Anita Dobson has shared her husband Brian May鈥檚 reaction to the rumour Freddie Mercury has a secret daughter.
It鈥檚 claimed in a new biography about the Queen frontman that the child was conceived while he was having an affair with the wife of a close friend in 1976.
In the forthcoming release, titled Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury鈥檚 Secret Life and Love, it鈥檚 alleged that Mercury鈥檚 inner circle, including his bandmates, have known of the daughter鈥檚 existence for almost five decades.
However, it鈥檚 now been revealed the revelation was news to guitarist May, who was left shocked when he heard about it.
Ex-EastEnders star Dobson shared the couple鈥檚 response to the claim, telling The Mirror: 鈥淚 went 鈥榃hat?鈥 I thought, 鈥楴o,鈥 And I said to Brian, 鈥楧o you know about this?鈥 And he said: 鈥楧o you believe this?鈥欌
She continued: 鈥淭here must be lots of people who have children that we don鈥檛 know about. It鈥檚 just because it鈥檚 him. Because he鈥檚 iconic. And the type of animal that he was, it seems inconceivable that he would have a child with someone we don鈥檛 know about.鈥
Dobson suggested it might be 鈥渇ake news鈥, stating: 鈥淚f he does have one where is she 鈥 step forward.鈥
The alleged child, now 48, has worked with rock biographer Lesley-Ann Jones for the new book, which will be published in September.
The woman, known only as B, claimed she and Mercury had a close relationship 鈥渇rom the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life鈥.
Mercury is said to have given her 17 volumes of detailed personal journals, which she kept a secret until recently sharing their contents with Jones.
鈥淗e adored me and was devoted to me,鈥 one passage of the biography reads. 鈥淭he circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people鈥檚 standards, unusual and even outrageous.
鈥淭hat should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession.鈥
Jones told the Mail her 鈥渋nstinct was to doubt everything鈥, but added: 鈥淚 am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist. No one could have faked all this. Why would she have worked with me for three and a half years, never demanding anything?鈥
She continued: 鈥淚n my experience of fantasists, and I鈥檝e met a few, they seek instant gratification, publicity and reward. She has never asked for money. She does not want recognition.
鈥淏oth Freddie and her stepfather left her extremely wealthy. She was not provided for through Freddie鈥檚 will, but by a private, legal arrangement, so no one will find her mentioned there.鈥
Mercury apparently started writing the diaries on 20 June 1976 when he first learned about the pregnancy, two days after Queen released their single 鈥淵ou鈥檙e My Best Friend鈥, from their 1975 album A Night at the Opera.
The final entry was on 31 July 1991, when his health was deteriorating. Mercury died on 24 November that year, aged 45, of bronchial pneumonia caused by Aids.
B said she had chosen to share Mercury鈥檚 journals 鈥渁fter more than three decades of lies, speculation and distortion鈥.
鈥淭hose who have been aware of my existence kept his greatest secret out of loyalty to Freddie,鈥 she wrote in a letter included in the book.
鈥淭hat I chose to reveal myself in my own midlife is my decision and mine alone. I have not, at any point, been coerced into doing this.
鈥淗e entrusted his collection of private notebooks to me, his only child and his next of kin, the written record of his private thoughts, memories and feelings about everything he had experienced.鈥
Love, Freddie: Freddie Mercury鈥檚 Secret Life and Love will be published on 5 September 2025 by Whitefox Publishing.