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The promoter of Michael Jackson's now-cancelled London residency has revealed he was shocked by how little the late King Of Pop ate as he geared up for the 50-date extravaganza.

AEG boss Randy Phillips told the Daily Mirror: "He used to forget to eat because he was so focused and [the show's producer] Kenny Ortega and I used to cut up his food and physically feed him."

But Phillips claims that Jackson was far from weak in the days leading up to his death last week (25 June).

He said: "Frail, he certainly wasn't. He was always very thin, but not to the point where he couldn't perform.

"He really kicked into high gear and was totally engaged in the last two weeks. Before that he was nervous and not really coming to rehearsals. But that was his schedule and that was how he wanted to do things."

Phillips also dismissed reports that Jackson had been overworked during rehearsals, insisting that the star set his own schedule.

Phillips explained: "Michael did not have a gruelling schedule - he had Michael's schedule. He didn't need to rehearse that much.

"He was so talented that he didn't need to. When he started dancing, he was dancing better than the best 20-year-old dancers in the world. He was that good."

Phillips also revealed that, far from his reported disappointment at being obligated to perform 50 dates, Jackson was ecstatic about the record-breaking run.

He added: "His biggest concern was not that he was doing 50 shows, but that the Guinness Book of Records knew that he was going to break the all-time record."