Keith Howell Charles Allen (born 2 September 1953) is a British actor, comedian, musician, singer-songwriter, artist, author and television presenter. He is the father of singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen, and brother of actor and director Kevin Allen.

Biography

As a guest on Top Gear on 9 December 2007, Allen said that claims he had eight children were not true and that he actually has six children by four different women. His children include pop singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Owen-Allen with his first wife Alison Owen. He was also married to Nira Park and his lovers have included Julia Sawalha and currently the actress Tamzin Malleson (who starred alongside him in Bodies). Their daughter, Teddie, was born in 2006. Although a staunch socialist, whose political philosophy was influenced by the Workers' Revolutionary Party, Allen has expressed grudging admiration for Conservative Party leader David Cameron and former leader William Hague.

Allen has on his shoulder a tattoo of Rinka the dog, owned by Norman Scott, which was shot dead during the Jeremy Thorpe scandal. He has explained that: “I had the tattoo placed on my arm lest I forget, so I have a history of having suspicions about the establishment and the Government and court cases.”

In the mid-1980s Allen served a 21-day jail sentence in Pentonville Prison after being found guilty of criminal damage at the Zanzibar club in Covent Garden.

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