You’d think the hardest part of being a Michael Jackson impersonator would be replicating his fierce falsetto and supernatural stagecraft.

But there’s also MJ’s “unique” appearance to master.

The man himself spent many years and thousands of pounds on giving his once wholesome features a tweak that many considered to be unsightly.

But tribute artist Ben Bowman, from Sheppey, takes minutes rather than months to recreate the latter-day Jacko look.

“I’ve been trained to do the make-up myself,“ said Ben, 28.

“It involves shrinking my nose, realigning my jaw and putting a cleft in it.

“It’s an act – and when I’m standing behind the curtains and about to go on stage, I know my life’s going to be amazing for the next two hours.”

Ben, formerly of Stanley Avenue, Minster, said he owed his “very happy and contented life” to Michael Jackson.

His self-confessed obsession with the King of Pop began when, aged five, he saw footage of the all-singing, all-dancing entertainer.

It has led to him being crowned as one of the most popular Michael Jackson tribute acts in the country, with his latest tour playing to packed audiences nationwide.

Having started as little more than a karaoke turn when he first went “live” in 2004 with a “£2 a ticket” gig at Minster Working Men’s Club, Ben now boasts a back-line which includes four dancers and a five-piece band.

He does about 120 shows a year in a set which includes everything from the Jackson 5 to “considering“ songs from MJ’s latest posthumous album, Xscape.

Fulfilled for now, Ben said he hoped one day to fill arenas and football stadiums in the style of his idol.

Billed as the Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Show, it involves a two-hour, “high impact” vocal performance from Ben, which has been attracting audiences of all ages.

According to national ‘red-top’ newspapers, the real Jacko was “wacko”, a hermit man/child who cultivated close friendships with a chimp called Bubbles and slept in an oxygen tent. But to his millions of fans he was a moonwalking, street-talking deity whose few public appearances drove devotees young and old to hysteria.

“I’ve had criers, screamers and people kissing my hand at shows,” Ben reveals.

He also admits to being “questioned” on less savoury aspects of the singer’s life, such as the allegations of Jackson’s inappropriate relationships with young boys which resulted in a high profile “pay-off” for one accuser.

He said: “I don’t think anyone will ever know the truth, but I believe he was a victim of extortion.

“He was someone trying to make the world a better place.

“When he passed, everyone remembered what was important about Michael – he cared about the world and did all kinds of charity work over the years.”

Ben said his work had been “pretty full-on” since Jackson’s death in 2009, but insisted his hero’s passing was akin to losing a family member.

He recalled: “When I got a call to say he died, I did what most people did – I went home and watched the news about a thousand times.”

Despite his devotion to the cause, from having his hair dyed and permed every six months, to undergoing 10 costume changes per show, Ben, now resident in Westgate, Thanet, is able to leave his alter ego on stage.

“I’m playing a part which means a lot to me, but I can switch off,” he said.

Unlike some other obsessives, Ben, a “free agent” romance-wise, refuses to play the “Michael’s spirit’s within me” card.

But he has evoked the soul of one of Jackson’s former playmates.

“My cat’s called Bubbles,” he said.