Brian May’s wife is Anita Dobson, the English actress and singer best known for playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The Queen guitarist and Dobson married on November 18, 2000, in a civil ceremony at Richmond Register Office in London.
Who Is Anita Dobson?
Anita Dobson, born Anita May on April 29, 1949, in Stepney, London, trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art before building a career across television, stage, and music. Her breakthrough came in 1985 when she was cast as Angie Watts, the landlady of The Queen Vic in EastEnders, a role she played until 1988.
Dobson’s portrayal of Angie Watts made her a household name in Britain. She reached Number 4 on the UK singles chart in August 1986 with “Anyone Can Fall in Love,” a song based on the EastEnders theme music that Brian May produced. That collaboration marked one of the earliest professional connections between the future spouses.
Her stage career has spanned decades and includes notable productions such as Chicago in the West End as Mama Morton, Hamlet as Gertrude, and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Merry Wives of Windsor as Mistress Quickly. In 2003, she received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the National Theatre production of Frozen.
How Brian May and Anita Dobson Met
Brian May and Anita Dobson first met in 1986 at a premiere event, a moment that would eventually reshape both of their lives. At the time, May was still married to his first wife, Chrissie Mullen, and Dobson was focused on her EastEnders career. Dobson later recalled that she did not initially recognize May when he and his then-wife praised her performance as Angie Watts.
Their connection deepened through Freddie Mercury, the late Queen frontman. Dobson has said that she became friends with Mercury first, and it was Mercury who, in her words, “kind of gave me back to” Brian after his marriage ended. May has credited Dobson with inspiring Queen’s 1989 hit “I Want It All,” which he wrote during a period when his personal life was in turmoil.
The couple became romantically involved after May’s separation from Mullen, and they dated for over a decade before marrying. In a 1998 interview with OK magazine, May confirmed that reconciliation with his first wife was impossible because he had “fallen in love with someone else”.Quick Bio: Anita Dobson (Brian May’s Wife)
The Wedding and Married Life
Brian May and Anita Dobson married on November 18, 2000, in a small civil ceremony at Richmond Register Office. Among the attendees were May’s Queen bandmates Roger Taylor and John Deacon. The intimate gathering reflected the couple’s preference for privacy, a theme that has characterized their marriage.
Dobson has described May’s proposal for her to move in with him, along with their wedding day, as “two of the most pivotal moments” in her life. She has also spoken candidly about the realities of their long union. In an interview with Yours magazine, she said, “There’s no magic potion for a perfect marriage. It can be hard work. Even though Brian’s the love of my life and he’s absolutely adorable, it’s not easy and we have to work at it”.
The couple has acknowledged having “massive arguments,” with May telling Loose Women that Dobson “knows your buttons to press.” Dobson added that they remain together because “you want them to work and want to be with him”. Their relationship was not without early skeptics. May revealed that Freddie Mercury doubted it would last, believing they were both “too volatile,” and his manager reportedly questioned, “Marry an actress? You must be kidding”.
Brian May’s First Marriage
Brian May’s marriage to Anita Dobson followed his first marriage to Christine (Chrissie) Mullen, which lasted from 1976 to 1988. They wed on May 29, 1976, at St. Osmund’s Roman Catholic Church in Barnes, London, just as Queen was preparing to record their fifth studio album, A Day at the Races.
May and Mullen had met in 1968, before Queen’s rise to fame, when May was still playing with the band Smile. They had three children together: James, born in 1978, Louisa, born in 1981, and Emily Ruth, born in 1987. The marriage survived the band’s intense touring schedule, but May later explained that the difficulties emerged when he stopped touring. “It was only when I stopped touring that things fell apart, because we couldn’t adapt to living ‘a normal life,'” he told OK magazine in 1998.
The divorce took a significant emotional toll on May. He has described the period as “appalling, utter misery for my ex-wife and children” and spoke of “losing” his family as one of the darkest chapters of his life. Despite the painful end to their marriage, Dobson has maintained a positive relationship with May’s children and his former wife.
Anita Dobson’s Continued Career and Her Connection to Brian May
Anita Dobson has remained professionally active well into her seventies, demonstrating a career longevity that parallels her husband’s enduring presence in music. In 2025, she made a surprise return to EastEnders for the show’s 40th anniversary special, reprising her role as Angie Watts more than 37 years after her last appearance.
Dobson has also found new audiences through the revived Doctor Who, playing the mysterious Mrs Flood starting in the 2023 Christmas special. The character’s true identity was later revealed to be the Rani, a classic Doctor Who villain, in the 2025 season. Her return to EastEnders required secrecy, and she told only one person about it beforehand: Brian May. “I obviously told Brian, but I honestly haven’t told anybody,” she said in an interview with the BBC.
The couple, who marked their 25th wedding anniversary in November 2025, remain one of British entertainment’s most enduring partnerships. Their relationship has outlasted the doubts expressed by Freddie Mercury and others, built on what Dobson describes as mutual respect and the willingness to work through difficulties. As she put it, the key is that “because Brian loves me, he allows me to be me”.FAQs About Brian May’s Wife
Who is Brian May married to?
Brian May is married to Anita Dobson, an English actress and singer best known for playing Angie Watts in BBC’s EastEnders. The couple married on November 18, 2000, in a civil ceremony at Richmond Register Office in London. They first met in 1986 at a film preview and have been together ever since.
How did Brian May and Anita Dobson meet?
They met in 1986 at a preview screening of Down and Out in Beverly Hills in London. Anita was starring in EastEnders at the time, and Brian, still married to his first wife Chrissie, approached her to praise her performance. Anita later admitted she had no idea who he was, asking someone nearby, “Who the hell is that?”. Their romantic relationship began after Brian’s divorce in 1988.
Does Brian May have children with Anita Dobson?
No, Brian May and Anita Dobson do not have children together. Brian has three children from his first marriage to Christine (Chrissie) Mullen: James, born 1978, Louisa, born 1981, and Emily Ruth, born 1987. Anita has stated that she maintains positive relationships with Brian’s children and his ex-wife.
What has Brian May said about his marriage to Anita Dobson?
Brian May has spoken candidly about their relationship, describing it as one built on mutual respect despite occasional conflict. On Loose Women, he said, “We do have massive arguments. But it’s because we care”. He also revealed that Freddie Mercury doubted the relationship would last because they were both “too volatile”. Anita has described their marriage as “hard work” but also said Brian “allows me to be me”.
What is Anita Dobson famous for?
Anita Dobson is best known for her role as Angie Watts in EastEnders from 1985 to 1988, a character she recently reprised for the show’s 40th anniversary in February 2025. She has also had a significant stage career, including West End musicals like Chicago and a role in Doctor Who as the Rani, a classic villain she portrayed in the 2025 season.
