Lily Allen has revealed that being forced to sell her Cotswolds mansion to pay off a hefty tax bill was ‘soul-destroying’ – and she checks the housing market ‘every day’ to see if it has gone back on sale.
The singer, 38, sold her £4.2 million ‘house of dreams’ in 2016 after she was sued for an ‘extremely large amount of money’ by a former tour manager, meaning she could no longer pay the money owed.
Lily admitted she often checks to see if the property has ‘come back on sale’ and said she’d ‘love to have that house back’.
Speaking on her own podcast, Miss Me?, Allen said: ‘I had a beautiful house, which was my house of dreams in the countryside.
‘And, I did it up so nice, and it was like my life project, I was very proud of it, it was the place where I was going to raise my children.
Lily Allen has revealed that being forced to sell her Cotswolds mansion to pay off a hefty tax bill was ‘soul-destroying’
The singer admitted she often checks to see if the property has ‘come back on sale’ and said she’d ‘love to have that house back’ (pictured in a clip from her Miss Me? podcast)
‘And, I was always good with my tax, I’m a big firm believer in paying tax and I think people in a higher earning bracket should absolutely pay as much tax as they possibly can.
‘And, that has made me unpopular in certain political circles, having this view, and being quite public about it.’
She continued: ‘But anyway, I have always put money aside to pay for my tax.
‘What happened was, I got sued by somebody, for an extremely large amount of money, which I hadn’t accounted for.
‘I had to pay him off, with the money I had put aside for my tax.
‘And then when my tax bill came along, I tried to work out a deal with HMRC in which I can pay them back in instalments.
‘Which I would have been able to do, but they said no so, I had to put my house on the market.’
Allen was sued in 2014 for more than £100,000 by a former tour manager who claimed she broke a contract so that an American company could run her money-spinning comeback tour
At the time she was married to builder Sam Cooper (pictured during their wedding), but the pair divorce in 2018
The Smile singer continued: ‘It was absolutely soul-destroying, and a real lesson in life.
‘You can think that you have everything all sorted out, and you just absolutely don’t.
‘You know a sad story, if that wasn’t sad enough, is that every day I still check the housing market to see if that house has come back on sale.
‘I’d love to have that house back.’
Lily bought Old Overtown House in Cranham, Gloucester, in 2010.
At the time of purchase, the property had six bedrooms, five bathrooms and three reception rooms spread over three-storeys in a house that is thought to date from the 1600’s.
The mansion is set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has been described by Vogue as ‘an English-cottage garden fantasy’ and ‘the sort of place Mrs Tiggy-Winkle might have lived’.
The magazine added: ‘There are meadows strewn with wildflowers, dells dotted with daisies, rose gardens and endless picnic spots by streams or ponds.’
The Grade II-listed home, which dates back to 1660, also comes with a four-bedroom cottage, two barns, an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and 7.5 acres of land.
Lily’s decision to move to the Cotswolds was prompted by a desire to withdraw from the world of music and focus on a life of domesticity complete with an Aga and wellies.
At the time she was married to builder Sam Cooper, but the pair divorced in 2018.
When Lily placed her Cotswolds property on the market it first sparked speculaton that her marriage to Sam was over, after he reportedly moved out of the property the previous year.
Lily hit back at the claims this week on Twitter, writing: ‘The story is untrue. Sam has not filed for divorce citing infidelity, neither have I. Wherever it came from, it’s a lie…’
She and Sam went onto divorce in 2018, and in 2020 she tied the knot with Strangers Things star David Harbour.
The couple live in a luxury Brooklyn townhouse that they renovated with the help of interior designer Billy Cotton and architect Ben Bischoff.
From an eye-catching tiger-print media room and a luxury kitchen inspired by The Godfather, to floral Parisian-inspired rooms and a stunning walk-in wardrobe filled with designer goods, the pair gave fans some insight into their incredible brownstone home in an interview with Architectural Digest last year.
Lily, who married Stranger Things star David Harbour in 2020, now lives in a luxurious Brooklyn townhouse
One of the most impressive rooms is the luxurious and oversized kitchen (pictured), which David said he designed with The Godfather in mind
In their luxurious home, Lily and David also have a lavish loungeroom they call the ‘garden room’, with designer wallpaper and green velvet furnishings
Lily previously explained how important her home is to her, and particularly her kitchen, as she commenced work on the property
One of the most impressive rooms is the luxurious and spacious kitchen, which David said was designed with the iconic film The Godfather in mind.
‘It’s a layered Italian design theme, based a little on The Godfather movies. This neighbourhood in Brooklyn is an old Italian neighbourhood and we liked the idea of incorporating that aesthetic,’ he said.
‘My priority for this room is I just wanted the light to be bouncing off the walls. It feels very luxurious, warm and functional,’ Lily said.
The kitchen features cream cabinetry, an oversized island bench, a range cooker, a dining table and lounge as well as an oversized chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
In their luxurious home, Lily and David also have a lavish loungeroom they call the ‘garden room’.
‘We have this double sided sofa so we can argue and look at each other relaxing at the same time,’ Lily said with a laugh.
One of their bathrooms continues the floral theme, with blue walls and quirky pink accents including a matching fridge.
David also had gold swan taps installed and commode cabinets they bought at an auction, inspired by similar accents they saw at Versailles.
Lily and David married in September 2020 in Las Vegas, and offered a glimpse into their home after renovating the property last year
Lily previously explained how important her home is to her, and particularly her kitchen, as she commenced work on the property.
‘I don’t want it to be just a place where food is prepared, I want it to be where the kids come home from school and dump their bags on that table, where they want to be doing their homework while I’m cooking their food,’ she told the River Café Table 4 podcast.
‘I want it to feel like the engine room of our lives, where we communicate and share ideas together, emotions, talk about what’s happening with our day, unpack how we’re experiencing the world.
‘I just love a Sunday roast. I love the ritual of it. I love getting up early on a Sunday morning and peeling all of my potatoes and putting them in the fridge to dry out. I just love all of the different bits.
‘I think it’s really important for my kids, and slightly manipulative as well, because I know they’ll always come back to me on the weekends because they’ll know that roast dinner is always going to be there at three o’clock on a Sunday afternoon. They’ll always come home.’
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