Lily Allen has complained about the media's portrayal of Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy.

The Smile singer lashed out after realising that a large number of her fans, including Cheryl herself, misinterpreted the lyrics of one of her songs.

On the B-side of her first number one single, Lily sings: "I wish my life was a little less seedy. Why am I always so greedy? I wish I looked like Cheryl Tweedy. I know I never will."

In response to the song, Cheryl heaped praise on the pop newcomer: "I'm really flattered Lily's written a track about me. But I don't know why she sings about wanting to be as pretty as me as she looks stunning. I'd like to look like her.

"I love her single and the way she wears trainers and gorgeous dresses. It's about time we had a really cool British girl out there on the music scene."

Unimpressed by the reaction to the track, Lily has now pointed out that her lyrics were not intended to be taken seriously.

She told The Mirror: "I don't want to look like Cheryl Tweedy! It's tongue in cheek, it's meant to be ironic.

"I don't have anything against her as a human being but I think the portrayal of her being the right thing for kids to look up to is wrong. It was a joke that not many people got. Of course nobody really wants to look like Cheryl, they just think they do."