The Black Sabbath rocker explains he decided to call off his infamous family TV show 'The Osbournes' because everyone got messed up from filming the show.
- Nov 28, 2023
AceShowbiz - Ozzy Osbourne was worried his family's reality show "The Osbournes" ruined his kids' lives. The Black Sabbath rocker and his wife Sharon Osbourne - along with their children Kelly Osbourne and Jack Osbourne - became stars of the small screen back in 2002 when their TV series debuted on MTV and it was a huge success as millions tuned in to watch the family's zany antics but they shelved it in 2005 after four seasons.
"We were asked to do another series, but the kids were [messed] up from it, I was [messed] up from it, and Sharon was going through cancer. Rock'n'roll fame was one thing, but TV was just off the ... Richter scale," Ozzy told Rolling Stone as he admitted they walked away from the show over fears it was not good for the family's wellbeing.
He also insisted "The Osbournes" was different to reality TV these days because it was totally natural and unscripted. He added, "You could be watching it, and suddenly someone comes running through with a ... frying pan on fire."
"It was just normal for us - we'd swear, we'd cuss, and there'd be ... dogs and dog [poo] everywhere. That's what we were really like. It all started to get a bit silly in season three, where they'd suggest stuff like taking us on a boating trip, and I just thought [No]."
Ozzy and Sharon's kids Kelly and Jack were regulars on the show but elder Aimee decided not to take part. The rocker is also dad to adopted son Elliot Kingsley as well as son Louis and daughter Jessica from his marriage to first wife Thelma.
The couple filmed the show at their home in Los Angeles, where they have lived for many years, but they recently decided to leave the US and move back to their native UK. Sharon recently admitted she hopes the move will give Ozzy more privacy as he battles Parkinson's disease.
Speaking on the 'Woman's Hour' podcast, Sharon explained, "A lot of it [the move] is for Ozzy to be able to live with some privacy. Because, where we live in the countryside, it's not full of paps and you know, it's not a busy little town. We have a lot of land so he will be able to walk around and pursue his hobbies that he loves doing without being bothered."
The couple spent four years planning the move which was delayed several times due to ongoing renovations at their country house, but they have now made the switch and are planning to split their time between Britain and the US, where their kids live. Sharon added, "My family will still be there [in the US] so we will go back and forth I'm sure, but our main place - we have switched it from being LA to England."
