A new documentary about Michael Jackson, broadcast in the UK on Wednesday, features previously unreleased audio recordings in which the singer, who died in 2009, discusses his attitude towards children, claiming in particular that they wanted to "touch" him.

The four-part documentary, titled "Michael Jackson: The Trial", revisits the 2005 trial in which the pop star was charged and then acquitted of child sexual abuse in California.

In the film's trailer released on the Wonderhood Studios production company's website, Michael Jackson can be heard saying: "Kids just want to touch me, give me a hug."

He also claims that "children end up falling in love with (his) personality," before adding, "sometimes it gets me into trouble."

The documentary, broadcast on Channel 4, uses interviews and previously unseen footage, as well as never-before-heard audio recordings of the singer, to go "beyond the media circus" of the famous 2005 trial in order to ask "profound questions about celebrity, race and the American justice system," Wonderhood says on its website.

These previously unreleased recordings come from interviews between Michael Jackson and a rabbi, whom the singer had consulted for "spiritual advice," Channel 4 said in a statement.

"During several hours of recorded interviews, (Michael) Jackson confides intimate secrets," adds the British channel, and these recordings "offer an unprecedented glimpse into Michael's state of mind and his troubled childhood."

The broadcast of this documentary comes a few days after the release of the trailer for the biopic "Michael", in which the singer is portrayed by Jaafar, his nephew, and which is scheduled for release in theaters on April 24.

Michael Jackson, who died on June 25, 2009, after receiving an overdose of propofol, faced numerous accusations of child sexual abuse during his lifetime. In 1994, he settled a lawsuit in which he was accused of assaulting a 13-year-old boy by reaching a financial agreement with the plaintiffs.

Several documentaries have revisited these accusations, notably "Leaving Neverland" (2019), also broadcast on Channel 4, which had provoked the anger of his family.