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Music journalist Lesley-Ann Jones once believed she knew every detail of Freddie Mercury ’s extraordinary life - but she was shocked to find out the rock star had child who, unfortunately, can't prove her lineage.

After decades of research, biographies and interviews, Lesley-Ann Jones considered the late Queen frontman, whose hits included Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Gaga and Love Of My Life, an open book.

That was until December 2021, when her certainty was shattered by an unexpected email. The message had been written by an anonymous source signed “B”, and it was far from a casual note.

“They didn’t identify themselves at the time,” says Lesley-Ann. “That email was 26,000 words long and 41 pages.” Now, their correspondence is at the heart of a new documentary on Channel 5 titled Freddie Mercury: A Secret Daughter.

The documentary claims that only a few knew about “B”, and that “B” herself always knew. 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 Bulsara could bring answers, but Lesley-Ann’s approach has been ignored. “I wrote to her to invite her to 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.”

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In her first email to Lesley-Ann, “B” claimed to know truths no one had previously revealed. Initially cautious, Lesley-Ann was struck by the sender’s knowledge.

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 exchanges grew increasingly intriguing. Lesley-Ann speculated about “B’s” identity, wondering if 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 adds, “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 extensive Queen knowledge also led Lesley-Ann to put two and two together. “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.”

Both Lesley-Ann and "B" are still in touch to this day. When the pair had their first face-to-face meeting in Montreux, Switzerland, where Freddie would record his music, Lesley-Ann was given what are claimed to be Freddie’s personal journals – diaries which allegedly confirm the existence of his secret daughter.

Lesley-Ann insists the documentary reclaims Freddie’s identity from years of mythmaking. “The gay icon construct came after his death, and other people are responsible for that,” she claims. “He would breathe a sigh of relief. That’s been at the forefront of “B”’s mind. Giving back Freddie’s truth.”