Boozy Jacko goonwalks

Staggering star has to be held up by minders

SUPPORT ACT: At the theatre on Friday night

By Robert Jobson, 08/03/2009

POP legend Michael Jackson was told to beat it when he turned up in the lobby of his posh hotel looking like a Rockin' Robin.

Staff thought the melty- faced star looked off his face as he lurched around the Lanesborough Hotel near Hyde Park in the early hours of Wednesday.

He had to be held up by minders and led back to his suite, but friends refused to blame it on the booze-insisting he was simply jet- lagged, unable to sleep and suffering from stage-fright ahead of his big comeback announcement at the O2 Arena on Thursday.

A hotel source said: "Michael shocked us with his behaviour.

"He was wandering around the lobby in the early hours looking completely spaced out.

"The security team had to help him back to his room. It was not what we were expecting at all.

"He was asking staff for DVDs to watch in his room as he was having problems sleeping. I am not sure he knew what time it was."

The 50-year-old singer - famous for his trademark moonwalk - made a series of frantic calls to his mum Katherine, 79, in the US for reassurance. The source added: "Michael spent the first two days just shut away in his suite, trying to get his head around his comeback.

"But it was clear he was quite nervous about the whole thing.

"He had a series of long chats with his mum, seeking assurances that everything was fine. Even though he is 50, he seemed to need his mum's words to keep him focused."

Jacko also declared he wanted to make his peace with Paul McCartney. The pair fell out when Jacko outbid him for the rights to the Beatles songs.

The source added: "He was asking for Sir Paul's number, but nothing came of it."

POSH: The Lanesborough

Jacko, who went to see the hit musical Oliver on Friday, stayed in the top floor of the Lanesborough in a £7,500-a-night suite along with his guards, four kids and their nannies

He is hoping to break Prince's 21-night record for the most consecutive gigs at the 02 and has confirmed 10 shows in July, with others expected to be announced soon.

A source said: "Michael is determined to prove he can still do it."

And 350,000 fans who have registered to buy tickets clearly think they've Got To Be There to see it.

Your comments

This article has 52 comments

please be carefull micheal I am worried about your safety and well being I see either an attack possibly somebody throwing an object at you

By jillian lane. Posted March 13 2009 at 12:54 PM.

to all you mj haters, dont you have anything better going on in your little lives, other than keep slagging someone that you dont really know of! you obviously believe everything you read..very sad...He doesn,t make you like him, but it,s a shame you cant still appreciate the most talented music artist of all time...You know what ive seen mj twice,and if he,s not quite as good then so what...its better to have been the best than to have never been atall...which is more than you can say about todays artists.....the king is back..get used to it ...love u michael.

By lisa eales. Posted March 12 2009 at 9:27 PM.

rebardless of bad anti-MJ comments, he has acheived what no other star has. No one can be liked by everyone but i would like to think that MJ will prove to all that he is still the King of Pop. I would pay the money to go and see him, afterall he is a Legend. And talented, i'd say genius!

By Gary. Posted March 11 2009 at 9:21 AM.

Where on earth are people getting there information from, why do people think he's gonna lip sync. He didn't lip sync at the 2006 music awards did he? he gave it a go, less can be said for other artists on the comback trail, e.g Britney Spears. If he didn't lip sync then, why would he now, he tested the waters, relised he wasn't ready at that point. Think we need to wait and see to be sure, but I think it will be an amazing performance.

As for Prince bieng King of pop. I can understand why people like Prince, but he's not King of pop because he plays an instrument, writes and produces his albums. Loads of people do that, it doesn't make them king. Michael Jackson plays intruments anyway, There's documentaries of him playing the piano as well as credits on albums. Michael Jackson is the influence of many dance routines involved in most modern day pop acts. As well as an influence on a creative level, such as Music Videos and concerts.

By Steve. Posted March 9 2009 at 9:30 AM.

I watched all the hype on the news of his announcement. This American is shaking her head. He was good...a long time ago. He has no cred here (US) anymore. However, I shall watch this and see how it pans out...Who knows?!??!

By k. Posted March 9 2009 at 7:30 AM.

Mj will not beat princes record the only way he could is by lip synching but if mj fans dont mind spending 75 quid on that, that says a lot about them and as for him being the most talented tell me how many instruments does he play, it takes the guy about 7 years between albums PRINCE is the MAN....

Prince produces all his albums
prince writes all his music
prince plays all the instruments....

THATS TALENT

By D. Gibson. Posted March 9 2009 at 12:02 AM.

jk I love you don't worry about the haters people are so jealous you are the greatest. God bless you and keep you. You are always in my prayers. I hope to get to see you one day. That's always been one of my dreams. You have given the world so much happiness. You are one of Gods Earth Angels.
I only wish you happiness forever. God bless you and all you love.

By darryl. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:21 PM.

