A new Channel 5 documentary is set to make one of the most explosive claims in Queen history: that Freddie Mercury secretly fathered a daughter in the 1970s and maintained a close relationship with her until his death in 1991.
Freddie Mercury: A Secret Daughter, a 90-minute investigative special, will air later this year and is being billed as a revelation into the personal life of the legendary frontman. The film follows the work of veteran journalist and biographer Lesley-Ann Jones, who says she was granted access to Mercury’s private journals and worked closely with the woman in question, referred to only as “B” to protect her identity.
According to Jones, Mercury documented his life in detail through handwritten journals, including what she describes as a 14-year emotional and private father-daughter relationship. These journals, combined with “B”’s personal memories, are said to paint a radically different picture of the man known publicly as the flamboyant Queen frontman.
“This new investigation by Freddie’s most well-known biographer gives new insight into one of the world’s most famous and iconic rock legends. Freddie the loving father is a side that apparently virtually no-one saw,”
— Guy Davies, Commissioning Editor, Channel 5
The story forms the basis of Jones’s upcoming book, Love, Freddie, which will be released alongside the documentary. The book reportedly traces Mercury’s journey from his early childhood in Zanzibar to his years at the heart of global rock stardom, filtered through this previously hidden personal lens.
Ed Taylor, Executive Producer at Honey Bee, the company behind the film, said the revelations mark a major turning point in how fans might view Mercury’s legacy.
“Freddie Mercury has long been celebrated as a rock icon, but thanks to journalist Lesley-Ann Jones’s extraordinary three-year investigation, this film offers an entirely different perspective – Freddie as a doting father and loving family man.”
“B” is said to have made first contact with Jones several years ago, developing a relationship of trust before allowing her access to Mercury’s journals and her own story. She reportedly believes this documentary and book offer the first and only account of Mercury’s private life told by someone who knew him as family.
If proven, the claims would challenge decades of public understanding about Mercury’s famously guarded personal life. To date, Mercury’s long-time confidante Mary Austin has been seen as the closest person to him. The possibility of an undisclosed daughter adds a dramatic new layer to the Queen singer’s legacy.
The documentary will air on Channel 5 later this year, with Love, Freddie due to be published in parallel. No official air date has yet been confirmed.
