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Lily Allen’s husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour, made a surprise cameo on the pop singer and author’s podcast Miss Me?, as she discussed the theme of beauty with her co-host Miquita Oliver.
Allen, who rose to fame in the Noughties upon the release of her debut single, “Smile”, and 2006 album Alright, Still, often speaks about the impact that constant tabloid scrutiny had on her self-esteem.
As the episode “I Feel Pretty?” got underway, Allen received a call from Harbour, whom she married in 2020.
“Do you think I’m beautiful?” she asked him.
“Yeah,” he responded. “Is this an intense podcast? You seem a little intense.”
“We’re talking about beauty, so yeah, I have complicated feelings around it,” Allen responded, going on to ask Harbour what he thought the “most beautiful” thing about her was.
“Physically or emotionally or mentally or spiritually?” he questioned. “The most beautiful thing about you is your commitment to others, your commitment to expressing something that makes people feel less alone, that brings people together.
“It’s in your music, it’s in this podcast... that ideology, that spirit in you, is the most beautiful thing about you.”
“David,” Oliver commented, sounding emotional, as Allen and Harbour told each other, “Love you,” before ending the call.
Allen admitted that she found it “so hard” to answer the question herself because she’s “full of self-hatred”.
She later spoke about a time in 2009 when she was “miserable”, having lost weight from not eating enough, only to go to events and have people tell her, “You look amazing.”
“It’s horrible that we place so much value on it,” she says.
Oliver also spoke about her struggles with self-image while in the spotlight, most notably when she was a bridesmaid at Allen’s wedding to first husband Sam Cooper in 2011.
“I was called your big fat bridesmaid after your wedding,” she recalled, “and after that I decided right, I’ve got to sort this out, I’ve got to lose some weight, I’ve got to sort the way I look out because they keep coming for me and telling me I look dirty.”
The TV presenter and radio personality said she then lost weight after training at the gym, only to have the media once again brand her Allen’s “chubby mate” while appearing at a festival together.
“I remember thinking, ‘I give up,’” Oliver said. “It started to affect the way I looked after myself... I didn’t think it was worth trying anymore, so I went the other way.”
Episodes of Miss Me? air on Mondays and Thursdays and are available on BBC Sounds and major streaming services.
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
