Shetty: 'Jackson death is devastating'

Rex Features

Shilpa Shetty has called the death of Michael Jackson a "devastating" loss to the world of entertainment.

The Bollywood actress said that she sank in her chair after she was told that the Billie Jean singer had died, and admitted that she is a "huge, huge" fan of his music.

"Words can't express my emotions," Shetty wrote on her blog. "He was an icon who lead an extraordinary life. I admired him for constantly reinventing himself and for converting me into a pop lover after Thriller. His music will immortalise him."

The former Celebrity Big Brother star was joined by Michael's brother Jermaine during the reality TV show.

"I was lucky to hear a lot about him from Jermaine," she added. "It was sad how the press mercilessly shred him over issues that he got acquitted for at a later stage."