Fear's over Lily's self-loathing rant

It is not the kind of chat we are used to hearing from the sassy and strong-minded Lily Allen. But it seems that after just a few hours in the US, the curvy singer has been reduced to a selfloathing, quivering wreck.

Writing yesterday from her hotel bed in Seattle, she said on her Myspace page: 'I used to pride myself on being strong-minded and not being some stupid girl obsessed with the way I look. I felt like it didn't matter if I was a bit chubby 'cause I'm not a model, I'm a singer.I'm afraid I am not strong and have fallen victim to the evil machine.' She said she was 'in a sea of tears' and contemplating 'gastric bypass surgery and laser liposuction'.

The entry, titled 'fat, ugly and sh****r than Winehouse' is bound to raise concerns about her frame of mind. And, unfortunately, she is stuck in the US for a few weeks as she is touring and starting to work on her new album. The 22-year-old star has, up until now, displayed a healthy relationship with her body.

Proud of her size 12 curves, she has said: 'I'm irritated by the emphasis on being thin. I wouldn't swap bodies with anyone.' Just last week, as her new clothing range Lily Loves was launched at New Look, she said of the chain: 'They have responsible role models and they're very conscious of having positive body images and promoting positive women.'

Shocked fans flooded her website with messages of support in the hope they will make her see sense and maybe even Smile again.