More than three decades after Freddie Mercury's death, a fresh documentary is believed to have discovered proof that one of rock's most legendary figures had a daughter, who reportedly possesses what has been termed an "utterly unmistakable resemblance" to the late icon. The Channel 5 programme Freddie Mercury: Secret Daughter, presented by journalist and biographer Lesley-Ann Jones, examines the remarkable assertions put forward by a woman identified only as B. Now aged 48, B maintains she is Freddie's sole offspring, claiming she was born in 1976 following a brief encounter between the singer and the spouse of one of his intimate associates.

Until this point, she has maintained a private existence in Europe, pursuing a career as a healthcare professional whilst bringing up her own children, though B is now coming forward with her account. Among the proof she has presented, which seemed to support her assertions, are 17 volumes of Mercury's handwritten journals, which were presented to her prior to Freddie's death in 1991. These journals constitute the foundation of Jones' forthcoming memoir, Love, Freddie.

In the documentary, the journalist discloses she has not only corresponded via email with B, but they also met face-to-face in Montreux, Switzerland, where Mercury regularly laid down tracks with his alleged daughter away from the spotlight

She acknowledged that her similarity to the Queen frontman is remarkable. Jones elaborated: "I was struck by her utterly unmistakable resemblance to Freddie. She has his eyes, his jaw, his cheeks and his nose. His hands and skin tone, and hair texture.

"There's also a particular set of pictures which were taken by Mick Rock, the man who shot the 70s. He was a close friend of Freddie's. He knew about B, he did a private photo session with them together and he gave Freddie the negatives. I've seen pictures."

Despite Jones' pleas for her to make the images public, B remained steadfast in her decision to safeguard her family's privacy. "They are records of my dad and the grandfather of my children who cherish them and we want them to remain private," she declared.

In a handwritten letter published in her book, she affirmed: "Freddie Mercury was and is my father. We had a very close and loving relationship from the moment I was born and throughout the final 15 years of his life.

"He adored me and was devoted to me. The circumstances of my birth may seem, by most people's standards, unusual and even outrageous.

"That should come as no surprise. It never detracted from his commitment to love and look after me. He cherished me like a treasured possession."

Jones initially doubted B's claims but now firmly believes that B has no interest in fame or fortune. She added: "My instinct was to doubt everything, but I am absolutely sure she is not a fantasist."

Jones revealed that B was not included in Mercury's will, but was instead privately provided for to maintain discretion. She detailed the circumstances surrounding B's birth, stating: "His only child was conceived accidentally with the wife of one of his closest friends, while his friend was away on an extended business trip. For the Roman Catholic mother, abortion was out of the question."