Sunday night, on the red carpet of the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Grammy-winning super-producer Rodney Jerkins spoke fondly of his late friend Michael Jackson and how MJ once beat him at pool. Jerkins also revealed that he and the King of Pop’s baby sis, Janet Jackson, have been collaborating a lot lately. The first record from their sessions, “Make Me,” dropped just a few hours later.

“It’s about dancing,” Jerkins said. “It’s all about her. It’s about [saying], ‘Listen, if you really want to get with me, you gotta make me feel a certain way.’ “

Jerkins, who produced several tracks on Janet’s 2008 album, Discipline, said he and Ms. Jackson have a lot more songs to come.

“I’m working heavily with Janet,” Jerkins said, adding that her new album will have a throwback feel. “We’ve been in the studio for the last month. We’ve been getting it in. We’re going back to basics and fundamental sounds of Janet. We’re trying to target her fans [by making] the records that her fans will embrace. A lot of uptempo stuff makes you feel good. There’s so many different colors of Janet. I’m a fan, I’ve always been a fan of Janet. The Rhythm Nation, the Control, the Janet. record … those make you feel a certain way. It’s been fun. I’m excited about it.”

Hey!

KEISHA BUCHANAN last night sobbed as she told me how missing SUGABABE AMELLE BERRABAH ducked out of last week’s gigs by claiming a pal had been in a CAR CRASH.

Giving an eXSclusive interview in her LA hotel room, Keisha broke down and wept: “We thought she was broken up about the accident and were really worried. We did two shows without her, genuinely thinking her friend’s been in a really bad car accident.

“I said to our management can we please get the police around there because I’m really, really worried about her.

“That request didn’t come from her family or (bandmate) HEIDI, it came from me. The police went round and checked on her. They said she’s fine and had been home all week.”

Yesterday Amelle, who vanished for four days, said she’d spoken to her bandmates but Keisha insisted: “She hasn’t spoken to anyone.”

Keisha, who is being comforted by close friend LEONA LEWIS in Los Angeles, says she will try and sort things out with Amelle IF she travels there to film the video for their new single this week.

“I’m not going to lie to you and say everything will be fine because I don’t know. But as far as I’m concerned, we’re the Sugababes; me, Heidi and Amelle.

“The reason why I’m panicking and the reason why I’m crying is because maybe Amelle wants to do things on her own for good.” Keisha is distraught at claims she’s jealous of Amelle’s No 1 single with TINCHY STRYDER – ironically titled Never Leave You.

And she said ex-bandmate MUTYA BUENA, who Amelle replaced, is more talented.

She said: “What exactly is there to be jealous of? I’ve been doing things on the underground for God knows how long. Heidi’s talented too. Amelle’s really talented but the most talented person I’ve ever been around in my life was Mutya.”

Keisha says Amelle, who recently dumped gypsy boyfriend Freddie Fuller, regularly went AWOL.

“Every couple of months it will happen. At certain times there are people thinking they’re bigger than the band.

“She’d blame it on Freddie, she’d blame it on her family on all sorts of things. But what’s the excuse this time?

“Maybe she doesn’t have the balls to say she wants to go.” Keisha also hit back at claims that she’s bullying Amelle out of the band: “I say what’s on our mind. But that’s not bullying.

“It’s a huge accusation to make and I’m not going to let it lie. I was f***ing bullied myself at primary school.

“She’s thinking about leaving but I’m not going to be used as the scapegoat. These things make me stronger. I’m going to use this and write a killer song and I’m going to be fine.”

This is going to be EPIC!