Lily Allen has discussed her return to the UK with her two daughters following the success of ‘West End Girl‘, saying it has triggered a lot of questions.
- READ MORE: Lily Allen – ‘West End Girl’ review: a vicious, vulnerable and victorious comeback
The singer-songwriter released her long-awaited fifth LP last year, just four days after announcing the “vulnerable” surprise project. It comprised 14 songs, all written and recorded in just 10 days following the breakdown of the star’s marriage to Stranger Things actor David Harbour, after he allegedly cheated on her.
Allen previously insisted that it was “not a cruel album”, saying she is no longer “confused or angry” about the circumstances that inspired the record.
Discussing its runaway success, which has so far seen her perform on Saturday Night Live and announce a largely sold-out tour, the most recent episode of her Miss Me? podcast saw Allen reflect on starting over after the breakup.
“I’ve done quite a lot this year,” she told co-host Miquita Oliver. “I’ve finished an album, I got a boob job, I had a nervous breakdown, I went into hospital for a bit, I came out, I did some podcasting for a while, then I played one of the hardest tracks in theatre and killed myself [in the role of Hedda Gabler] every night for seven weeks.”
“My kids are fucking mental at the moment,” she added. “They are really developing their personalities. It’s just a lot. There’s a lot of questions.” Allen shares her daughters with her ex-husband Sam Cooper, and said their adjustment back to life in the UK hadn’t been without challenges.
“There’s a lot of change in our lives at the moment,” she stated. “We’ve changed houses, we’ve changed countries, we’ve changed schools, and it’s a lot.”
The singer added that her children are “discovering who they are” while “grappling with some new ideas in terms of who I am”.
“The last five years, I’ve been a stay-at-home mum,” she continued. “And now I’m a single mum that has to work and suddenly has a lot of work opportunities on my plate and I’m having to travel a lot.”
“But they also like having a nice roof over their heads and nice clothes and being able to go to nice restaurants and things. So they understand it. But it’s just a lot of change. There’s a lot of change and also new friends, new friendship groups and the idea of like boyfriends.”
Allen is set to hit the road once again for a UK theatre and arena tour of her new record in 2026. You can view the full list of dates here and purchase tickets for her arena dates when they go on sale next Thursday (November 27) at 10am GMT here.
Allen made the comments about the record’s impact on her during a return to the Miss Me? podcast, which she left at the end of last year to focus on music. In her absence, stand-in hosts have included Jordan Stephens and JADE.
‘West End Girl’ was given a four-star review from NME, and it also landed at number 13 on our 50 Best Albums of 2025. “On this raw nerve of a divorce album, she sifts through the wreckage over suitably muted two-step, flamenco and dancehall beats,” we wrote of the record.
