Sharon and Ozzy | Paranoid | 2

Sharon and Ozzy try to build a life that works: a family, a comeback, a tour that keeps the money coming in and the wheels on. But life on the road exposes every crack. Ozzy’s addictions resurface, Sharon’s ruthless instincts sharpen, and a dangerous enemy from her past turns their lives upside down. For non-judgmental information and support on domestic abuse, women can visit https://refuge.org.uk/ or call the free National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 day or night. Men can call the free Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or visit https://mensadviceline.org.uk/. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Matt Forde?

  A note before we start, this episode contains a pretty upsetting depiction of domestic violence. If you or someone you know is experiencing harm in a relationship or needs support, we've put links to free support services in the episode description.

• 0:14Matt Forde?

  What are you working on there, Alice?

• 0:15Alice Levine?

  Just kind of planning out the year for the show, just some decisions to be made. I kind of wanted to talk to you about it, see what you thought.

• 0:21Matt Forde?

  I think you can just decide, you've got good judgement.

• 0:23Alice Levine?

  No, Matt, I don't want to be like the controlling dictator on the show that just takes over, you know, I want you to be invested.

• 0:29Matt Forde?

  Well, thanks, okay.

• 0:30Alice Levine?

  So there's some talk about the logo, you know, like, everyone loves it, but maybe we've had the red for too long, so how do you feel, green or blue?

• 0:40Matt Forde?

  Well, there's blue in the Union Jack, isn't there, so blue makes most sense, I think.

• 0:44Alice Levine?

  I think, yeah, green is nice though, isn't it?

• 0:47Matt Forde?

  Now you mention it, yeah, let's go with green.

• 0:50Alice Levine?

  Great choice, okay, green. I notice you've been, I guess you'd call it, growing your hair out, so are we thinking for the next haircut a bit shorter or a bit?

• 1:00Matt Forde?

  This doesn't really feel like it should be within the remit of the podcast, that feels personal to me, really.

• 1:06Alice Levine?

  Probably shorter, though.

• 1:08Matt Forde?

  Probably, yeah, if that's what you say and want, but it's starting to feel quite controlling, and not just that, it's patronising, I feel like you're babysitting me.

• 1:14Alice Levine?

  Whoa, come on now, I think that's a bit much.

• 1:18Matt Forde?

  Can I have my sucky bottle now, please?

• 1:19Alice Levine?

  Of course you can, you've been a good boy.

• 1:27Matt Forde?

  June 1984, Beverly Hills Hotel, LA.

• 1:33Matt Forde?

  Ozzy sprawls on the velvet couch of his chalet, curtains drawn against the blazing Californian sun, lights on, AC blasting, two lines of medical-grade cocaine in front of him.

• 1:46Alice Levine?

  I've never fully understood that expression, because there isn't a scenario where a medical professional would prescribe you cocaine.

• 1:54Matt Forde?

  Isn't there?

• 1:54Alice Levine?

  Yeah, because street grade, no thanks.

• 1:57Matt Forde?

  Don't waste my time.

• 1:57Alice Levine?

  Even domestic grade, not really that bother. Medical grade.

• 2:01Matt Forde?

  That's beyond industry standard, it's kite-marked.

• 2:06Matt Forde?

  You'd be an idiot not to do it, it's good for you.

• 2:09Matt Forde?

  Ozzy has the whole day off and nothing else to do this morning but enjoy this first hit.

• 2:16Matt Forde?

  He lifts his head, stares at the door. His nose twitches. He's not expecting anyone. A chill grips him. It's a raid. He dives forward, scoops up his coat, bolts to his feet. Uh, just a minute. Clutching his stash to his chest, he dashes to his kitchenette. Rips open cupboards, drawers, goes to sling it in the cabinet under the sink when he remembers. Sniffer dogs. He rushes to the bathroom, lifts the toilet mittel and peers down into the glistening bowl. But he can't let all this coke go to waste. Ozzy drops to his hands and knees, tips it out into a mound on the floor, presses his nose to the tiles.

• 3:03Matt Forde?

  Oh. The powder tears up his nostrils, a huge cloud hitting the back of his throat. Oh, my shit. His eyes fill with water, his pulse picking up and up, but he can't stop now. Between snorts, he licks his fingers, frantically rubbing more into his gums. His heart is going like a jackhammer in his chest. Uh, I'm coming. He sprints to the door, his face bright red, throbbing. He unfastens the chain, flings it open, and his chest almost bursts open when he sees who's standing there. Hello, vegetable. Don Arden, Sharon's father.

• 3:48Alice Levine?

  Seeing the in-laws unexpectedly, stressful. Seeing the, seeing the in-laws unexpectedly when you've absolutely gobbled a mound of cocaine.

• 4:00Matt Forde?

  The best thing to do surely is just run to the toilet and puke it out.

• 4:03Alice Levine?

  From your nose.

• 4:04Matt Forde?

  But it's gone down into your belly, hasn't it?

• 4:06Alice Levine?

  Surely, isn't that how bodies work?

• 4:07Matt Forde?

  Or just have some sort of, um, what would it be, like a rinse, a nasal rinse?

• 4:12Alice Levine?

  A nasal douche.

• 4:13Matt Forde?

  A nasal douche. Ozzy's mind bubbles, anxiety crackling all over his skin. Don Arden does not make social calls. If he pays a visit in person, it's either to rob you or break your legs. Ozzy stands frozen, then tries to speak, but all he can do is gurgle. I heard about what happened with Sharon. Ozzy grips the doorframe, the floor giving way beneath him. A full-body shudder ricochets through Ozzy as Don strides past him into the room. A sly grin spreading over his face, slowly baring his teeth. "I think it's time you and I had a little chat."

