Lily Allen opens up about mental health issues as she admits she has stopped eating

Lily Allen has opened up about her mental health issues, which have caused her to lose her appetite and stop eating, during the latest episode of her hit podcast, miss me?

On her popular BBC Sounds podcast, the singer, writer and actor discusses a range of issues – from body image to relationships and the entertainment industry – with her longtime friend Miquita Oliver.

In an episode released Monday (December 16), Allen, 39, who has previously spoken candidly about her struggles with addiction and self-loathing, admitted she hadn’t been feeling well for about three years.

Allen explained that “eating has become a problem,” but she did not mention it to her therapist because she felt her loss of appetite was not the most important thing she needed to discuss in her sessions.

“But obviously it is,” she reflected, adding that her body and brain feel “very separate” to her. “I’m not eating. I’m not hungry,” she continued.

“I’m obviously hungry, but my body and brain are so separate from each other that my body … the messages about hunger don’t go to my body to my brain.”

Allen made it clear that she doesn’t “avoid” food, but often times she doesn’t think about eating because her mind is elsewhere with other concerns.

Back in 2021, the singer responded to a number of body-shaming critics online who claimed they had “concerns” about Allen, with several fans saying she looked “too thin”.

Allen responded to the comments, telling one: “You’ve never seen me two years completely sober, no smoking and exercising every day”.

Responding to another, the singer added: “Seriously, where are you going? You know NOTHING about me or my lifestyle. How dare you.”

Allen has previously spoken with Cosmopolitan about dealing with an eating disorder around the release of her second album, It’s not me, it’s you.

She told the publication: “I was getting ready to do promo for the second album. That’s when I started not eating, when I started thinking about having to do photo shoots and red carpets.”

Allen added that when she was “feeling really bad”, anything she ate would “come back up”.

In 2011, she also told Channel 4 about suffering from bulimia. “It’s not something I’m proud of,” she said. “But I tell you what, a lot of people used to come up to me and tell me how good I looked.”

The “Smile” singer explained: “I was on the cover of every magazine with them saying, ‘Lily looks amazing. Look how much weight she’s lost’. I thought I looked great.”

She continued: “It was amazing to try on clothes and walk out of the store feeling like a million bucks. When you’ve been the victim of people saying the exact opposite, you want more of that.

“But I wasn’t happy, I really wasn’t. I want to be the thinnest, mini-most person in the world. But I know I can’t do it without being unhappy. I like my food.”

In September, Allen opened up to Oliver about trying to protect her mental health while being the subject of tabloid press scrutiny throughout her career.

“I think I get a little dopamine rush from people telling me I look good or that they like my old music and that they listen to the podcast… but then I have to be exposed too to see far more terrible things (than positive things) ), she said.

Allen explained that she’ll go looking for negative press about herself if she’s feeling low due to struggles with self-loathing.. “I’ll do it because it proves to me what an ass I am,” she said.

“So I go looking for it, because then I know it’s true, I know the way I feel is real. And there’s a lot of that out there. So yeah, I just have to try to cut myself from it, I think, to keep myself safe.”

For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this piece, eating disorder charity Beats The helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677.

NCFED offers information, resources and counseling to those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support network. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040.

In the US, call or text the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) at (800) 931-2237 or chat online.