Singer set to lodge complaint, newspaper claims

Michael Jackson is said to be furious after Radio 4's Now Show made a joke comparing him to the IRA.

The singer reportedly wants an apology after comic Steve Punt quipped that the week’s news felt like an Eighties comeback.

He said: ‘I can’t decide which 80s celebrities I want back less. Michael Jackson – or the IRA.’

According to an unnamed source quoted in the Daily Mirror: ‘Michael was told about the comments and was appalled. It was a disgusting slur. To compare him to cold-blooded murderers is not funny, it is highly offensive.’

AEG Live, the promoters of Jackson’s British comeback tour, are now deciding whether to lodge an official complaint with the BBC, the newspaper claims.

Published: 20 Mar 2009