T in the Park: Lily Allen spearheads festival pop invasion

LILY ALLEN has re-ignited her feud with Katy Perry, claiming she's a "pop puppet".


The two chart babes have been trading insults for months and, as they prepare to play T in the Park, the Smile star is at it again.

Lily, 24, who is on the Radio 1/NME stage on Sunday, reckons Katy, 24, who plays the same stage tomorrow, is an American version of her.

But she's not sure about Katy's massive hit I Kissed A Girl or debut single track Ur So Gay.

"It's very odd isn't it," said Lily, who was one of the stand-outs at Glastonbury thanks in part to her revealing outfit.

"I don't really like her. I think it's all quite contrived.

"I know what it is and 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? "I'm sure that she's quite a sweet person, but I just don't really agree with the whole thing."

Katy may have something to say about not writing tracks as she is on her major label album One of the Boys. The spat began when Katy described herself as a "fatter version of Amy Winehouse and the skinnier version of Lily Allen".

Lily claimed this was "crass", insisted Katy didn't pen her own tracks and warned the American off by telling her she had her mobile number and would put it on her Facebook site.

"That's not slagging her off," Lily points out. "I just said I was a bit frosty with her, because she'd slagged me.

"Slagging off is saying 'you're s***'. 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."

So does Katy think she's the new Lily? According to the Londoner, yes, and she's flattered by it.

"She's quite open about it. She signed to my record company as they wanted to make a more commercial sort of model of me."

Lily been known to badmouth a host of big names, from Cheryl Cole to Elton John.

"When I was slagging people off in the beginning it because I was a bit naive," she admits. "People knew that I was a bit of a show-off and you know I like to get a laugh out of people.

"I'm learning. I never slag intentionally or slag people off for the sake of it or retaliation for something."

While her ska-infused debut album Alright, Still in 2006 was a bit London-centripop lite, although Smile got her a debut No.1, this year's second album It's Not Me, It's You was a massive step up, going to No.1 and producing her second No.1 single, The Fear.

It showed Lily was more than just a bigmouth, she was also a musical player.

Her stint at Balado tomorrow will attract a massive crowd and although her spiritual festival home is Glastonbury - her dad took her there from when she was a baby - T in the Park also holds a special place in her heart.

It was there she first heard she'd hit top of the charts with Smile three years ago.

Lily grinned: "T in the Park has really special memories for me because it was there that I was told that Smile had gone to No. 1.

"In fact I was actually on stage when my manager came on and whispered to me that I was No. 1.

"I remember he had a huge bottle of champagne and I also remember that the crowd in the tent were so amazing.

"They seemed really happy for me. I know from playing Glasgow and Edinburgh that the Scottish audiences are some of the best in the world and I'm really looking forward to a great gig at T this year."

Lily leads a pop onslaught on T this year. As well as Lily and Katy, there's Lady Gaga, The Saturdays, Pet Shop Boys, The Ting Tings, Little Boots and Gary Go.

While Lily admits she'd be "terrified" to meet pop icon Madonna, she wouldn't want to still be performing when she's 50.

Instead Lily, who lost her first baby with ex-boyfriend Ed Simmons from The Chemical Brothers, wants to be married with kids.
She laughed: "I want to be a housewife. Not right now. I do want to get a bit out of the way first, but that's my plan - grow my own vegetables, take kids to school, make breakfast."

The daughter of film producer Alison Owen and wild actor Keith Allen, who left the family when she was four, Lily was expelled from various schools and quit her education at 15.

She claims it's because she was "deprived of childhood" that she is so keen to have her own family.

Lily said: "I didn't really have the mum and kids and dinner round the table thing at all.

"And I didn't play with anyone when I was a child. I feel like I missed out on that stuff.

"I just think that that's such an important part of life that I didn't have, that I'd want to live it in some way.

"My mum did amazingly well with us - she was a single mother, brought up three kids and she worked so hard to provide us with the life that she did. I'm so proud of her.

"But I want to do some things slightly different."




£50,000 in guaranteed jackpots to be won each week

Play Daily Record Bingo now for great prizes!

Property Type:
Beds: Furnishing:
Type of Let:



£50,000 in guaranteed jackpots to be won each week

Play Daily Record Bingo now for great prizes!