Following the huge success of her hit new album, It's Not Me, It's You, Lily Allen is the world's fave pop princess once again. Read on as the 24-year-old chats about life in the tabloids and her welcome return to the top of the pops...

GF: Congratulations on your album! How are you?

Lily: I'm really happy at the moment. I am just very happy that it is all going good. I can't complain, you know. I'm so proud of the album. It's just going so well.

Your album, It's Not Me, It's You, has received some great reviews this year. Is that important to you?

Lily: Yes, as I'm a singer and not just a famous person. The reception to this album could have been so bad... I was worried people would really pick it apart, but they haven't, so I'm really happy. They forget I make music. They think I'm a celebrity, which I'm not. But saying that, none of the reviews are that important to me. I write my music for me and I like it, and if other people like it, that's great. I'm just very happy at the moment.

It was a completely different story for you last year...

I've been deeply unhappy for about two years. That's why I put weight on. I was comfort eating and locking myself in hotel rooms ordering food in. I couldn't face people so I just stayed in on my own.

But you look amazing now...

It's not been something I've set out to do. I haven't been calorie counting or anything like that. I've been running when I can and just, well, been happy.

You've been judged a lot in the past. It must be great to feel like everyone's on your side now?

Yes, I've even cried over some of the new album reviews, they've been so positive. It makes a change from people saying I'm a loudmouth or a bitch. I do take note and google myself and read what's written. I shouldn't but I do. I can't help myself. There's an element in my personality that is cheeky and likes to have fun and is quite sarcastic and ironic. And I think people just multiply that by a million and then there is this crazy person who runs in and out of rooms, screaming abuse at people, which I don't do very often at all, actually.

So, how do you cope with attention from the paparazzi?

I find it quite embarrassing actually. When you are just trying to walk down the street or something and people are looking at you and pointing at you, it's like, "I didn't ask them to follow me". But at the same time there are so many brilliant things about my life. Being famous is probably not going to last forever so you have to enjoy it while it happens. I'm sure in about five years' time, I'll be sitting here thinking, "Oh God, it was really exciting doing all that stuff. I didn't think about how much fun it was!"

But there have been the rows with Katy Perry and the like. Your fault or not?

I just like to stick up for myself or people I care about. When something's been said I have to fight back. It's in my nature.

Who do you rely on to keep your feet on the ground?

There are people constantly keeping checks on me. My mum will call me up and tell me off after seeing me looking trashed leaving a club. I have to listen to her, mums are always right.

Your relationships always hit the headlines too. How hard is it to meet Mr Right?

Very difficult. I am young and want to just go out and enjoy myself and if I meet someone on the way then great. There's this thing about me and older men as my boyfriends have gone up in terms of age - the next one's probably gonna be 60!

There's a song on the album called "Who'd Have Known", where you talk about being shy. People don't think of you as shy...

Yes, but I am - all the time. I get really shy meeting new people. I don't know what to say. People presume too much of me. I'm not the person they think I am.

Some pop stars will do anything for publicity, whereas you've never stripped off for a magazine, for example...

No, and I never would. I have managed to cultivate a career that suits my lifestyle. I don't want to be in the gym all the time and I don't want to be watching what I'm eating. It's not really what I'm here for. I'm just doing what I like doing and it works with the way that I live.