Pop star Lily Allen has suffered a miscarriage, her record company spokesman has confirmed.
The singer announced in December that she was expecting her first child with boyfriend Ed Simons, one half of dance duo the Chemical Brothers.
"We ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time," said Allen's spokesman in a statement.
The 22-year-old daughter of comic actor Keith Allen made her name in 2006 with the number one hit Smile.
She is due to release her second album this year. Her debut, Alright Still, reached number two in 2006.
Allen was recently selected to be on the judging panel for this year's Orange Broadband prize for fiction.
She has also landed her own BBC Three show based around social networking, Lily Allen and Friends, which is due to launch sometime this year.
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