• 5:03Speaker 02

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• 5:32Speaker 02

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• 6:02Matt Forde?

  From Audible Originals, I'm Matt Ford.

• 6:05Alice Levine?

  And I'm Alice Levine.

• 6:06Matt Forde?

  And this is British Scandal.

• 6:18Matt Forde?

  So Alice, what are your thoughts on The Osbournes?

• 6:20Alice Levine?

  Very different thoughts to what I entered this series thinking, actually. I think, like a lot of people listening, my main knowledge of The Osbournes comes from the MTV TV show The Osbournes, where they're portrayed as this lovable, cuddly bunch of oddballs, but it doesn't really cover any of the darkness of the Black Sabbath years and the early years of Ozzy's solo career, which was a mess, frankly.

• 6:45Matt Forde?

  Yeah, and Ozzy himself is a unique sort of character. What's your take on him?

• 6:50Alice Levine?

  Well, he's undoubtedly incredibly charismatic, incredibly talented, but he's his own worst enemy. You know, he's had... A really awful beginning to his life and you can see that he's such a troubled young man, so vulnerable and being an addict doesn't really cover it. The way that he interacts with drugs and booze, it's shocking at this point in the story that he's even still alive.

• 7:13Matt Forde?

  Yes, he's a chaotic individual who's being egged on to be even more chaotic because that effectively becomes the business model and into that mix obviously is Sharon.

• 7:22Alice Levine?

  I mean Sharon is not messing, she is a force of nature, she is a woman who has had to grow up really fast, she's sort of been neglected in the music industry by her father who's sort of just let her bring herself up. And through having this domineering dad in Don Arden, she's established this behaviour which is some combination of of sort of saviour complex and enabler where when presented with these big personalities, these damaged men, she feels like she has to take care of everything and with Ozzy she really infantilises him and that develops a really deep resentment and upset which results in these explosive interactions.

• 8:05Matt Forde?

  It is a really destructive dynamic and if you can believe it, this relationship is about to get even more dramatic. This is episode two, Paranoid.

• 8:19Matt Forde?

  Two years earlier, March 1982, Burbank, California. Ozzy stares at himself in the bathroom mirror, bloodshot eyes, and takes a big swig of vodka.

• 8:33Matt Forde?

  He's dressed head to toe in black like always, but today it's for Randy's funeral.

• 8:38Alice Levine?

  He died.

• 8:40Matt Forde?

  Yes, so this is another infamous story in the life of Ozzy Osbourne. When they were on that tour bus, the reason why the plane hit it was the bus driver had hired a plane and he wanted to just fly low past the tour bus and sort of buzz it to give everyone a fright. He gets Randy in the plane with him, who had a fear of flying, and hits the bus and they die.

• 9:04Alice Levine?

  My god, that is so tragic and frankly so stupid.

• 9:11Matt Forde?

  Ozzy still can't believe it. They were on stage together last week. Now he's his pallbearer. Ozzy pulls a small, crumpled note from his pocket. A short eulogy he'd intended to read, but he's not sure he can go through with it. Sharon slides behind him and puts her arms over his shoulders. Squeezes. Come on, we have to go.

• 9:40Matt Forde?

  Ten minutes later, Ozzy loiter's by the hearse. He pulls furtively on a joint, then feels Sharon's elbow in his ribs.

• 9:49Speaker 03

  One vicar accidentally stoned is enough. Don't make it two.

• 9:55Matt Forde?

  Ozzy drops it, blows away the smoke. Sharon neatens his lapel. Make Randy proud. Ozzy hoists the coffin onto his shoulder. He feels the eyes of the congregation turn as one to face him as the church doors open.

• 10:12Matt Forde?

  His insides squelch. He's played stadiums all over the world, performed to millions, yet sixty people in this church is sparking a full-blown panic attack. At the far end of the aisle, propped up against the altar, he sees a portrait of Randy. Beautiful. Forever young. Playing his heart out. It makes Ozzy want to turn, to run, to leave this church, this city, this country. Head home and hide. Never set foot on a stage again.

• 10:44Matt Forde?

  Reaching the front, he lowers the coffin. Turns to hear whispers, words of gratitude. A mournful nod of respect from Randy's mother.

• 10:54Matt Forde?

  He feels his soul lift. Then he sees pride beaming from every inch of Sharon's beautiful face. For fifteen years, rock and roll has been everything. But now, he wants more. A home, a family. He sits, takes Sharon's hand, and looking into her soft, quivering eyes, makes himself a vow. He's going to take what bits of his broken life remain and build a new one. With Sharon as his wife.

• 11:36Matt Forde?

  Eighteen months later, September 1983, London. Sharon gazes down lovingly at baby Amy, cradled in her arms, inhaling the warm, milky scent as her daughter wriggles herself to sleep.

• 11:52Matt Forde?

  Wrapped in this little nest of bed sheets, the horror and heartache of the last year seems like a lifetime ago.

• 11:59Matt Forde?

  Ow, fuck! Ozzy staggers into the room, placing down a tea tray. Sharon looks at the cremated toast, the murky grey tea. Anyone else serving of this would get it flung back at their head, but from Ozzy, it's adorable. She picks up the post, flicks through a stack of cards from friends and well-wishers, when her fingers fall upon something that snags her breath.

• 12:27Matt Forde?

