Adam Lambert doesn't think Freddie Mercury ever really kept his sexuality a secret.

The former 'American Idol' star is currently fronts legendary rockers Queen - alongside founding members Brian May and Roger Taylor - and he suggested the group's iconic late singer was always as open as he could be about being gay.

Speaking to Attitude magazine, Adam said: ''I don't know how 'in the closet' Freddie actually was. I mean it was like another time where it was just taboo to even discuss it in the media.

''I think it might have been interpreted as him being tongue-in-cheek, but he sort of owned it from the get-go. There were interviews where they were asking if he was gay and he was like, 'Yeah as a daffodil... gay as a daffodil.'

''And I don't know if they thought because he was being flippant about it that he wasn't being serious. But he never really said, 'No, I'm not.' ''

Like Freddie - who tragically passed away aged 45 in 1991 - Adam has been open about his own sexuality, and he explained he wants to be true to himself through his music.

He added: ''It has never been: 'These are the rules.' It's more about the struggle and the stress of what will and will not connect, and that has changed since I started out.

''As a pop artist you want people to relate to you and then at some point I had to just balance all of that out with who I actually am, as an artist, as somebody who wants to express himself.''

The 36-year-old singer also discussed stepping in to front Queen, and how important it was to find his own voice.

Asked about the advice he got from the band, he said: ''To be myself and not to try to emulate Freddie. At first I would try to hit the same notes and runs, then I learned to just sing the songs as they work for me, and in my style.''