Singer Lily Allen has ended her tenure on the BBC podcast Miss Me? with Monday's broadcast marking her final appearance as co-host.
The 40-year-old performer announced her exit from the programme she has presented alongside childhood friend Miquita Oliver since March 2024.
Ms Allen revealed the decision during the previous week's episode, explaining she needed to dedicate herself to other professional commitments.
The podcast, which featured weekly conversations between the longtime friends covering current events, television programmes, and listener questions, will continue without her.
Lily Allen has stepped down from her podcast
| PAMs Oliver, 41, will remain as host with various guest presenters taking Allen's place on a rotating basis.
Ms Allen emphasised that her departure wasn't due to any problems with the programme. "I'm not leaving because I'm upset about anything. It's quite the opposite," she stated during last week's broadcast.
The performer explained that producing the podcast required significant effort and dedication. "I'm doing some things that need more of my time, because it takes a lot of work putting the time and effort into this show," she said.
She reassured listeners this wasn't a permanent farewell. "It's not goodbye forever, it's just goodbye for now while I go and do some new stuff for a little bit," Ms Allen confirmed.
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Lily Allen hosts the show with Miquita Oliver
| PAMs Oliver expressed deep emotion during Monday's final episode, becoming tearful when discussing their partnership. "I'm really fucking proud of you," she told Ms Allen, encouraging her to pursue new ventures.
The television presenter reflected on the significance of their temporary separation. "I think it's good that we're gonna have some time away from doing this together, because I don't think we'll really understand what we've done here without having that," Ms Oliver stated.
She outlined her vision for the podcast's future evolution. "When you do something, you have to be brave to let it become other things," Ms Oliver explained, adding that whilst the programme originated from their friendship, she believed there were "more places for it to go."
Ms Allen's decision to depart the podcast comes just two weeks after she found herself hitting headlines with her incendiary comments about the St George's flag.
Lily Allen has been a familiar face in music since the 2000s | PAAfter patriotic demonstrations up and down the country results in Union Jacks and England flags being erected in public spaces, Ms Allen revealed she wasn't a fan.
Speaking in an episode earlier this month, she told guest co-host Jordan Stephens: "Do you know, yesterday I was driving on the motorway, and the sheer volume of St. George's Crosses and Union Jacks being hung from bridges and painted badly on roundabouts really made me think about what is going on here."
When Mr Stephens questioned whether she was opposed to national pride, Ms Allen reinforced her position that such displays should be limited to specific sporting occasions.
"I mean, I think the only acceptable time for St George's Cross is if England have made it into the finals of the Euros or the World Cup," Allen stated. "That is, for me, the only time that we need to see those flags."
The furore over her remarks isn't believed to have played a part in her decision to step down, however. Instead, music industry observers have linked her exit to potential recording projects, particularly after reports emerged of her collaboration with Grammy-winning producer Greg Kurstin earlier this year.
The speculation intensified following Ms Allen's January statement about attempting to "manifest" an album release before the year's end.
The artist previously disclosed writing approximately 50 tracks for her next record, though none have been made public. Her most recent album, No Shame, was released in 2018.
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