  Ozzy's plane tickets. He's leaving on a world tour in a few days, and she organised it.

• 12:34Speaker 03

  Right, come on, costume fitting.

• 12:37Matt Forde?

  Ozzy slumps onto the bed. Oh, can we not put this off of you, or fucking five? Sharon would give anything to keep Ozzy at home, but as his manager, she knows he has to get back out there. They have a baby to support now, and Ozzy is still her only client. She peels him up off the duvet, through to their walk-in wardrobe.

• 13:01Speaker 03

  This one's fun, sort of Evel Knievel.

• 13:04Matt Forde?

  Ozzy huffs. Looks like Cheeseburger Elvis. Sharon holds out another, a white leather catsuit with a huge feathered collar. He huffs again. What if I get bat blood on it? Do they have washing machines in arenas?

• 13:23Alice Levine?

  This is just begging for an aerial detergent campaign, isn't it? It's very Daz Doorstep Challenge.

• 13:28Matt Forde?

  What would it be, in a light enough for the Prince of Darkness?

• 13:31Alice Levine?

  Oh, for goodness' sake! We are wasted.

• 13:36Matt Forde?

  If any multinationals out there want to use us to write your ad campaigns, we have very flexible morals.

• 13:44Speaker 03

  Never put leather in a washing machine! God, Ozzy! Don't bite any more fucking animals either!

• 13:52Matt Forde?

  She watches him slump into an armchair.

• 13:56Speaker 03

  Why don't you come with me?

• 13:58Matt Forde?

  Sharon spins round in astonishment.

• 14:00Speaker 03

  Ozzy, we've got a two-week-old!

• 14:05Speaker 03

  She's tiny, she'll fit in the fucking hand luggage! I'm not bursting my fucking fanny stitches trying to keep you in line on the road, absolutely not! She takes your breath away, she really does.

• 14:16Matt Forde?

  Ozzy slumps down further. Sharon watches him, heart pinched. She knows he depends on her for everything. But fourteen months of near-constant touring with a newborn?

• 14:29Speaker 03

  Ozzy, this is insanity, even by our standards! Why? You were on the road as a kid, it was your family fucking business!

• 14:38Matt Forde?

  Sharon pauses, picturing herself and Amy, the costumes, the chaos. Then feels a crackle of excitement as she thinks, it might even be fun. She can't believe she's entertaining this, but the Osborns are hitting the road.

• 15:06Matt Forde?

  Six months later, the Four Seasons, Florida. Ozzy pinches a dirty nappy at arm's length as he marches through the hotel corridor, headed for the dumpsters outside. He has no idea what Sharon's been feeding the baby, but the nappies have been nuclear. Striding out along the hotel pool, he flinches as he hears his name.

• 15:29Speaker 03

  Hey, Oz, gonna give us some of that good shit?

• 15:33Matt Forde?

  Ozzy spins, sees Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, sunbathing, surrounded by women, drinking beers. So these are the support act for Ozzy Osbourne, well-known as Motley Crue, Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx. And Tommy Lee went on to become Pamela Anderson's husband for a brief period of time, and also, of course, her co-star in the infamous sex tape that I don't think anyone here has seen. Um, but we've heard about it.

• 16:02Matt Forde?

  Ozzy looks down at the fetid nappy, then at the thick rail of cocaine on their drinks cooler, and seethes with jealousy.

• 16:09Matt Forde?

  Wanna bump?

• 16:11Matt Forde?

  Ozzy gazes longingly at it. A quick line would really take the edge off. But he promised Sharon he'd stay clean.

• 16:20Matt Forde?

  Sorry, lads.

• 16:21Matt Forde?

  Tommy waggles a straw.

• 16:23Matt Forde?

  Come on, we signed up to tour with Ozzy Osbourne, not Danny fucking Osmond.

• 16:29Matt Forde?

  Now that is a mad tour pairing. Like having Slipknot supporting Lewis Capaldi. Not, no. Ozzy's jaw clenches as the women start laughing too. He's not gonna let a bunch of fluffy-haired Yanks trash-talk him. He grabs the straw, drops to his hands and knees, then places his nose at the end of a sticky discarded lolly stick by Nicky's feet.

• 16:55Matt Forde?

  What the fuck?

• 16:59Matt Forde?

  Half a dozen ants fly up his nostril, tickling the backs of his eyes.

• 17:04Matt Forde?

  Holy shit, dude!

• 17:07Matt Forde?

  Ozzy shakes his head, then grins.

• 17:10Matt Forde?

  Give me something to wash it down with, then.

• 17:15Matt Forde?

  A dozen beers and half a bottle of JD later, Ozzy's in full flow, chatting to a young bikini-clad fan, when he sees the faces of Tommy and Nicky cloud over. He feels his t-shirt being yanked.

• 17:31Speaker 03

  I see you found the fucking trash!

• 17:33Matt Forde?

  Sharon rips the bottle from his hand and drags him back to their room.

• 17:39Matt Forde?

  Fuck Sharon, you're not my fucking mum!

• 17:42Speaker 03

  No, I'm your fucking wife, who you let alone to get fucked up with some floozy!

• 17:48Matt Forde?

  Ozzy feels his blood boil.

• 17:50Matt Forde?

  It's fucking hard work, what I do!

• 17:53Speaker 03

  Oh, sorry. Not like raising a fucking baby!

• 17:57Matt Forde?

  Fucking madness bringing a fucking baby on tour.

• 18:00Matt Forde?

