LILY: I'm Drunk most of the time

LILY, 24, burst onto the music scene with chart-topping debut Smile three years ago. Not shy about airing her views on everything from the failings of other pop stars to the environment, she landed her own BBC3 chat show, Lily Allen And Friends, and then weighed in to stand up for the rights of musicians losing out through file sharing on the net. But there are rumours she intends to turn her back on fame. She tells all to A-Listed...

You're mad, bad and dangerous to know... or at least that's what we've been told. Is your public image accurate or has everyone got you all wrong?

I don't know. I think there are elements of truth. I'm definitely a cheeky person that likes to have fun but I'm not as spoilt and bratty as people probably like to make out. Or as negative and aggressive. But I am cheeky and I like to have fun with people. I like to joke around.

It seems like we're always reading reports about you enjoying a tipple or even two. Is that exaggerated?

No, I am drunk most of the time! Actually that bit's right.

You obviously care about music but apparently you don't love it enough to put up with the relentless attention. Are you really thinking about giving it all up?

Yeah. I can't live like that for much longer. It just does my head in, it really does. I don't want it. It's just annoying. Also, on a relationship level with other people, I can't really have a boyfriend when it's like this. It's just too much. I can't just go to the shop and meet my friends for coffee. The little small pleasures in life are completely eradicated because you've got these f***ing w*****s with cameras following you everywhere. And then people writing just absolute nonsense and people getting hurt as a result. It doesn't just affect me, it affects other people. And I really don't like hurting people, you know.

Yet you've had a few public spats with other pop stars over the last couple of years. Have you always been so opinionated and do you like to show off?

Yes and yes. I think it's good to be opinionated about things although it is easier to be negative about people than it is to be positive about people and that's something I'm learning. But then also at the same time I do say a lot of positive things about people. They just never get written. So, it's kind of... I don't know. I'm learning.

You did have a go at Katy Perry...

No! I wasn't slagging her off! I was a bit frosty with her, because she'd slagged me off. That's not slagging someone off. Slagging off is saying, "You're s**t!" I just said she compared herself to me and Amy Winehouse and I just politely said that's quite an interesting comparison to make - you're not English, and you don't write your own songs. It's not slagging someone off it's just stating the obvious. You know, she signed to my record company and they signed her as they wanted to make a more commercial version of me. Which is really flattering. I just wish I could sell that many records. In fact, I wish I could be me better!

But you're not likely ever to be best mates are you?

To be honest I don't really like her. I think it's all quite contrived. It doesn't come from her, it's not written by her, it's written by other people. So I think it's quite sinister to be like: "We need to create a character and a story." It just doesn't mean anything to me. It's just marketing isn't it? Saying that, I'm sure that she's quite a sweet person, you know, but I don't really agree with the whole thing.

Criticising other people isn't a way to win friends though, is it?

Genuinely, when I was slagging people off in the beginning it was because I was a bit naïve, and people knew that I was a bit of a show-off and I like to get a laugh. People can get things out of me very easily. You know. If you say: "What do you think of... ?" then I'll go: "They're rubbish!" Just because I'm honest, you know. It's never intentional.

But you did leap to the defence of Britney Spears after the savaging she got over her X Factor appearance.

Yeah, I think that she's cool. I like her. I feel a bit sad for her, because I think she's kind of like fallen victim to something... I find it quite tragic, but quite amazing to watch. Fascinating, maybe. I don't know what people expected from her. I thought she was fine. I think she's like a bit of a zombie now, you know?

Do you think she should just go away and leave it for a while?

I think it's none of anyone's business. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you like it, buy it. There's no need to constantly comment on it. Just let her do what she wants to do.

So you don't mind if singers can't sing?

No. As long as they're not trying to sell it as something. You know, I think with someone like Britney you know what you're getting. I'm a singer and I can't really sing but that's not what I do, I don't sing. I write songs, and it's my lyrics that are important.

When you first got famous you said: "I'll always have low self-esteem. I still feel like I've blagged all of this." Do you feel a bit more confident now in your talent?

What was weird about it was that there hadn't been someone like me around for a long time. Someone who was young and that was writing their own stuff. And then suddenly, as soon as I came along, it opened up doors for a lot of other people. And some of those other people were better and some of them were worse. I think I was so excited to suddenly have been given all of this praise and I just felt like: "God, maybe I've just got all of this attention and it's all just really unjustified." I hope that with It's Not Me, It's You, my current album, I've done my best as far as my abilities take me. So I hope that will in the end give me more confidence and make me feel I deserve what I've earned.

There's been a lot of talk about you turning to acting. Is that likely?

I've never tried it. I'm sure I probably can. Well, I probably couldn't actually. I've thought about it before when I've been on set, because my mum's a film producer. But when I'm around people I really want everyone to like me and be my friend. I think I'd feel really intimidated because I'd be so nervous about what everyone on set thought about my performance. It would probably clip what I was doing.

Can you see yourself still being in the public eye when you're 50?

No. Absolutely not. I want to be married and have kids. I do want to kind of get a bit out of the way first but yeah - that's my plan, to do all of that. Grow my own vegetables, take the kids to school, make breakfast. Me and a husband. I mean I haven't got him yet but obviously... It'd be nice to have money as well. But that's not a nececessity.

That's quite a surprise, we really didn't have you figured for the domestic type?

I didn't really have the mum and kids and dinner- round-the-table thing at all when I was a child. So I feel like I missed out on that. It's such an important part of life that I didn't have, that I'd want to live it in some way now.

What's another thing people get wrong about you?

That I'm really tall. I'm only 5ft 2ins.

You're on tour at the moment and you're heading our way. Looking forward to it?

I'm very excited. Everyone's gonna scream. Or maybe not. Maybe they'll boo. No. I'm sure it'll be great.

LILY Allen plays Glasgow's SECC on Wednesday, November 25.

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