Lily Allen's relationship with her kids is 'much better' now she's sober

Lily Allen's relationship with her kids is "much better" now she's sober.

The 39-year-old pop star/actress is mother to two daughters - Ethel, 11, and nine-year-old Marnie - with her ex-husband Sam Cooper and she's admitted she's been a much better parent to the girls since she gave up booze and drugs.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "I’m a much more connected and present parent, which is amazing. I got a text from Ethel yesterday and she was very clear: these are the things I’m feeling, I’m sad, I’m upset because of this.

"And I was, 'Oh my God, I’m winning at life! She’s naming her emotions and she’s asking me for help'. My relationship with my kids specifically is much better since I got sober."

Lily admits drugs were a big part of her life for a while and although she misses the highs, she is glad to be rid of the lows.

The 'Smile' star added: "Drugs and alcohol were very good at drowning out my inner critic. When you take cocaine you think all of your ideas are brilliant and need to be shared ...

"I can really miss those extreme highs. Like I miss being on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury and rushing my t*** off.

"I know that I will never experience that again, and there’s a sadness that comes with that. But I am level. I’m no longer having really terrible, long periods of time of absolute despair."

It comes after Lily's mum Alison Owen recently opened up about her daughter's wild child past - confessing she feared Lily would go off the rails and die young like fellow singer Amy Winehouse, who passed away aged 27 after suffering alcohol poisoning.

Referring to Lily’s former hellraising actor dad Keith Allen, 70, Alison told The Times newspaper: "Lily fitted the bill because, early in her success, her role model was her dad.

“She’d seen him idolised for swearing, taking drugs and being drunk in the Groucho Club (in London), so in her young brain she thought that’s what you did when you became famous.

"She didn’t realise it’s only OK for men. Women get punished for it.”

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