  I wouldn't, I really wouldn't. Ozzy, this was all your idea. You said bring the baby on tour, you snorted the ants. I said don't bring the baby on tour, and I haven't snorted any ants. The maths don't lie. He reaches for the door handle, sick of this. When something explodes next to his ear. Bourbon sprays his face. He looks in shock, then fury, at a dent in the wall inches from his head. Glass shards from a JD bottle dripping down. He twists around. Rage bubbles up inside him, then erupts as he charges forward. Dives through the air, tackling Sharon onto the bed.

• 18:41Matt Forde?

  Ozzy, no!

• 18:42Matt Forde?

  Amy's cries cut through his temper, snap him back to his senses.

• 18:48Matt Forde?

  Staring into Sharon's petrified face, he's immediately racked with remorse.

• 18:55Matt Forde?

  He pushes himself off the bed, totters onto his feet, the room swaying. He wipes a shaking hand across his mouth, draws a shuddering breath. He still has over a hundred shows ahead of him.

• 19:07Matt Forde?

  This old thing, i- i- it was a mistake.

• 19:10Matt Forde?

  He can either be a rock star or a father, but he can't be both at the same time.

• 19:29Matt Forde?

  One week later, Beverly Hills Hotel, LA. A Rolls Royce glides into the forecourt. Don Arden kills the engine. Pats down what's left of his hair in the rearview, then hops out, tossing his keys to the valet.

• 19:48Matt Forde?

  He glances up at the giant billboard, Ozzy's big grinning face everywhere. But word has reached him that not all is well in the Osborne household. There's rumours Sharon left the tour, flew back to England. And for Don, whenever there's chaos in the Osborne household, there's opportunity.

• 20:08Matt Forde?

  He bangs at Ozzy's door.

• 20:11Matt Forde?

  Pressing his ear to it, he hears footsteps scurrying.

• 20:14Matt Forde?

  Just a minute.

• 20:16Matt Forde?

  Don grinds his teeth. He hates being made to wait.

• 20:20Alice Levine?

  When he turns up at places unannounced.

• 20:25Matt Forde?

  Eventually, the door cracks open, revealing Ozzy, wired, bug-eyed, gormless. Exactly the drug-addled disaster Don remembers from Black Sabbath's prime. Hello, Vegetable. I think it's time you and I had a little chat.

• 20:43Matt Forde?

  He pushes past him into the room. I hear you're having some difficulties with my little girl. Anything you want to tell me? He fixes Ozzy with a cold stare, as he buzzes about anxiously.

• 20:54Matt Forde?

  It was a squabble, that's all. Things got a bit out of hand, but that's just what we're like.

• 21:00Matt Forde?

  Don grins. So the rumours are true, just as he hoped.

• 21:07Matt Forde?

  You want to be careful, Oz. Sharon's not someone to push around.

• 21:12Matt Forde?

  Yeah, no, I mean, she can be a bit nuts, but who am I to fucking judge?

• 21:17Matt Forde?

  No, you're nuts. She knows exactly what she's doing. Don's grin widens, as Ozzy's head tilts confused.

• 21:27Matt Forde?

  He isn't here to check in on the state of his daughter's marriage. He couldn't care less about that. He's here for himself.

• 21:33Alice Levine?

  Yes, that's very apparent, Don. What's interesting here about the dynamic where Don kind of feeds off the chaos and the tumult between Sharon and Ozzy is that there's a very similar pattern happening in a way, where Sharon feeds off Ozzy's chaos. They kind of all need him to not be on the straight and narrow, because that's what creates the content and the attention and the shows and the controversy. That is the product.

• 22:00Matt Forde?

  Don backed the wrong horse siding with Black Sabbath. Their last two albums have been disasters. Their tour has drawn crickets. They're done, and they're dragging down his company.

• 22:12Alice Levine?

  Right, so Black Sabbath's still going, managed by Don, but actually, they're nothing without Ozzy, because he's the one with all the talent and the one that people are really interested in. And then Ozzy, going solo, still generating attention, still generating interest.

• 22:26Matt Forde?

  Don has come to get even. Come on, Oz, you must have noticed. Using violence to get her way, sex, anything she can. It makes him sick that his daughter has somehow turned this gibbering coke casualty into the hottest ticket in town. Don can't stand it. There's nothing she won't do for a fucking dollar, that one. And I mean, nothing. Don doesn't care what he has to say to make it happen. Nah, you're off your fucking onion, man. There isn't a single client of mine she hasn't screwed. One way or the other. There's a word for that, and it ain't manager. Don straightens his jacket. If you ever get out from under her spell, you know where to find me.

• 23:13Matt Forde?

  Stomping back to his car, Don grinds his teeth. Ozzy's such a blockhead, it's impossible to tell if anything he said took root. He needs this man back under his control. He can't leave it to chance. He's a goddamn goldmine right now. And he definitely can't rely on Ozzy to make a rational decision. So Don is going to take a different tack. He's going to double down on his plan. And if he has to ruin Sharon to get what he wants... So be it.

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• 24:58Matt Forde?

  Two years later, Buckinghamshire, England. Sharon leans against a stud wall, frowning at the bathroom blueprints. Now that the builders have positioned the bathtub, the whole layout looks wrong. And she wants this house to be perfect for when Oz gets back. Life has been so much easier since she stopped touring with him. Even if it has meant she's barely seen Ozzy this past year. But two toddlers and another on the way has made the choice for her. Her time is much better spent tending to their home life.

• 25:33Matt Forde?

  She goes to the door, expecting the plumber.

• 25:38Matt Forde?

