Mabel to stand in for Lily Allen on ‘Miss Me?’ podcast while she takes mental health recovery break 

It has been announced that Mabel and others will be standing in for Lily Allen on the Miss Me? podcast, while the latter takes a mental health break.

• READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Lily Allen: “I’m taking ownership of my narrative”

The news comes as the singer and actor – who hosts the podcast alongside friend Miquita Oliver – revealed in last week’s episode that she would be taking a temporary step back from work commitments to focus on her mental health.

On the podcast, Allen explained that she was currently “finding it really hard to be interested in anything” and was “really not in a good place”.

“I know I’ve been talking about it for months, but I’ve been spiralling and spiralling and spiralling, and it’s got out of control,” she continued, recalling how she has had to leave events early due to the circumstances. She added: “I just can’t concentrate on anything except the pain that I’m going through. And it’s really, really hard.”

It hasn’t been revealed where she is going to focus on her wellbeing, although she did confirm that she hadn’t relapsed and would not be going to rehab.

Now, it has been confirmed that while she is away from the show, musician Mabel will be stepping in and taking on temporary hosting duties.

On January 16 and 20, the artist will sit in for Allen. Mabel also has a close connection to Oliver, with the latter’s mother, Andi, being Mabel’s godmother. The two have a close relationship too, with Podcasting Today reporting that both Mabel and Miquita have previously referred to each other as “sisters”.

Additionally, Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens and comedian Simon Amstell will then stand in for Allen during her absence. The former will feature in episodes aired on January 23 and 27, while Amstell will be co-hosting with Oliver on January 30 and February 3.

Elsewhere on last week’s episode of Miss Me?, Allen hit back at “vicious rumours” about her relationship with her husband, Stranger Things actor David Harbour. One in particular that she dismissed was that he had found her “in a crack den being surrounded by men”.

It was reported in December that the couple had separated and ended their four-year marriage, though this remains unconfirmed.

This wasn’t the first time that the ‘LDN’ singer opened up about her mental health on the show. Towards the end of last year, she told listeners that she had “stopped eating” and was “not in a good place mentally”. She also suggested that her ADHD may be playing a role, as it can lead to her body and mind not linking together properly at times.

Before then, she spoke candidly about her sobriety and said in April that she could “lose everything” if she drank alcohol again. She struggled with both binge drinking and drug abuse in her younger years.

Allen and Oliver are set to bring their Miss Me? podcast to a live audience for the first time in March, and at the time of writing it looks likely that Allen will have returned to the show by then.

For help and advice on mental health:

• CALM – The Campaign Against Living Miserably
• Help Musicians UK – Around the clock mental health support and advice for musicians (CALL MUSIC MINDS MATTER ON: 0808 802 8008)
• Music Support Org – Help and support for musicians struggling with alcoholism, addiction, or mental health issues (CALL: 0800 030 6789)
• YOUNG MINDS – The voice for young people’s health and wellbeing
• Time To Change – Let’s end mental health discrimination
• The Samaritans – Confidential support 24 hours a day