STEREOPHONIC'S Kelly Jones has revealed that his oldest child Lolita Bootsy has transitioned to Colby, using he/ him pronouns, after previously coming out as gay.
The 45-year-old star sought advice from non-binary singer Sam Smith as he tried to support Colby, 15, who was "dealing with a lot of anxiety".
Speaking about Colby before his transition, Kelly shared: "She has transitioned from Bootsy to Colby, and trying to deal with all that as a parent, and as a school, as grandparents, and Christmases is a huge thing.
"She was dealing with a lot of anxiety through all this stuff; it was like every little bomb she gave me and her mum and the family, she would get lighter and feel better about herself."
The singer went on to explain that Colby attends an all-girls school, adding on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast: "She is now Colby and is now a 'he' in an all-girls school.
"The school has been amazing and supported the whole thing, but for a while it was becoming more and more intense and I remember getting upset one night and I sounded like an animal as I could not work out what was going on."
He added: "Weirdly I bumped into Sam Smith as he [sic] was in the rehearsal room next door to me so I was speaking to him about it.
"I also bumped into him at a Fulham match and he was sitting in the same row as me. So I bumped into people who were on the same page as me."
Kelly detailed the "grieving process" of "losing" his daughter, adding that he was weighed down by the responsibility of supporting Colby while sharing the news with family members – including his other children and Colby's grandparents.
Kelly said: "It is like you have lost your daughter but gained a son. Then you get responsible for the siblings, like how are they going to deal with it, and the grandparents.
"There was a four day thing… I actually got in my car an drove to Wales and walked up a mountain and I did not really know what I was dealing with; I think the only thing you can get to really is acceptance, and I am at acceptance with it and we all fully support it."
The teen's transition also forced the star to reflect on his own prejudices, including the derogatory language that he used when speaking about transgender people as a youth.
Kelly admitted: "Its the resistance to everything and the prejudices, and whatever films you have seen, or your upbringing, or derogatory terminology you used as a kid – all that comes in your head the minute you hear the word trans or transgender.
"But now it feels as if I have not lost anybody at all. It feels like Colby is in the house.
"On Christmas Eve, we had about 20 people in the house – he has always been nervous about singing as he plays piano, and he walked downstairs and started singing a song.
"All you can do is support that, but it is an odd subject to bring into one's home. I had no clue or understanding about any of that stuff."
Kelly and his family have since had therapy sessions with a gender specialist as he focuses on getting Colby to adulthood "as safely and slowly" as he can, adding: "It is scary but I am growing and learning from it.
"Once your eyes have been turned onto something you don't carry the prejudices anymore."
Kelly also confessed that his mum struggles with Colby's transition, and found it "hard" to use the correct terminology and his new name – but made the effort to understand when he spoke to her about the importance of supporting Colby at this time.
In October, the star told us that Stereophonics' song Fly Like An Eagle and it's accompanying music video was inspired by Colby coming out as gay.
Speaking prior to the teen's transition, Kelly shared: "It was inspired by my and Bootsy’s story.
"I wrote a treatment and showed it to Bootsy, who is gay, and asked: 'Is this accurate to what you were experiencing?' Boots said it was.
"Bootsy coming out was a big thing for her and a big thing for us, her family — and all the band were behind it.
"She’s cool and she’s happy. She’s got a girlfriend, goes to school wearing trousers and has cut her hair.
"I’m pleased she told me about it first, as we’ve got an open relationship. We talk a lot."
Kelly shares Colby with ex-wife Rebecca Walters, who he also has 13-year-old daughter Misty with.
He is also dad to daughter Riley with current wife Jakki Healy, who he married in 2013.
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