Documentary filmmaker Martin Bashir, best known for his 1995 interview with Princess Diana in which she first admitted to cheating on her husband, spent eight months as part of the King of Pop's entourage and has created a documentary that has Michael Jackson furious.

Living With Michael Jackson drew 14 million viewers when it aired in Britain that works out to one in four Britons glued to their television sets.

In the US, ABC, which reportedly bought the documentary for US$5 million, attracted 27.1 million viewers for their Thursday night broadcast, translating into some serious advertising coin for the network.

The fallout from the documentary has been swift and aggressive when Jackson counter-attacked by filing formal complaints with two television watchdog organisations in Britain and then offered footage of Bashir praising his parenting skills to the television networks in the US who have thus far shown no interest in this rebuttal video.

Reacting to the documentary MJ said, "Today I feel more betrayed than perhaps ever before; that someone, who had got to know my children, my staff and me, whom I let into my heart and told the truth, could then sacrifice the trust I placed in him and produce this," In the US, reaction to the programme has prompted Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred to ask that Child Welfare Services in Santa Barbara investigate Jackson's behaviour around child guests at Neverland.

On Living With Michael Jackson viewers can expect dirt on Jackson's predilection with sleeping with children, baby dangling, and $6 million shopping sprees. Other revelations include Jackson snatching his daughter Paris, placenta and all immediately after she was born as well as his denials about having extensive surgery on his face.

Critics have called for those close to Jackson to step in and help the troubled star. The rest of the world is watching the saga unfold in intrigue and bemusement.

See related story -

15 million watch Granada's Michael documentary