Lily Allen Says She Sometimes Feels ‘Ashamed’ of Not Having Academic Qualifications

The musician revealed on her ‘Miss Me?’ podcast that she would’ve considered a different career path at one point if she had certain degrees

Lily Allen is getting candid about her relationship with education.

The Grammy nominee, 39, opened up to longtime friend and Miss Me? podcast co-host Miquita Oliver on the latest episode of their show about looking back at her personal journey with academics. During the chat, which they released on Monday, Aug. 5, the “Smile” singer was asked if she’s ever “dealt with people being snobby” about her educational background.

“When people start talking about where they went to university and stuff, I do go into like a self-hatred spiral, because I’m not educated,” Allen revealed.

“And I left school when I was 15 and I don’t even have one GCSE. I have not one qualification and I’m ashamed. I’m ashamed of it.”

Oliver then asked Allen what it would “really mean” for them to pursue more education and what “difference” it would make to have a GCSE — which is a qualification earned by schoolchildren in the U.K.

“I really don’t know,” Allen responded. “Because I think that if I had a degree, there were points — after I had kids for instance — I might not have thought I’m gonna try and re-enter music or entertainment. I might have thought, ‘I’m actually gonna go and be a lawyer.'”

She previously shared in a 2006 interview with The Guardian that she realized she didn’t want to pursue “the whole school thing” at a young age, and instead aimed to “make f—loads of money and then retire by the time I’m 30.”

Allen shares daughters Ethel Mary, 12, and Marnie Rose, 11, with ex-husband Sam Cooper. She lost her first child, her stillborn son George, in 2010. “Especially after George died, I really wanted to go into midwifery or obstetrics because that was something that really interested me and because I didn’t have any diplomas or GCSEs available, it seemed like too difficult, too much,” Allen told her friend. “I was too lazy.”

“And actually too embarrassed. I thought I might have to go and do my A-levels with a bunch of 18 year olds and I was already in my mid-30s. I didn’t want to do that,” she continued.

During a previous episode of Miss Me? in June, Allen opened up about her relationship with husband David Harbour, 49, and shared a few bedroom secrets. During the conversation, set around the topic of sexual preferences, Allen revealed that she sometimes rejects her husband’s bedroom requests. The pair have been married since 2020.

“I wonder if I kink-shame my husband,” she said. “Because he often quite asks for things, and I’m like, ‘No, babe, it’s not happening.’”

“I’m not like, ‘You piece of s—, how dare you ask me to do that!’” Allen joked. “I’m just like, ‘Hmm, headache. Little headache, got a bit of a headache — maybe not tonight.’ ”