Michael Jackson's kids appear on 'Oprah'

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- More than a year after the death of eccentric U.S. pop star Michael Jackson, his children insist he was just a normal dad.

Jackson's children -- Prince, 13; Paris, 12; and Blanket, 8 -- publicly spoke at length for the first time on Monday's edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The kids are now in the care of Jackson's mother, Katherine.

The "Oprah" interview took place at the Jackson family's California compound, Havenhurst, and included Katherine and the children's cousins.

"I kind of felt like no one understood what a good father he was. He was the best cook ever," ABC News quoted Paris as telling Winfrey. "He was just a normal dad. ... He made the best French toast in the world. He just made the best breakfasts in the world."

Paris also said her dad attempted to downplay his fame when he was at home.

"He tried to raise us without us knowing who he was, but that didn't really go so well," Paris said.

Asked about their favorite memories of their father, Prince recalled, "We were in Bahrain, and we used to wake up early and walk on the beach."

"One time we were on the roof of the Luxor in Las Vegas, just saw all the city lights," ABC News said Paris added. "We were eating Snickers, we had some soda."