King & Conqueror star James Norton breaks silence on Lily Allen romance rumours

James Norton has broken his silence on a rumoured romance with Lily Allen that arose due to a report about the pair allegedly sharing a kiss. Shedding light on a story from June involving a reported "snog" with the 'Smile' singer at the Lido Festival in London's Victoria Park, James suggested that the truth is apparent when you look at the photos.

In a recent interview with the Guardian, the topic of relationships arose with the King & Conqueror actor, who split from his former fiancee Imogen Poots in 2023, and what the publication dubbed the "oppressive" attention that his love life receives. He noted that he always tries to balance "authenticity with privacy", explaining that he doesn't want to talk about his relationships "at all" and isn't happy about being papped. James said: "I want to be honest but I don't want to talk about my relationships at all and I don't like it when I get photographed with a friend walking down the street and it's then told the next day like it's a romance. Another romance!"

It also emerged that this conversation took place only one week prior to the incident at the festival. Responding to claims about a kiss with the singer, James said: "I'm not snogging them! Funny that, isn't it?"

He added:"I'm a man in London going on occasional dates, meeting people, living my life, and it's kind of no one's business really."

The allegation was published in an article by the Sun, which reported that the pair had been spotted at the festival watching Charli XCX and later went to a "backstage compound".

It quoted an "onlooker" as saying: "James and Lily looked very into each other and they were snogging backstage. We were all quite surprised to see them there together, let alone kissing."

The publication also claimed that Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson attended the after-party and that it's believed that Lily and James met on Raya, a dating app favoured by the stars.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that Lily was due to move out of the New York townhouse that she shared with Stranger Things star David Harbour.

The ex-couple, who tied the knot in 2020, parted ways last year, having bought the property in Brooklyn after they wed in Las Vegas. According to The Mirror, Lily has since purchased a former council flat in London.

It seems that Lily has been keeping busy with the decorating, telling the publication that she's been inspired by design magazines for her new home, which is rumoured to be in Notting Hill.

She said: "I'm really enjoying those at the moment. I've obviously had quite a hard time and that's really helped me."

You can catch James in King & Conqueror on BBC One on Sunday, August 24, from 9.10pm to 10pm.