Brian May’s wife, legendary actress wife Anita Dobson, lifted the lid on the early days of their romance, which began during his marriage to Chrissie Mullen. The Angie Watts icon admitted that people “said it wouldn’t last” during an appearance on Loose Women with her husband, who revealed: “We’ve been kind of together since 1986".

Brian noted that it was “a little bit off and on, and then we got married, and then it’s been kind of on,” as the studio audience erupted with laughter during their candid appearance on the ITV show in 2015. Highlighting the year, panellist Jane Moore questioned: “You’ve been together since 1986 and you got divorced from your first wife in 1988,” to which the Queen star remarked: “Is that right?”

Anita joked: “Slight overlap,” as she pointed at herself and added: “Scarlet woman, not proud of it, but,” as Brian interjected: “I’m not good on dates, it’s another thing which is kind of taboo to talk about, but it happened.

“It’s an inevitable process, very often in this thing, which everyone resists, I did too, I tried to resist it,” to which the ex-Eastenders star chimed: “We tried not to be together.”

After Loose Women’s Andrea Mclean praised Anita for being “refreshingly honest about it,” the 76-year-old opened up about people who said their relationship “would never last".

During the joint interview, the guitarist explained that “a friend” suggested that they were “too volatile". Brian added, "In fact, my manager said, ‘Marrying an actress, you must be kidding.’”

Despite the naysayers, Brian and Anita have been married for 25 years and are likely spending the day together to celebrate the musician's 78th birthday today.

While the couple have not welcomed any children together, Anita is a proud stepmother to Brian’s three children, whom he welcomed during his previous marriage.

Speaking on Jimmy, 47, Louisa, 44, and Emily, 38 and the lives they have produced, the actress said: “I didn't have children, so I feel incredibly lucky to have three wonderful stepchildren and now I've been blessed with four step-grandchildren!

“The youngest is two and the eldest is 11, and they've brought so much joy to my life,” she added to Women and Home.

“I do my best to fill their lives with fun and happiness, but I also want to instill a sense of right and wrong in them because they're our future and all we've got to make the world a better place.”