Lily Allen wants to help us have great sex
If there's one thing Lily Allen has never been particularly interested in, it's pretending to be someone she's not.
From the brutally honest lyrics of her latest album, West End Girl, to the very public unravelling of her marriage to Stranger Things star David Harbour, the singer has spent the past year giving fans an unfiltered look into her world.
Having turned heartbreak into art and taken her new music on tour, the 41-year-old is continuing to do things her own way. Her latest venture? Helping us have better sex.
Allen has teamed up with sexual wellness brand Lovehoney to launch the 'Love, Lily' collection, a curated edit of sex toys she personally tested while touring the UK earlier this year.
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For Allen, it's a continuation of a conversation she's been having for years.
"I think women in particular can find it difficult to ask for what they want. When I was younger, I know I did.
"We don’t always prioritise our own desires because we focus on pleasing others, doing our jobs properly and looking after our friends and family. We can forget that listening to what our body needs is just as important.
"There are so many physical and emotional benefits in exploring ourselves, for ourselves - it’s not a selfish thing to do. It’s self-care - there’s no shame in it. Why should we deny ourselves enjoyment and the confidence that can come from that?"
It's a message that feels particularly fitting for Allen right now.
Following her split from Harbour in 2025, the singer channelled the breakdown of their relationship into West End Girl, an album that laid bare the complicated emotions accompanying the end of a marriage.
The record quickly became a talking point, with listeners dissecting its lyrics and separating fact from artistic interpretation. But beyond the headlines, it marked another moment for an artist who has built a career on turning personal experiences into something others can connect with.
Now, as she takes the album on tour, Allen is embracing another side of that same honesty: understanding what you want, asking for it and not feeling guilty about putting yourself first.
Although this is her first curated sex toy collection, Allen's relationship with Lovehoney stretches back to 2020, when she first collaborated with the brand after discussing pleasure in her memoir, My Thoughts Exactly.
"I did my first collaboration with Lovehoney six years ago, which came about very organically because I had written about my experience in my book. We sent a whole bunch of toys out to people I know and admire and I still get messages today saying you've had such a profound impact on my life."
She joked: "Instinctively, I think they're going to be talking about my music but they’re actually talking about the toys."
Allen added: "Back then, no-one really talked about pleasure out in the open. Thankfully, people seem a little more comfortable now, but we still need to nudge that conversation along some more - it can only ever be a good thing not to feel shame about our own bodies."
And the need for that conversation hasn't disappeared.
Research commissioned by Lovehoney and conducted by Censuswide, involving 2,000 people, found that just two in five women prioritise their own sexual pleasure, while one in five have never spoken to their partner about their needs.
Only 40% said they understood what works for their bodies, while just 13% felt confident in their knowledge of different types of orgasm. Meanwhile, 38% said they felt shame about making time for self-pleasure, with some worrying they should be doing something more productive instead.
You know, like work or household chores.
For Allen, understanding her own body has helped her become more confident about expressing what she wants from her relationships, too.
"For me, toys can help you to better understand your body and learn what you like. I’ve been able to use that knowledge to express what I want in my relationships, which is empowering. And I hope this collection helps others feel similarly."
Inside Lily Allen's 'Love, Lily' collection
The six-piece edit features a mix of sex toy favourites and new additions, all personally tested by Allen while touring the UK earlier this year.
There's the Lovehoney Heart Duo Clitoral Suction and Licking Stimulator, a discreet two-part toy designed for both licking and clitoral stimulation, which Allen says is perfect for travelling.
"You can put it in your luggage and no-one would ever know what lies inside," she explained.
Then there's the Womanizer Enhance Black Pleasure Air Clitoral Vibrator, a newer version of the device Allen previously credited with 'changing her life'.
"This is the OG for me," she said. "I wrote about Womanizer in my book and it genuinely did change my life."
The Womanizer Peach Toy Rechargeable Clitoral Stimulator offers clitoral suction technology in a soft, peach-shaped design, while the pale-pink Lovehoney Pleasure Trip Silicone Rechargeable Wand Vibrator is designed to reach trickier spots. Allen is also a fan of its appearance, joking: “It looks a little like a pink microphone. Maybe because it performs?”
For those wanting to try something new, the Lovehoney Enjoy Advent Calendar contains 24 surprises, including a feather tickler and Menthol Orgasm balm. Allen likes the idea of making exploring pleasure with a partner less awkward, explaining: “The toys are already picked for you, so there’s no pressure, you just open the door, discover something new and see what you both enjoy."
Finally, there's the Lovehoney Lily Allen Polka-Dot Plug, inspired by the USB drive of the same design released as limited-edition merchandise for West End Girl.
"I had to bring this to life," Allen said. "Obviously we created the USB drive for the album - but this is now the real-deal."
Lily Allen's hotel room sex toy saga
Allen personally tested the collection while staying in a hotel during her run of shows at the London Palladium earlier this year.
"I was staying in this gorgeous hotel suite when I was playing shows at the London Palladium and room service arrived with an enormous box, filled with Lovehoney toys to try out," she recalled. "I was so delighted, I couldn’t wait to open them up.
"But they needed to be charged, ready for when I got back from the show, and there weren’t enough plug sockets, so I unplugged everything - the lamps, the TV, even the phone to make room. It ended up quite atmospheric in there, all those pretty little lights blinking in the darkness."
She continued: "The tour was the perfect time to decide on the collection because when I had a little down-time, it was a nice way to relax and unwind. Everything with my Love, Lily stamp of approval has been tried and tested and it means I'm genuinely enthusiastic about what lies inside.
"I even took the stamp home with me to keep."
It's a very Lily Allen anecdote - a hotel room full of sex toys, an unplugged television and an artist making time for herself between shows.
In a year when so much of her life has played out in public, her Lovehoney partnership offers another reminder that women should feel able to explore their desires on their own terms, without embarrassment or guilt.
After all, as Allen herself puts it, why should we deny ourselves enjoyment?
The Love, Lily collection is available now from Lovehoney.
Topics: Celebrity, Lily Allen, Sex and Relationships, Shopping, Women's Health
Rhianna Benson