ALISON BOSHOFF on the war between Liam, Noel and their children

For some time now, Liam Gallagher has referred to himself with that trademark swagger as a ‘top dad.’

With four children by four different mothers, and having conceived two of those offspring while actually married to the mothers of two of the others, it’s a rather bold assertion.

And that’s before you even consider the ugly court fight in 2015 which saw Liam fined for ‘frivolous conduct’ for not showing up to hearings over maintenance for the love child he had with journalist Liza Ghorbani in 2013.

But Liam, formerly of Oasis, has a solo album to sell. So yesterday — in an interview which will surely have had all four mothers rolling their eyes — he was to be found giving the hard sell to his fathering skills. ‘I’ve been mega,’ he said, as he posed for the camera with his arms around sons Lennon, 19, Gene, 17, and daughter Molly, 21.

Gallagher (second from left) with daughter Molly Moorish. .Cracking broad smiles, the fatherand daughter are also joined by Liam's sons Lennon, 18, and Gene, 16, from his marriages to Patsy Kensit and Nicole Appleton

Gallagher (second from left) with daughter Molly Moorish. .Cracking broad smiles, the fatherand daughter are also joined by Liam's sons Lennon, 18, and Gene, 16, from his marriages to Patsy Kensit and Nicole Appleton

Lennon, of course, is the son he sired with first wife Patsy Kensit and Gene is the son of the second Mrs Gallagher, former All Saints singer Nicole Appleton. But it is the presence of daughter Molly which will have raised most monobrows ... sorry, eyebrows.

For the dark-haired, but distinctively Gallagher, young woman is the result of a coupling between Mancunian frontman and singer Lisa Moorish, which allegedly took place shortly after he married actress Kensit.

And if that were not unseemly enough, Liam only met his first-born daughter a year ago. Under such circumstances, surely anyone would despair of Liam holding forth on his parenting credentials, but his current girlfriend, Debbie Gwyther — a member of his management team — seems to have suggested the idea.

‘Debbie said, “Shall we do this thing for Father’s Day?” and I was, like, “I could do with some good press”. So I jumped at the chance. If anything, to get some pictures of us,’ he said.

Now Liam, 46, has, to be fair, written a song about Molly on the new album called Now That I’ve Found You. Critics may observe, that she wasn’t exactly difficult to find, for a father who had really wanted to. The story of her conception and upbringing shines a harsh light on Liam as both a father and husband.

Molly was conceived during a two-year on-and-off affair between Liam and Lisa. To complicate matters, Liam was married to actress Patsy at the time. Indeed, Patsy believes that Lisa fell pregnant within a week of her marriage to Liam in 1997.

Liam Gallagher and Lisa Moorish, sitting in the back of taxi during the heyday of Oasis in the 1990s

Liam Gallagher and Lisa Moorish, sitting in the back of taxi during the heyday of Oasis in the 1990s

Patsy and Liam went on to have son Lennon in 1999 but split soon after, when Patsy discovered that Liam had fathered Molly.

Lisa later explained that Liam had wanted her to have an abortion, and declined to have anything to do with their baby. She didn’t name him as the father on the birth certificate and Patsy claimed Lisa had been paid to keep quiet. Liam initially denied paternity.

Lisa said: ‘The man from Manchester was very angry that I decided to go ahead with the pregnancy and decided to stay out of her life. I felt sad but accepted it. He agreed to pay his way.’

Liam Gallagher with Patsy Kensit in the 1990s

Liam Gallagher with Patsy Kensit in the 1990s

During an interview in 2010 Liam said: ‘As she was growing up, I thought it was the best way, instead of having me popping in and arguing with the f***ing woman [Lisa Moorish]. She knows where I am and I’m there for her if she needs anything, like I have been since she was born, financially. I know it’s not about that, but it’s better than nothing.’

Liam won’t say what made him decide to finally make an appearance in Molly’s life. He said: ‘It’s a shame that it didn’t happen earlier, but you can’t live in the past — you just have to draw the line and get stuck in with some super love going forward.’

Perhaps he was prompted to resolve the situation after they very nearly met for the first time by chance at a post-Brit awards party in February 2018.

Liam said at the time that he had ‘heard she was all right’ but had ‘never got around’ to meeting her.

Their first meeting was soon after, in the summer of 2018 in a North London pub (where else?), The Red Lion & Sun in Highgate.

Liam apparently broke down in tears, telling her: ‘I’m so proud of you.’ Within two weeks she was watching him perform at Wembley alongside her brothers. This year she has joined him and Gene and Lennon on tour, and has gone on a family holiday to Greece.

Now 21, and a striking combination of her mother’s beauty and her father’s strong features, Molly is modelling while studying Politics at Goldsmiths University in London. She goes by the name Moorish-Gallagher, and insists she always thought of Gallagher as her father despite his 20-year absence.

‘I don’t have any anger. I’m 21 now. I’m actually thankful for how I was brought up with my mum and how my life’s been. But I’m happy to have him now,’ she said.

Liam says that the new blended family has had no problems ‘touch wood’ and certainly no therapy.

In another thoroughly modern touch, Molly ‘met’ her half-brothers in cyberspace before ever being introduced to them in person. She said: ‘Me and Gene followed each other on Instagram.’

Gene then

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