  Instead, she stops dead. Dad, what are you doing here? Don Arden smirks. Afternoon, Sha. It's been years since she's seen her father. They've barely spoken since she went solo. He didn't even send a card when his grandkids were born. You're not going to invite your old man in? Sharon blinks. She takes in his gold rings, his rounded shoulders. He's older, a little hunched, but he still has the same thuggish frame.

• 26:08Alice Levine?

  And the same thuggish mentality.

• 26:12Matt Forde?

  I hope you don't mind me saying this, you've got a very thuggish frame. Well, I mean that as a compliment, I think.

• 26:18Alice Levine?

  Are you talking to me now?

• 26:19Matt Forde?

  Yeah, you've got real job shoulders.

• 26:23Matt Forde?

  Don rocks on his heels. She sees him take in the grand Georgian exterior. Looks like you ain't hurting for cash these days, Sha. Sharon's brow furrows. Get to the point, what do you want? I'm here to collect my commission. From my former client, the one you poached. Sharon feels the hairs on her arms stiffen. Ozzy, I didn't poach him, you ditched him. Either way, it's still in violation of the non-compete agreement you signed. Sharon doesn't remember signing an NCA, but her dad shoved thousands of documents at her while she was working for him. You're fucking insane!

• 27:07Matt Forde?

  She moves back into the hallway to slam the door, but Don's hand blocks it. A hundred grand. Consider that a fucking down payment.

• 27:18Alice Levine?

  He is a wrong'un.

• 27:21Matt Forde?

  Sharon's eyes widen.

• 27:22Speaker 03

  Are you fucking shaking me down?

• 27:25Matt Forde?

  Unless you'd rather do this... the hard way? A shudder rattles through her. Her father's entire career is built around shakedowns like this.

• 27:36Speaker 03

  Mommy? Who is it?

• 27:40Matt Forde?

  She spins. Takes in Amy in the doorway. Her mind races. She tries to weigh her options. She does have cash upstairs. An emergency fund. She glares at her father.

• 27:53Speaker 03

  Wait here!

• 27:56Matt Forde?

  Sharon shuts the door and scurries upstairs. Tiptoes lightly past the nursery. Past her napping babies. Slips silently into her room.

• 28:07Matt Forde?

  From the back of her closet, she pulls a handbag. Peers inside. Her heart in her throat as she counts.

• 28:16Matt Forde?

  Back at the door, she thumps the bag hard into her dad's chest. He looks inside.

• 28:24Matt Forde?

  I said a hundred.

• 28:26Speaker 03

  I'm giving you fifty. And letting you keep your cock and balls.

• 28:31Matt Forde?

  He grins. Thanks doll. I'll be back for the rest. He strides away. Sharon collapses. A cold, sickly feeling sweeping over her. She's let her father do the one thing she vowed she'd never let him do again. Dominate her. She might have bought some time. But she knows her dad won't stop. So she needs to make a plan to protect her family. And destroy anyone who tries to take her for a fool again.

• 29:09Matt Forde?

  November 1988, New York.

• 29:13Matt Forde?

  Ozzy slumps in his limo, hiding his face from the crowd. Throws another Xanax down his throat.

• 29:21Matt Forde?

  Central Park blurs past the window as he picks up the car phone, punches in Sharon's number for the fifth time, slams the leather seat as he gets her answer machine again. He's barely seen Sharon these last six months, she's busy signing new clients. All she does is work, and he really needs her right now. Religious wingnuts are claiming heavy metal is corrupting America's children. Someone's made a death threat against him. He drains his whisky as the radio crackles.

• 29:51Matt Forde?

  Concerned listeners claim the music contains hidden satanic messages.

• 29:56Matt Forde?

  Ozzy snaps at his driver.

• 29:58Matt Forde?

  Shut that fucking thing up!

• 30:01Matt Forde?

  Ozzy's even had to employ extra security. He just wishes he had them here.

• 30:07Matt Forde?

  Ozzy can't stay sat any longer. He barrels out of the car and sprints to the hotel reception.

• 30:17Matt Forde?

  Ten minutes later, safe in his suite, Ozzy lies back on his bed, pours a drink, pops another pill. He turns on the telly to distract himself.

• 30:27Matt Forde?

  It comes as parent-led pressure groups move to ban heavy metal records, claiming they glamorise occult practices.

• 30:35Alice Levine?

  I mean, is this a case of all publicity is good publicity?

• 30:39Matt Forde?

  Sort of, but it ended up in congress and became a huge battle about freedom of speech and artistic licence. And it wasn't just Ozzy Osbourne, people like Frank Zappa, even John Denver got involved in this and made the case that freedom of expression was effectively enshrined in the First Amendment and that they shouldn't be censored. The upshot of all this was that this is where those little warnings you sometimes get on albums, parental advisory, explicit lyrics come from. This was the resolution to it, in a way the solution. And what they ensured as well was that was a voluntary system rather than government mandated.

• 31:15Alice Levine?

  This feels like such a modern debate because it's the idea that it's the parents' responsibility to control or limit what their children are consuming. Obviously now the conversation is about online content rather than just music.

• 31:30Matt Forde?

  Ozzy grimaces, as his album covers flash on screen. Him, kneeling in a dark room, gripping a raised crucifix draped in a scarlet cape. Him as a werewolf, posing on a log, howling. He grabs his bedside phone, but again fails to get through to Sharon. Instead, Don's voice echoes in his head.

• 31:51Matt Forde?

  Right. There isn't a single client of mine she hasn't screwed, one way or the other.

• 31:58Matt Forde?

