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Desert Island Discs Revisited

British Music Makers

Lily Allen

Duration: 45 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 ExtraLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 Extra

Available for years

Singer-songwriter Lily Allen shares her castaway choices with Kirsty Young.

After first dipping her toe in musical waters by releasing her demos on social media, by 2014 Lily was one of the headline acts at Glastonbury.

But her first appearance at the festival was actually as a new-born baby carried through the crowd in swaddling. Indeed, she was as good as baptised at the font of celebrity culture – her dad, Keith, is an actor and writer, her mum, Alison, is an award-winning film producer - for a time her step-dad was Harry Enfield.

So, it seems almost inevitable that she's ended up at the centre of a media-saturated life.

Except that in all likelihood she would have been propelled there entirely by her own endeavours: her lyrics are witty and wise-ass and capture concisely what it is to be a savvy, young woman today.

She says, "the only thing I can do really is write lyrics and the only way I know how to do that is by being honest and doing it with integrity because otherwise there's no point".

DISC ONE: Common People - Pulp
DISC TWO: Where's Me Jumper - Sultans of Ping F.C.
DISC THREE: I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses
DISC FOUR: Blinded by the Lights - The Streets
DISC FIVE: Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty
DISC SIX: I'd Rather Go Blind - Etta James
DISC SEVEN: Traffic Blocking - General Degree
DISC EIGHT: Before I Grow Too Old - Tommy McLain

BOOK CHOICE: Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade - Patrick Dennis
LUXURY CHOICE: Husband’s shirt with daughter’s bunny sewn onto it
CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: I Am the Resurrection - The Stone Roses

Desert Island Discs was created by Roy Plomley.

Producer: Cathy Drysdale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 2014. Show less

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