Roger Daltrey has spoken of his surprise at discovering three children he never knew about, around the time of his 50th birthday.

The Who’s frontman, now 74, was already a father of five on the day he turned 50, when he received a letter from a woman who revealed herself to be his daughter.

Shortly afterwards, two more women made themselves known to the rock singer, revealing they were born in the 1960s and given away for adoption, with Roger named as their father on their official papers.

Speaking to The Mirror, Roger revealed the mixed emotions he went through as he got to know his now-adult children, feeling both excitement for having had them come into his life and empathy for the fact they’d been given up for adoption.

“It was great – it’s all worked out,” he told the newspaper. “They stay in touch and they’re close, so that’s great.

“I’ve tried to do my best about a situation that couldn’t change because it happened a long time ago.”

Roger noted that the children were conceived following his split from his first wife, Jackie Rickman in 1968, and before his second wedding to Heather Taylor in 1971, to whom he is still married. 

He made the revelations in his new autobiography, ‘Thanks A Lot Mr Kibblewhite’, which he dedicates to his wife, Heather.

Roger is still active as a member of The Who, alongside bandmate Pete Townsend, with the group touring on both sides of the Atlantic in 2017.