  He's increasingly struggling to control these voices.

• 32:01Matt Forde?

  There's a word for that, and it ain't manager.

• 32:05Matt Forde?

  He's resorted to the one coping mechanism he can rely on. He fumbles in his pocket, pulls out a vial of coke, takes a bump... And hears Don's voice again, but not in his head this time, from the TV.

• 32:21Matt Forde?

  It's absolute nonsense. Mr Osborne may occasionally behave like a lunatic vampire, but he's a showman, not a Satanist.

• 32:31Matt Forde?

  Ozzy blinks, convinced he's hallucinating, but he isn't. Don is on camera, defending him. His skull starts to throb. It should be Sharon on screen. What's he paying her for if not this? He picks up the phone again, his fingers hover over the buttons, but then he punches in a different set of digits.

• 32:56Matt Forde?

  Hello? Hello?

• 33:00Matt Forde?

  There's silence on the line, until he hears it connect.

• 33:05Matt Forde?

  Hello, vegetable. What can I do you for?

• 33:19Matt Forde?

  June 1989, Tower Theatre, Philadelphia. Sharon's Mercedes pulls up outside the arena. Her eyes follow the snaked queue of 20,000 raucous fans, all bristling to get inside. The muffled sounds of the pre-show playlist pulsing through the air.

• 33:39Matt Forde?

  Sharon's been so busy getting her management company up on its feet, she's barely seen Ozzy. She knows he's been struggling with this absurd campaign against his music, so she's finally managed to join him on tour. She's missed him, and she knows he's been missing home, too. She's also brought a surprise along with her.

• 34:00Matt Forde?

  She smiles as she takes in her three children, excitedly squeezed in beside her, faces painted with gothic makeup.

• 34:08Speaker 03

  Your dad's gonna go mad for this.

• 34:12Matt Forde?

  She plucks Amy, Kelly and Jack out of the car, hustling them backstage.

• 34:20Matt Forde?

  Huddled at his dressing room door, she smooths down their little tassled Ozzy outfits, counts them down from three, then pushes the door open.

• 34:29Speaker 03

  Daddy!

• 34:32Matt Forde?

  She watches the kids race towards Ozzy.

• 34:36Matt Forde?

  Slow, then stop completely as he turns. A dark, drunken mood hovering over him.

• 34:43Matt Forde?

  Sharon, what the fuck is this?

• 34:47Matt Forde?

  Sharon bundles the kids back into her arms.

• 34:50Speaker 03

  A nice fucking surprise, you prick!

• 34:52Matt Forde?

  He swings round, sending pill and booze bottles clattering.

• 34:57Matt Forde?

  Not them, this!

• 35:00Matt Forde?

  He flings a square file at her chest. She looks down at it, then feels her stomach plummet.

• 35:07Speaker 03

  Kids, go and find nanny.

• 35:10Matt Forde?

  In her hands is a lawsuit, filed against her and Ozzy, for breach of contract by her father, for ten million dollars.

• 35:22Speaker 03

  That rat fucking bastard!

• 35:25Matt Forde?

  What have you fucking done?

• 35:27Matt Forde?

  Sharon blocks his path.

• 35:29Speaker 03

  Me? I'm the one who's been fighting to keep this bullshit off your fucking plate, expanding the fucking business.

• 35:37Matt Forde?

  You knew about this?

• 35:39Matt Forde?

  Her fists clench.

• 35:41Speaker 03

  He's been trying to blackmail us! He's fucking insane! So I took the executive decision to pay him a retainer to-

• 35:48Matt Forde?

  She's cut off by Ozzy wailing.

• 35:50Matt Forde?

  Oh, fucking kickbacks to your old man! Well, I'm slugging my guts out on the road!

• 35:55Alice Levine?

  Slugging in guts out on the road.

• 35:58Matt Forde?

  I'm slugging my guts out, and I'm also propelling them at my fans.

• 36:04Matt Forde?

  He paces in a tight circle.

• 36:06Speaker 03

  I did it to try and stop this exact fucking thing happening.

• 36:09Matt Forde?

  He said you were always on the fucking mic.

• 36:12Matt Forde?

  Ozzy storms towards the door.

• 36:15Speaker 03

  You've been talking to my dad.

• 36:17Matt Forde?

  And I should have fucking listened.

• 36:19Matt Forde?

  She spins round, watching him leave, frozen to the spot. Of course he's been working Ozzy as well. And from the way Ozzy's talking, he's cutting through too. She can't have her father prize Ozzy away from her. Because it won't just be her star client she loses if that happens. It's her entire marriage. Ozzy has been left alone and unguarded on tour for too long. But that's about to change. She has to protect what's hers.

• 37:04Matt Forde?

  Two months later. Dynasty Chinese restaurant, Little Shalfont, England. Ozzy staggers out of the toilets, swaying like a ship in a storm. He slams into the walls as he makes his way back to the restaurant table. This is supposed to be a party. But he hasn't been having much fun. All he wants is a little buzz. He needs something to escape the long shadow of Don's $10 million lawsuit. Sharon has done her best to kill his vibe all day. He thought being sent out on tour was bad. Being summoned back home is a nightmare. It's like living with his ex-wife Thelma all over again. But worse. Because Sharon hits him.

• 37:46Alice Levine?

  So they're trapped in this toxic cycle then?

• 37:49Matt Forde?

  Yes, they were both violent and they've both been open about it. Um, Sharon would throw tables, lamps, telephones at him. She even smashed a bowl of porridge over his head. So the violence was real and it was severe.

