Lily Allen apologises for 'being mean' to Katy Perry

Lily Allen has apologised to Katy Perry for "being mean" about her when she joined in the backlash against the recent space flight carrying the US singer.

"There was actually no need for me to bring her name into it, and it was my own internalised misogyny," Allen said on her BBC podcast Miss Me.

"I've been thinking about it a lot, and it was just completely unnecessary to pile on with her. I mean, I disagree with what it was that they did, but she wasn't the only person that did it."

The English pop star and actress was one of a number of high-profile critics of the Blue Origin flight, which briefly took Perry and five other women to the edge of space two weeks ago.

"She was possibly the most famous, and the one that divides people the most, and so there was something in me that decided to choose her as the person that should [be singled out]," Allen continued.

"Well, anyway, I'm just sorry. I would have been hurt if it had been me and someone in my industry used me and my name, and I saw that, and I'm sorry."

Allen's apology came after she discussed "Katy Perry and her mates all going up to space for 12 minutes" with co-host Miquita Oliver in a previous episode.

"I mean, what the... hell was all that about?" Allen said. "I mean, in all seriousness, what? Why? For why?

"It's so out of touch. Like, we're on the brink of recession. People are really... struggling to make ends meet and put food on their tables."

She added: "And the fact that they've, like, made it like some sort of feminist thing..."

The flight, on a rocket designed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's company Blue Origin, marked the first all-female mission to space since 1963.

Perry said beforehand: "It's an important moment for the future of commercial space travel and for humanity in general and for women all around."

Also on board were Bezos's fiancée Lauren Sánchez, TV presenter Gayle King, former Nasa rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn.

But Perry bore the brunt of the ridicule after it emerged she sung Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World, and held up the setlist for her new tour to an in-flight camera.

Fast food chain Wendy's posted on social media, "Can we send her back", before adding several days later that they had "a ton of respect for Katy Perry and her out-of-this-world-talent".

Model Emily Ratajkowski was among the other critics of the flight, saying she was "disgusted", and took aim at Bezos in a follow-up video arguing that taking "his fiancée and a few other famous women to space for space tourism is not progress".

US actress Olivia Munn described the flight as "gluttonous", explaining: "It's so much money to go to space, and there's a lot of people who can't even afford eggs. What's the point? Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride?"

But King hit back, saying she was "very disappointed and very saddened" by the backlash. "Have you been?" she asked the haters. "If you've been and you still feel that way after you come back, please let's have a conversation."