories win in Uxbridge but has pro-car agenda run out of road?

37 minutes ago

Toxic garlic should have prompted EPA to warn against gardening near Ohio derailment, watchdog says

38 minutes ago

Euros 2024: German Police Shoot Man Wielding Axe Near Zone For Dutch Football Fans In Hamburg

39 minutes ago

As Kate Middleton gets back behind the camera, how the Princess' passion for taking pictures has seen her capture some of the most touching royal photos in decades