Lily Allen opens up about eating struggles amid mental health challenges and ADHD diagnosis

British pop star Lily Allen has opened up about her ongoing struggles with mental health and how they’ve significantly impacted her eating habits.

Speaking on the Dec. 16 episode of her BBC podcast Miss Me?, co-hosted with Miquita Oliver, the 39-year-old singer revealed she has been experiencing difficulty eating for the past three years.

“I’ve been going through a tough time over the last few months, and my eating has become a real issue,” Allen admitted, explaining that her challenges were even unknown to her therapist.

The singer, diagnosed with ADHD in 2023, speculated whether her condition contributed to her tendency to omit the issue during therapy sessions. “I don’t link a lot of things,” Allen shared. “My body and my brain are two very separate things to me.”

Allen described feeling disconnected from hunger, saying, “I’m really not in a great place mentally at the moment. I’m not eating, but I’m not hungry — my body and brain are so disconnected that the messages of hunger aren’t getting through.” She clarified that she isn’t avoiding food but simply isn’t thinking about it, calling her body “a few steps behind me.”

This isn’t the first time Allen has spoken about body image struggles. In 2011, she revealed battling bulimia during a period when her weight loss received public praise. Reflecting on that time, she admitted, “I wasn’t happy… I know I can’t do that without being unhappy.”

Allen’s candid admissions shine a light on the complexities of mental health, body image, and ADHD, emphasizing the importance of seeking support and maintaining self-awareness.