Lily Allen says she’s ‘really not in a good place’ and announces break from podcast

‘I can’t concentrate on anything except the pain I’m going through,’ singer-turned-actor said

Ellie Muir
Friday 10 January 2025 02:57 EST
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Lily Allen reveals she's 'not in a great place mentally' and has stopped eating

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Lily Allen has said she is “not in a good place” while opening up about the extent of her recent mental health struggles amid a rumoured separation from David Harbour.

The singer-turned-actor revealed that she has been going through a “tough period” during the latest episode of her podcast Miss Me?, which she co-hosts with friend Miquita Oliver – and revealed she will be taking a break in the coming weeks.

Allen, 39, told listeners that she had a panic attack while attending a Christmas lunch with the team behind the podcast last month.

“I know I’ve been talking about it for months but I’ve been spiralling and spiralling. It’s got out of control,” the singer said. “I’m finding it hard to be interested in anything. I’m really not in a good place.”

“I came to the Miss Me? Christmas lunch and had a panic attack and had to go home and I went to see something at the theatre the other night with my friends and I had to leave at half time,” she added.

She continued: “I can’t concentrate on anything except the pain I’m going through. It’s really hard.”

Allen admitted she “wasn’t in a good place” and said that her two daughters, who she shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper, are her support network.

It comes after speculation that she has separated from her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour, who she married in 2019 a year after meeting on Raya, an exclusive dating app popular among celebrities.

In an episode of Miss Me? late last year, Allen was filmed without her wedding ring as she spoke about spending Christmas “alone”.

Allen pictured in September
Allen pictured in September (Getty Images)

In December, Allen told the podcast that she had lost her appetite and that “eating has become an issue”.

“I obviously am hungry, but my body and brain are so disconnected from each other that my body…the messages of hunger are not going to my body to my brain.”

Allen made clear she is not “avoiding” food but often doesn’t think about eating due her mind being elsewhere with other concerns.

Lily Allen and her husband David Harbour pictured in 2022
Lily Allen and her husband David Harbour pictured in 2022 (Getty Images)

The “Smile” singer admitted on Thursday’s episode that she would be taking a break for the coming weeks, but warned that she didn’t want there to be speculation about where she was going.

“I’m going away next week, you’re not gonna hear me for a few weeks, listeners. But I want to assure people, because there will be speculation about the amount of time that I’m gonna be taking away that I’m going to drug rehab. I’m not. I’ve not relapsed,” she said, pointing towards misinformation that she’s seen about herself online.

Elsewhere during the podcast episode, Oliver admitted that she has been put off from having children after being surrounded by them over the Christmas holidays.

“They’re just always there,” said Oliver, to which Allen replied: “I can say, it’s really tough - they are always there and you have to be present and there for them.”

“And that’s okay, when things in life are going well and you’re coping it’s really nice to have the kids around they’re a joy.”

“One of the main sources of joy in one’s life. But when things are not going so well and life is tough, as it is for many people for all manner of reasons, having to hold things together is really hard.”

When asked if it was easier now that her daughters are older, Allen said: “Yeah, we are a support network for each other and encourage each other to talk about our feelings but I think the main thing is telling them we’re going to get through it and be fine.”

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