The singer, songwriter and actress Lily Allen has described a man paying for an abortion as “romantic” in a podcast series called <em>Miss Me?</em>, 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 <em>YouTube</em> 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.
Allen recounts haemorrhaging blood while in a nightclub and being rushed to hospital as a result of using an intrauterine device (IUD). Oliver describes having an IUD fitted, having it removed, undergoing an abortion, being sedated during the procedure, and waking up with a new IUD inserted. Despite these serious medical issues, the episode is conducted with both presenters laughing throughout.
When the conversation turns to abortion, Allen sings, to the tune of Frank Sinatra’s <em>My Way</em>, “Abortions, I have had a few. But then again, I can’t remember exactly how many.” She then guesses that she has had “four or five” abortions, with Oliver replying that she has had about five as well.
Allen continues, “I remember once getting pregnant and the man paying for my abortion and me thinking it was so romantic.” Oliver replies, “I actually think that is romantic.” Both then continue to joke about whether it is romantic or not, with Allen arguing it is not, because “a child is more expensive”. Oliver then jokes that the man “shoved the cash in your mouth, told you to f*** off and never called you again”.
The episode received instant negative press, with Judith Woods in <em>The Telegraph</em> stating that “not even the most strident pro-choice activist would consider terminating a pregnancy to be a laughing matter”. Melanie McDonagh <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/we-should-be-outraged-by-lily-allens-four-or-five-abortions/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color">writing</mark></a> in the<em> Spectator</em> said that “we should be outraged by Lily Allen’s ‘four or five’ abortions”. Even Alice Wilson, who defended Allen’s comments in <em>Metro</em>, admitted that she “initially had an uncomfortable feeling about this not being quite right”.
The <em>Miss Me?</em> podcast features on BBC Sounds and is currently number 47 in the UK podcast charts.
In a recent Comment piece for the <em>Catholic Herald</em>, Gavin Ashenden warns that "an increasingly rampant fundamentalist feminism" has played a significant role in "the collapse of Christian sensibilities" in modern societies.
He cites, as evidence, the recent votes in the UK Parliament around legalising assisted suicide and decriminalising abortion – thereby potentially permitting abortion up to birth – and the efforts "to legislate to give the state permission to murder babies and abet the suicide of the elderly".
<a href="https://thecatholicherald.com/the-rot-in-catholic-education-and-governance-revealed-by-an-mps-vote-abortion-up-to-birth/"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-color"><strong><em>RELATED: A Catholic MP’s vote for abortion up to birth reveals the rot in UK governance and religious formation</em></strong></mark></a>
<em>Photo: Lily Allen attends the 2025 Planned Parenthood New York Gala at Cipriani South Street, New York, USA, 24 April 2025. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images.)</em>
