Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May admitted bandmate Freddie Mercury and his manager both had their reservations about his relationship with wife Anita Dobson in the early days of their relationship. “A lot of people, including Freddie [said it wouldn't last]," he said. "I think he thought we were both too volatile. In fact my manager said to me ‘marry an actress? You must be kidding,’" he recalled. “Well somehow we’re still here,” he said on an episode of Loose Women in 2015.

The pair met in first met 1986 when Brian was still married to ex-wife Christine Mullen with whom he has three children. They divorced in 1988, and Brian and Anita were together on and off until their wedding in November 2000. Acknowledging the overlap in his relationships Brian said: "It's another thing which is kind of taboo to talk about, isn't it? But it happens, you know, in the inevitable process very often in this thing, which everyone resists. I tried to resist it (his feelings for Anita)."

For her part Anita spoke out about their meeting confessing she didn't know he was married and said she was left heartbroken after finding out he was already in a relationship when they first met and shared they "went through hell".

In a candid interview the former EastEnders star explained Brian had initially invited her to a Queen concert at Wembley but she "didn't know" he was married.

"I was heart-wrenched when he told me. We had a terrible row. I was insulted. I thought: 'How dare you go out with me if you're married?'

"So we just kept a certain distance until we could find a place in life where we could be together. But it was hard, really hard," Anita told the Daily Mail in 2011.

"Everybody gets hurt, and, if there are kids, it's not good, but if people fall in love there's nothing you can do about it.

"Even if you separate, the ache is still there. It stops you moving on because it's unresolved.

"We went through hell, but I believe, it was true love. The dust's settled and I have good relationships with his children and ex-wife," she said in the same chat.

The couple tied the knot in a small registry office ceremony in Richmond upon Thames in 2000 and honeymooned in Venice.