Lily Allen: Stay in love is top romance rule

Lily Allen will always work at being in love.

The singer took some time out from music to marry builder Sam Cooper in 2011 and raise their two children Ethel and Marnie. Now she's back in the business, but the 30-year-old realises she can never lose sight of how important her family is.

"The secret to any relationship is: stay in love!" she enthused to the German edition of Cosmopolitan. "But I think we're only at the beginning. Five years are nothing. I won't start worrying until we're 50."

Sam and Lily started dating in 2009, married two years later and welcomed little Ethel in November 2011. Marnie followed in January 2013.

Pressing pause on her career was a no-brainer for Lily, who knew she needed more in her life.

"I needed to know where I stand. In this job there are so many people telling you what to do: album production, promotion... and I always wanted kids," she smiled. "When I met Sam, it didn't take me long to realise he was The One. And then he just asked if I wanted to marry him."

Lily made a return to music last year when she released latest album Sheezus. Now she's learnt to juggle love with her career, the star is able to pass on some words of wisdom.

"You have to love yourself in order to be loved. I got that from my therapist," she grinned.