It’s 1988 and the Bad World Tour is shaking the world.
After additional UK dates in August, Michael Jackson was supposed to fly to Germany but due to poor weather conditions, his entourage decided, instead, to drive him down to Dover and catch a passenger ferry to Calais.
P&O’s Pride of Dover was operating the route at the time. Running slightly behind schedule because of the inclement weather, there were believed to be some 2,000 passengers on board – a blend of holidaymakers and day-trippers.
Ferry crews were given little warning to expect a VIP guest.
Speaking several years ago, Tony Finnis was assistant purser at the time. He explained: “I happened to have a hand-held radio listening to the communications between the bridge and shore side.
“All that was being said was that someone was on his way and he won’t be long. We didn’t know who it was at the time.
“We were standing by when out of the lift came some five or six huge fellows and in the middle was Michael Jackson.
“He was taken to the function room as quickly as possible, but it soon got around the vessel and people were trying to get in to see him. I spent the whole crossing with him and watched him practice his dance routines.”
For P&O, having such a celebrated passenger was a moment its publicity department could not allow to slip through its fingers.
A photograph was swiftly arranged which captured Michael Jackson shaking hands with the Pride of Dover’s skipper, Senior Master Pat Hammond.
The story came after the discovery of the photo and an appeal to witnesses was launched in 2011 to confirm the story. Staff and few passengers then recalled the time Michael Jackson crossed the channel. Who knew!
