British pop star Lily Allen said having children "ruined" her career on an episode of the "Radio Times" podcast Tuesday.
"I never really have a strategy when it comes to career, but yes, my children ruined my career. I love them and they complete me, but in terms of pop stardom, totally ruined it," Allen, 38, said in the interview.
Allen laughed as she said it, but she added, "It really annoys me when people say you can have it all, because — quite frankly — you can’t."
Alan shares two children, Ethel Mary, 12 and Marnie Rose, 11, with her former husband, Sam Cooper.
She rose to prominence with her 2006 single "Smile," which reached No. 1 on the U.K. charts. Her debut album, "Alright Still," subsequently earned a nomination for best alternative music album at the 2008 Grammy Awards.
Allen attributed her choice to “step back” from music to her own experiences as the child of parents in the entertainment industry.
"Some people choose their career over their children, and that’s their prerogative," Allen said. "My parents were quite absent when I was a kid, and I feel like that really left some nasty scars that I'm not willing to repeat on mine."
“I’m glad that I have done that, because I think they’re pretty well-rounded people,” she said of her children.
Allen is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen and the sister of “Game of Thrones” star Alfie Allen.
Also on the episode, Allen announced the launch of her own podcast, "Miss Me?" which will premiere Thursday.
Her most recent album, "No Shame," was released in 2018. She said in 2019 that she was working on a concept album, as well as "two musicals."
Allen, who has been outspoken about social causes in her music and beyond, recently transitioned into acting, a change she attributed in part to today's "political climate."
She was nominated for best actress at the 2022 Olivier Awards for her West End debut in "2:22 Ghost Story."
In 2020, she married “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour. The two share a home in New York City.