ALL YOU HATERS ARE JUST JELOUS OF THIS AMAZING STRONG TALENTED MAN (I WONDER HOW THESE IDIOTS WOULD HAVE COPED IN HIS SHOES. NOT SO WELL I THINK.) 350 000 TICKETS IN A MATTER OF DAYS, I SAY NO MORE!!!
I LOVE HIM AND HIS MUSIC FOREVER!!!!!!

By Rachel Thomas. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:16 PM.

Odd place to have a comeback. I wonder why he went to England for this. I guess he figured his countrymen wouldn't be silly enough to pony up the cash for a freak show.

By Frankenstein. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:25 PM.

Wow, lot of passion all over the place. He's a suffering soul to say the least. Product of everything this world has to offer, and it was his, yet with no values. Ah fame does not fulfill.

By Bjamesperry. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:24 PM.

leave him alone,lone lone.seriously though,he has entertained us for years,so let him do what he does best,then we will judge.....

By aly mellor. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:19 PM.

Michael Jackson...Hes one of my fave entertainers, those who dont like him just because he did something that brings the world together can kiss his feet. MJ U ROCK AND U ALEWAYS WILL BE, NOW AND FOREVER!

By VINCENT SLOAN. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:29 PM.

he was great but he has lost the plot just pitty him,.,

By peter gosling. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:21 PM.

Here we go again slagging another poor soul just for being different at least he aint no sheep, whats wrong with people today not happy unless they are putting people down. Tut Tut, will they ever learn ?poor Michael Jackson take no notice of them they are the ones who are sad and bitter, your music will rock for ever your a legend.

By mary. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:00 PM.

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Michael Jackson is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Jacko is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 350,000 other people.

By Steve. Posted March 8 2009 at 4:55 PM.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS MJ.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

By COSMO. Posted March 8 2009 at 4:04 PM.

Michael is going to show these amateur's of today how it is done.

By Mark. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:20 PM.

Well he certainly ROCKS MY WORLD.

LEGEND!

By Emma. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:10 PM.

Is it because hes black or white..never heard a lot of bad comment when we all withness the so called ``ELVIS``

By m davies. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:34 PM.

MJ is the best and the greatest.If you have already forgotten,go back and watch his dance moves, listen to ALL his music then compare what you discover to any other star.......

By sambo the mugu. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:03 PM.

MICHAEL HAS HAD HIS FARE SHARE OF TROUBLES,BUT I DO BELEIVE HE WOULDNT DO THESE CONCERTS UNLESS HE COULD GIVE A GREAT PERFORMANCE, MJ WANTS TO SHOW HIS FANS HE CAN STILL DO WHAT HE DOES BEST,AND THATS PERFORM LIVE,SEE YOU AT THE 02 ARENA,MJ GOOD LUCK

By DEAN HARVEY. Posted March 8 2009 at 2:09 PM.

Write MJ off at your peril. Unquestuionably the most talented and influencial pop performer of the 20th century. If in doubt, simply watch any music channel for 10 minutes. You'll see most acts taking something from MJ. Each impersonation simply reinforces MJ's importance to the history of popular culture.

By Ally S. Posted March 8 2009 at 2:04 PM.

Hey you guys, why don't you just give him a chance. Some of you are so quick to turn your back on him, just because he is different and does not conform to the sort of life you live, WOW ! no wonder this country is in such a state. Would you turn your back on someone you love? because TRUE fans really do care for Michael Jackson. He is and always was a superstar.

By John. Posted March 8 2009 at 1:16 PM.

Never liked his squeaky little voice and he is plain freaky and bizarre.

And over the pop hill, methinks.

Prince was, and is, a gazillion times better than him.

By Aimee. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:47 AM.

He has more talent in his little finger than any star alive today, but that doesn't mean to say I would pay to see him in concert now (saw the 'Bad' concert in 1988), think he will be a shadow of his former self and therefore not as entertaining as the amount of money they are demanding for his concert tickets - if he did something similar to Elvis 1968 comeback performance (where he was all dressed in black leather) and had just the basics, then that might be something, but I can't see this being anything more than a way of spinning more money for him to continue living the life he's become accustomed to. Wish him all the best tho'

By Nikki W. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:43 AM.

I saw him in 1988 and he was at the top of his game and unbelieveable - I wouldn't pay to see him today not that he is untalented - but his doesn't appear to have the stamina or focus to commit to such a gruelling tour.

By angie. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:19 AM.

FREAK SHOW ALERT!!!!!

By PJ. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:14 AM.

MICHAEL JACKSON MANIA IS BACK!
Michael could sell out the o2 100 times over!
He has TRUE fans that would pay £1000's to see him

By Tom Vjestica. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:13 AM.

Enough! I cannot believe people would pay money to see a freak-show.Despite the comments,most will be going to the concerts (if they ever happen!) to see him fail.MJ is now a sad,broke curiosity,a shadow and parody of his former self,who would want to see that?

