"Had they told us that Madonna wanted to adopt my son and make him her own son, we would not have agreed to that."

An audience member on Oprah said Madonna had talked of her surprise at the news that Mr Banda did not realise he was signing away his son permanently.

Madge’s baby clothes mystery - Oct 23 2006
Madonna’s decision to add a baby boy to her brood has raised more than a few eyebrows - but does the material mom have a baby girl on her mind too?

TMZ.com reports that one of Madonna’s assistants called the high end baby boutique Petit Tresor in Los Angeles on Friday and ordered over $7,200 worth of baby clothes - for a boy and a girl.

The order is alleged to have included romper suits, pyjamas and cashmere cardigans for a 12-month-old boy, as well as girly sweater sets, pink shoes with cherries on them, and a pink linen dress.

A source tells TMZ.com that the items were all shipped to Madge’s London home.

While the boy’s clothes clearly fit the bill for Madonna’s adopted son, Malawian one-year-old David, who arrived only days ago at the singer’s London home, the recipient of the girl’s clothes is a mystery.

They’re clearly not destined for husband Guy Ritchie, their son Rocco, 6, or her eldest child, daughter Lourdes, who’s already 10-years-old.

A rep for Madonna didn’t return calls.

Dad’s doubts over Madonna adoption - Oct 22 2006
The biological father of 13-month-old ’Baby David’ has said that he was misled into agreeing to give up his son to American pop diva Madonna.

Yohane Banda said that authorities had not made it clear to him that he was giving up his only son "for good".

"Our understanding was that they (Madonna and her British filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie) would educate and take care of our son just as they were doing at the orphanage," said the 32-year-old illiterate peasant farmer in a telephone interview from Lipunga Village where he ekes out a living growing onions and tomatoes.

Banda signed adoption papers earlier this month, clearing the way for a judge to grant the celebrity couple a "temporary order" to take away the baby, who was flown to London last week.

Until now he has defended his move as in the best interests of his motherless son.

Madonna defends baby adoption - Oct 18 2006
Madonna has defended her adoption of an African baby boy and spoke of her joy at bringing him home to Britain.

The singer said she and husband Guy Ritchie began the adoption process many months ago and had acted "according to the law like anyone else who adopts a child".

The couple chose 13-month-old Malawian boy David Banda after learning there were more than one million orphans in the impoverished country.

The star said it was her wish "to open up our home and help one child escape an extreme life of hardship, poverty and in many cases death", adding: "This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly."

The family will now take time "to experience the joy we feel to have David home".

The superstar has sparked anger among children’s charities and human rights groups who claim she has used her celebrity to "buy" a baby and bypass the normal procedures.

The family will undergo an 18-month evaluation as David’s temporary custodians "after which time we hope to make this adoption permanent", she said in an open letter.

The 48-year-old said she had been "overwhelmed and inspired" by her trip to Malawi and hoped it would draw world attention to the plight of children in Africa.