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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Jackson delay 'not due to health' | Jackson delay 'not due to health' |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Michael Jackson's concert promoter has denied reports that the star delayed the first four nights of his UK tour because he has skin cancer. | Michael Jackson's concert promoter has denied reports that the star delayed the first four nights of his UK tour because he has skin cancer. |
| AEG Live president Randy Phillips said the rescheduling had "absolutely nothing" to do with the star's health. | AEG Live president Randy Phillips said the rescheduling had "absolutely nothing" to do with the star's health. |
| He added: "I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He's in fantastic shape." | He added: "I would trade my body for his tomorrow. He's in fantastic shape." |
| In an email to fans, Ticketmaster and AEG Live said the dates were moved so all fans could "get the same quality in staging and level of entertainment." | In an email to fans, Ticketmaster and AEG Live said the dates were moved so all fans could "get the same quality in staging and level of entertainment." |
| 'Life-long fan' | |
| The first show of Jackson's 50-date residency at London's O2 Arena on 8 July, has been pushed back by five nights. | |
| Three other July dates will not take place until March 2010. | |
| I am a lifelong fan, this is the straw that could break the camel's back Theod Simon, Los Angeles | |
| Mr Phillips said the decision had been a "tough" one to make, but stressed that anybody who could not make the rescheduled dates would receive a full refund. | |
| He dismissed health fears about the 50-year-old singer, saying he was a "magnet" for fabricated stories. "He's not dying of skin cancer," he added, in reference to several recent tabloid stories. | |
| Philips said there were no plans to delay further dates, although he conceded that, "if Michael were to get ill, that's possible". | |
| There has been a mixed response from fans. | |
| Theod Simon from Los Angeles told the BBC he had booked flights from the US and time off work to see his idol. | |
| "I cannot believe they would do this. I am a lifelong fan, this is the straw that could break the camel's back." | |
| Others have been more supportive. "What difference is a week going to make in the grand scheme of things?" wrote Pam A on one Michael Jackson messageboard. | |
| Safety concerns | |
| Jackson's previous tours have featured magic, pyrotechnics and jetpacks | |
| Jackson's creative collaborator Kenny Ortega said the original schedule would have meant they only had one night to rehearse in the O2 before kicking off the 50 dates. | |
| "It just wasn't practical for safety reasons and professional reasons," he said. | |
| "These choices were made purely based on the practical needs and the responsible needs of putting up a first class production. | |
| "Physically and mentally we're having a blast. We're having a great time." | |
| Mr Ortega promised "the concert of a lifetime" and said: "We have all been inspired to really raise the bar on our thinking." | |
| In March, tickets for Jackson's 50-date residency at the O2 completely sold out. | |
| Hundreds of fans queued at the venue as tickets went on sale to the public and over a quarter of a million people queued online. | |
| Around 750,000 fans have bought tickets to see the veteran pop star. |