Fiona Allen: ‘The closest I’ve come to death? A trip in a black cab with John Worboys. I had a lucky escape’

The actor and comedian on her hatred of selfishness, her unhappy resting face, and why she dropped her agent Born in Lancashire, Fiona Allen, 61, went to drama school in Salford. From 1999, she co-wrote and starred in the Emmy-winning and Bafta-nominated TV sketch show Smack the Pony. She had roles in Shameless, Skins, Waterloo Road and EastEnders, and her films include 24 Hour Party People, Fat Slags, Gladiatress and Finding Emily. In 2023, she took her show On the Run to the Edinburgh festi...

By Rosanna Greenstreet