By Helen Faulkes. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:55 AM.

never ever bought a Jackson record.cant stand his songs or his voice, or him. nice to know this will be his last concerts. but bet he wont get through the concerts. the man is on another planet. His fans should start to accept REALITY.

By music fan. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:19 AM.

MJ will NEVER compare or beat Prince's residency of 21 nights at the 02. Prince is in a league of his own, UNTOUCHABLE, he has more talent in his little finger compared to MJ. MJ was once talented but he blew it years ago. PRINCE COME BACK SOON, I miss you!!! x

By Lorraine - Essex. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:10 AM.

I will believe his comeback when i see it, time waits for no man and we will see if he can perform 20 years down the line, i can think of far better ways of spending my hard earned cash,

By rob baddeley. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:08 AM.

The ONLY way he will get through the concerts is: 1) he doesn't sing live; and 2) the backup dancers do "his" routines while he stands there. The guy is in the advanced stage of Britney syndrome.

By James. Posted March 8 2009 at 9:53 AM.

I wouldn't pay a fiver to go n see MJ, But if you losers think he is NOT gonna mime and that he will be the MJ that you remember pretting about on stage then well, go ahead n waste your hard earned money to put into this guys oversized and over inflated egotistical pocket then good for you . He's a complete and utter waste of space. I will save my money for acts that ARE worth paying to see sing LIVE; What a bunch of muppets you are!

By Geraldine Cole. Posted March 8 2009 at 9:55 AM.

talent never fades, everyone of these artists want to be michael. hate him or love him but YOU WILL respect his talent.

By rtruth. Posted March 8 2009 at 9:59 AM.

Even the american idiots are not daft enough to spend cash watching this nutter

By catherine. Posted March 8 2009 at 9:05 AM.

I stupidly sold all my Michael Jackson tapes, lp`s, cd,s vidules, dvd`s, t shirts and costumes to pay for going to see `FIVE` live in concert in Germany. I had a crush on Richy & J. Cant believe I sold all my gear for £500; it would be worth 10 times that now. Well I`ll have to start collecting again. Michael WE LOVE YOU

By David Brown (Dumfries). Posted March 8 2009 at 9:07 AM.

And Dominic forgot to add that the only way he could get any insurance company interested in these tough times would be with an insurance policy that costs more than the compensation itself..

By Alf. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:43 AM.

HE HE....Shal mol!!!!
I thought the Jackson Five were supposed to be making a comeback? Anyway I like Michael Jackson even though he is mad as an treeful of monkeys! Would love to go see him.

By Big Al. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:37 AM.

Michael was brilliance personified in his day. Hope he draws out the magic again for all the people paying to see him. Wish I could!

By Carol. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:36 AM.

For the ignorant and naive I will educate.

Michael Jackson's upcoming tour like any tour has to insured. Ticket prices will be just like Madonna's the other biggest draw in show business at around £ 150- £ 175.00. Michael's insurers insisted on a 50 point medical test that he passed in order for the cover to be in place should he not be fit enough to perform.

The contingency plan is more dates for the London gigs and then Las Vegas and so on.

By Dominic. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:14 AM.

no one could touch jackson in the 80s,a superstar .today hes just a freek show .i cringe when i see him on tv ,as for his comeback,its a car crash just waiting to happen .he will be out of this country by this time next week .the man is in a world of his own .its a shame .

By tony. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:14 AM.

I'd rather watch paint drying. Then again, what's the difference? Bring back Benny Hill is what I say.

By Dave. Posted March 8 2009 at 7:11 AM.

I doubt he will make the 3'rd night to be honest with you. As much as im a fan of his, the fact is, he is a complete and utter mess.

As for him being penniless - £7,500 for ONE NIGHT?? Surely there are a LOT cheaper hotels with big luxurys for a lot less than that.

Spending money like that is what got him into this mess into the first place. Typical, he will never learn. Never known the value of money.

By Andy MacDonald. Posted March 8 2009 at 5:52 AM.

Trust in you Mike :)

By J-P. Posted March 8 2009 at 4:06 AM.

I predict he will not even make it through the first show - and he will show up 2 hours late.

By Marie. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:37 AM.

The King of pop and always will be..Fact!

By terry. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:36 AM.

Last chance saloon and he knows it.
Also must be loving the fact he's found a bunch of muppets willing to bail him out of debt. One born every minute I guess.
Love you Michael, your the best...NOT!

By The_Wisest. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:36 AM.

the tour & concerts will NEVER happen. ill 'eat my hat' if they do!!!!! forget the album. that won;t happen either.

By glynis. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:32 AM.

you r the best michael

By russel. Posted March 8 2009 at 1:03 AM.

Jason Broome - I completely agree.

By Patty. Posted March 8 2009 at 1:19 AM.

Michael... On your worst day you are STILL better than anybody else. Have the confidence to believe in your talent and write a new album!

By Jason Broome. Posted March 7 2009 at 11:58 PM.

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