Michael Jackson announces O2 dates

Thousands of Michael Jackson fans converged in the O2 Arena to witness the 'King of Pop' himself announce his summer residency at the Docklands venue this summer. Due on at 4:00pm, the legend kept the worlds press and fans waiting until 5:30pm.

Presented by Dermot O Leary, who came on to introduce the 50 year old star, started by playing a video montage titled, 'The King of Pop Returns'. The video which beamed across the concourse of the former Millennium Dome showed clips of live gigs and fans crying while the star sang classic hits such as 'Beat it', 'Billie Jean' and 'Smooth Criminal', before ending with his classic moonwalk and a shot of the Millennium Dome.

When the man himself finally arrived on stage clad in black jacket and black sunglasses, the crowd held their breath as he made his way to the microphone.

He said: "Thank you. This is it. These will be my final ever shows in London. This is it means, this is it. I'll be performing my songs the fans want to hear. This is the final curtain call, and I'll see you in July. I love you from the bottom of my heart."

He then blew kisses to the crowd and made a peace sign into the air before walking off stage.