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Lily Allen Returns to SNL After 18 Years

Published 21 December 2025

Lily Allen made a triumphant return to Saturday Night Live on December 13, 2025, performing two songs from her latest album, West End Girl, during the episode hosted by Josh O'Connor. The British singer's appearance marked her first on the long-running sketch comedy show in 18 years, captivating audiences with a dramatic staging of her track "Madeline" that featured a surprise cameo by actress Dakota Johnson.

Allen opened her musical segment with "Sleepwalking," an introspective ballad from the album released in October 2025. Dressed in a mint green and white lace-trimmed silk romper paired with sheer black tights and layered necklaces, she performed in a dimly lit, bedroom-inspired set that evoked the album's confessional themes. The 40-year-old artist then transitioned to "Madeline," a song widely speculated to draw from her separation from actor David Harbour earlier in the year. The track confronts a woman involved with Allen's partner, weaving lyrics that question the affair's nature and allude to a past arrangement for discretion.

During the performance, Johnson, 36, embodied the character of Madeline from behind a translucent curtain, lounging on a bed and reciting lines...

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