• 38:02Alice Levine?

  Yeah, I think a lot of people have this fuzzy, eccentric image of a dysfunctional family in their heads when they think of the Osbournes. But this is extreme.

• 38:11Matt Forde?

  He's had to resort to sleeping pills. And a handful of Vicodin he found in his back pocket.

• 38:17Matt Forde?

  Stepping back into the dining room, something sharp jabs his left arm, causing him to drop his pill. Ozzy turns, sees the hard, pointed ear of a carved mahogany dragon prodding him. This bastard dragon, it's been giving him the evil eye all night. Ozzy squares up to it.

• 38:37Matt Forde?

  Fucking want some, do ya?

• 38:40Matt Forde?

  He throws his arms wide, flares his nostrils. The dragon doesn't flinch.

• 38:46Matt Forde?

  Yeah, didn't think so, scaly fucking prick.

• 38:50Matt Forde?

  He turns back round and discovers he's surrounded by ninjas, dressed as waiters.

• 39:00Matt Forde?

  He strikes a kung fu pose, lets out a high pitched battle cry.

• 39:04Alice Levine?

  The arrogance of men that Ozzy Osbourne thinks that he can take on, potentially a full team of ninjas.

• 39:13Matt Forde?

  You wouldn't want to do it on a full Chinese meal either. If you've just had some duck pancakes, probably the right amount of nutrition for about of this scale. But if you've had chow mein chicken balls, egg fried rice.

• 39:24Alice Levine?

  If you've got a watery belly from sort of dumpling soup, you'd just be sloshing around, wouldn't you?

• 39:30Matt Forde?

  Just as he's about to unleash a spinning roundhouse kick, he feels arms wrap around his waist, dragging him away.

• 39:38Speaker 03

  It's your infant daughter's fucking birthday party, for fuck's sake, Oz!

• 39:44Matt Forde?

  Ozzy feels his sleeping pill start to kick in, drifting in and out as Sharon berates him again and again.

• 39:53Matt Forde?

  She shoves him in the car.

• 39:56Matt Forde?

  He rests his hot head against the cool car window and shuts his eyes.

• 40:05Matt Forde?

  When he opens them next, he finds he's being lobbed into their bedroom.

• 40:09Speaker 03

  Don't come out until you're ready to apologise.

• 40:11Matt Forde?

  Ozzy glowers, prisoner in his own house.

• 40:16Matt Forde?

  But Ozzy isn't done. He staggers through to the bathroom, grabs a bottle of mouthwash, chugs it dry. He lets the minty fire burn inside him. He grabs for the mirrored medicine cabinet, goes to open it, but stops as he catches something strange in his reflection. His mouth, it's moving.

• 40:38Matt Forde?

  But he's not the one moving it.

• 40:40Matt Forde?

  Well, it finally fucking happened.

• 40:44Matt Forde?

  Ozzy jumps back, squints, then leans closer.

• 40:49Matt Forde?

  "Treat you like a dancing bear for years, now she's actually fucking caged you."

• 40:55Matt Forde?

  He touches his lips, but can't feel a thing.

• 40:59Matt Forde?

  "He fucking warned you, and you didn't fucking listen."

• 41:03Matt Forde?

  Ozzy turns his head away, but the voice continues.

• 41:06Matt Forde?

  "You knew there was money missing, and you fucking let it go. She spent all her time chasing other clients, you rolled over like a fucking pupper."

• 41:15Matt Forde?

  He stops tensing. The voice has a point.

• 41:21Matt Forde?

  "There's still a way out of this, you know."

• 41:23Matt Forde?

  Ozzy looks back up at his reflection, wills it for the answer.

• 41:28Matt Forde?

  "It's very simple.

• 41:31Matt Forde?

  Sharon... has to go."

• 41:41Speaker 07

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• 42:11Speaker 08

  Hey, what's up, guys? It's Haley Bailey. Okay, I need to tell you about something. I just got YouTube Premium. It's got tons of awesome features like offline downloads, so I can download my favorite videos before I travel and watch them whenever I don't have Wi-Fi. Because we all know airplane Wi-Fi is the worst. I get ad-free, I get background play, and there's like a ton more in there. You should try it. If you like YouTube, you'll love YouTube Premium. So try YouTube Premium for two months free at youtube.com/premium. Trial eligibility varies. Terms apply. Cancel anytime. That's a mouthful.

• 42:41Speaker 09

  By 1779, Benedict Arnold had sacrificed more for the revolution than almost any other man in America. One of George Washington's most effective commanders, he had nearly lost a leg in the Second Battle of Saratoga. But in return, Arnold believed he had been humiliated by Congress and cheated of his glory by lesser men, so he decided to make them pay. Hi, I'm Lindsey Graham, the host of the podcast American Scandal. We bring to life some of the biggest controversies in U.S. history: presidential lies, environmental disasters, corporate fraud. In our latest series, Benedict Arnold turns his back on his comrades in the Continental Army and secretly defects to the British. With the help of his wife, he plots to hand over the most important colonial fortress to the

• 43:25Speaker 09

  enemy and doom the revolution he once served. Follow American Scandal wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of American Scandal early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 43:57Matt Forde?

