Posted by Michael Jackson was reportedly “appalled” to learn that two BBC presenters had compared his comeback tour to recent IRA activity in Northern Ireland.
Speaking on Radio 4’s The Now Show, comedians Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis had remarked: “I can’t believe which 80s celebrities I want back less. Michael Jackson or the IRA.”
A teaser for the programme posted on the BBC website described the broadcast as a discussion of “the return to Britain of undesirables from Michael Jackson to the IRA”.
An insider told The Mirror that the singer was “appalled” by the comments, adding: “It was a disgusting slur. To compare him to cold-blooded murderers is not funny, it is highly offensive.”
The ‘Thriller’ star has reportedly lodged a complaint with AEG Live, the promoters behind his upcoming London residency, and they are deciding whether to issue the BBC with an official complaint.