Profiles

The former child actor Mark Lester was a close friend of Jackson's. The star of the 1968 film "Oliver" from Cheltenham has been speaking to BBC Points West reporter Steve Knibbs.

Mark says he was stunned by the news. He said: "It really is so tragic. I was only speaking to him a few days ago and he was in very, very good form and very confident, very positive. I'm just absolutely shocked and heartbroken for the children."

"He was the best I've seen him for a long time. Very focused, positive, rehearsing - a lot of rehearsals. I'm really mortified by the suddenness of this tragedy."

Michael Jackson was god-father to Mark's daughter, 17-year-old Lucy. She told us what Jackson was really like away from the public gaze: "He was just a normal person. Whenever I saw him he gave me a hug, asked me how school was and how work was, and asked me how I was doing. He'd come and sit and watch TV with us and eat popcorn. He was just normal."

Lucy told us that Jackson visited their home in Gloucestershire about two or three years ago. She said: "My dad said [to Michael Jackson] you should come down to Cheltenham some time so he said, "Yeah, let's do it"... My step-mum went out and got us all fish and chips and we sat and watched TV."

Click on the link in the box above to watch the interview in full.