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Lesley-Ann Jones is convinced she’s found Freddie Mercury’s secret daughter – but she may never be able to provide evidence to support anything she says.
Following decades of research, biographies and interviews, Lesley-Ann regarded the late Queen frontman, whose hits included Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga and Love Of My Life, as an open book.
That was until December 2021, when her confidence was rattled by an unexpected email. The message had been penned by an anonymous source signed “B”, and it was far from a casual note.
“They didn’t identify themselves at the time,” reveals Lesley-Ann. “That email was 26,000 words long and 41 pages.” Now, their correspondence forms the centre of a new documentary on Channel 5 titled Freddie Mercury: A Secret Daughter.
The documentary alleges that only a few knew about Freddie Mercury’s alleged daughter, and that “B” herself always knew who her father was. Not everyone accepts the claim.
Many of Freddie’s close friends reject the idea and the programme confronts their scepticism head-on. But Lesley-Ann also bears the brunt of backlash.
“I’ve been accustomed for a long time to animosity and violence from certain factions of Queen fans,” she says. “Each time a book comes out, you get a wave of nastiness.”
Some have even urged “B” to take a DNA test, but conclusive evidence may be impossible – Freddie was cremated in 1991 and his parents have passed away. Only Freddie’s younger sister Kashmira could provide answers, but Lesley-Ann’s approach has been dismissed.
“I wrote to her to invite herto talk to me. She didn’t respond,” Lesley-Ann says. “From what I was told, Kashmira was very against the idea of this child because of their religion.”
In her initial email to Lesley-Ann, “B” claimed to possess truths no one had previously disclosed. Though initially wary, Lesley-Ann was impressed by the sender’s insight.
They said they’d read my most recent book, Love Of My Life , and thanked me for getting closer to Freddie’s true story than anyone had previously,” Lesley-Ann says.
“But also that there were some more things I should know. So we struck up a correspondence. That’s when the pennies began to drop.”
The correspondence became increasingly fascinating. Lesley-Ann pondered “B’s” identity, questioning whether it might be the daughter of Freddie’s Queen bandmate Roger Taylor.
“There were lots of contradictions,” Lesley-Ann says. “And that’s exactly who Freddie was. She wasn’t trying to convince me of anything but she was able to answer all of my questions with answers that I could then research.”
Lesley-Ann continues, “I thought it might be Roger’s daughter. But in the end I concluded that it had to be Freddie’s child.” B’s response?
“She said, ‘You guessed it, I didn’t tell you.'”. “B”‘s comprehensive Queen knowledge also prompted Lesley-Ann to connect the dots. “She went to her first Queen gig when she was five,” Lesley-Ann says.
“She met Freddie’s parents when she was eight, when she and her family moved to London. At that point, it was possible but she was never actually allowed to spend Christmas with Freddie.”
Lesley-Ann and “B” have remained close friends over the years. Their first in-person meeting took place in Montreux, Switzerland, where Freddie used to record his music.
During this encounter, Lesley-Ann was given what are believed to be Freddie’s personal diaries – journals which reportedly confirm the existence of his secret daughter.
Lesley-Ann is adamant that the documentary restores Freddie’s true identity after years of fabrication. “The gay icon construct came after his death, and other people are responsible for that,” she asserts. “He would breathe a sigh of relief. That’s been at the forefront of “B”‘s mind. Giving back Freddie’s truth.”
