The singer, songwriter and actress Lily Allen has described a man paying for an abortion as “romantic” in a podcast series called Miss Me?, while also, in effect, comparing notes with her fellow presenter, Miquita Oliver, about undergoing multiple abortions, as both women trade jokes on the topic.

The reaction on YouTube has been almost entirely negative, with one commenter writing, “This conversation is helping the anti-abortion movement in so many ways.”

In the controversial episode titled “Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver answer your questions about contraception”, the pair describe in a casual manner the various forms of birth control they have used and the horror stories associated with them.