  Ten minutes later, Amy's bedroom, the Osbornes' home, Buckinghamshire. Sharon kisses her daughter's forehead, brushes the hair from her damp cheeks, the sobbing finally subsiding as she drifts off to sleep. Sharon feels her anger return. She thought she had cleared the house of booze, his drugs, but he could hardly walk tonight. He must have secret stashes everywhere. She storms downstairs and starts tearing the living room apart. Behind the black velvet cushions of his armchair, she finds a bottle of brandy. She flings his leather-bound black magic books from the bookshelves, little baggies of Coke slipping

• 44:40Matt Forde?

  from their pages. Stuffed in the mouth of the skull on the mantelpiece, a block of hash. In the kitchen, she finds gin, whiskey, rum, all tucked into empty cereal boxes. Four bottles of vodka in the oven stacked on their side. Cracking them open, pouring them down the sink, she begins to wonder how she let things get this bad. If she was a good little housewife who dusted or used her oven, she'd never have missed all this. I don't like to victim blame Matt, but it does feel that way. Yes, it's her fault that he hid vodka in the oven. He was actually trying to encourage her to be better by hiding stuff. I can tell this is easy for you. Yep, go on.

• 45:24Matt Forde?

  So that she would find them and that would mend their relationship. He was doing this out of love. You got there. Yep. Draining the last bottle, she turns and leaps in fright to see Ozzy looming silently in the doorway.

• 45:40Speaker 03

  Fucking hell!

• 45:42Matt Forde?

  She clutches her chest.

• 45:45Speaker 03

  Come to stop me throwing out all of your precious booze?

• 45:48Matt Forde?

  Ozzy doesn't move.

• 45:50Speaker 03

  Or are you here to apologize?

• 45:52Matt Forde?

  Sharon narrows her eyes. He looks wrong. His face is pale, lifeless, hair stuck to his damp forehead.

• 46:00Speaker 03

  Ozzy?

• 46:02Matt Forde?

  Nothing.

• 46:04Matt Forde?

  She peers closer. He looks zombified.

• 46:07Speaker 03

  Oz?

• 46:08Matt Forde?

  Slowly, he lifts his head, speaks in a clear, calm voice.

• 46:16Matt Forde?

  We've been having a talk and we've decided you've gotta go.

• 46:22Matt Forde?

  His tone turns her spine to ice.

• 46:26Speaker 03

  We? Who the fuck is we?

• 46:29Matt Forde?

  He takes a step towards her, straight and sharp as a dart.

• 46:35Matt Forde?

  We're sorry, but we've decided.

• 46:44Matt Forde?

  Sharon steps backward, bumps into a chair.

• 46:48Speaker 03

  Knock it off, Ozzy. This isn't funny.

• 46:51Matt Forde?

  Dread creeps up her spine as he presses forward.

• 46:55Matt Forde?

  You've gotta go.

• 46:57Speaker 03

  Ozzy, stop. You're scaring me.

• 47:00Matt Forde?

  She hits against something solid, looks down and back to see the kitchen counter, turns back, and his hands are around her neck, squeezing. She screams, but it's pinched off in her throat, only a tiny gasp escaping. She grabs his wrists, tries to wrench them apart, but it's like he's possessed. She swings her hand full force at his head.

• 47:27Matt Forde?

  He doesn't flinch. Panic rises as she feels his thumbs pushing harder. Blood swelling in her head. Her hands scrabble around the counter for some sort of weapon. Her fingers brush a spatula, an ashtray, a bread knife. But Ozzy swings her round, clattering into the kitchen table.

• 47:45Alice Levine?

  Jesus Christ, this is horrible.

• 47:49Matt Forde?

  Her vision starts to darken, pulsing purple. She sweeps her arms around the table, searching for something she can fight back with. And then she feels it. Small, light, plastic. A panic button.

• 48:06Matt Forde?

  Her eyelids growing heavy. She slips her thumb onto the little red button. Musters all her strength to squeeze and slips into black.

• 48:22Matt Forde?

  Twelve hours later, the hallway.

• 48:26Matt Forde?

  Sharon stands in front of a plain white wall, freezing. Her throat roar and ragged, her eyes vibrating with fatigue. All she wants is for this nightmare to be over, to be left alone for one minute. But the police need to document her bruising.

• 48:45Matt Forde?

  The photographer gestures at her. Can you lift your arms for me? Sharon does as instructed, her joints grinding in agony. She winces in pain as the camera flashes. The longest night of her life stretches on. Looking up at the hall clock, she can't believe it isn't even midday yet. God knows how she found the strength to serve the kids their breakfast this morning. How she held back the tears long enough to put them in the car, pack them off to school with a smile as if nothing had happened.

• 49:17Matt Forde?

  She can't believe they slept peacefully in their beds as their father tried to kill her. As alarms blared, sirens wailed, police kicked indoors, dragged Ozzy away, hollering in cuffs. The photographer lowers her camera. My colleague just has a few final things to discuss with you about the charges. Sharon sighs as her assistant hands her a top and a mug of tea. How are you holding up, Sharon? She stares at the swirling milk. I just keep seeing his eyes. It was like a shatter had come down, no spark of him left, just a zombie.

• 49:53Matt Forde?

  Mrs Osborne.

• 49:54Matt Forde?

  A police officer steps in.

• 49:56Matt Forde?

  We recommend you speak with a lawyer as soon as you can. They'll advise you on the next steps.

• 50:03Matt Forde?

  She clutches her mug. I just want my babies to be safe.

• 50:07Matt Forde?

  The officer nods. Well, we can say to that.

• 50:12Matt Forde?

  Her assistant enters, phone in hand. Sharon looks to her, loitering in the doorway.

• 50:19Matt Forde?

  What is it?

• 50:21Matt Forde?

  She looks sheepish. It's your dad. He was at the courthouse this morning. Offering to help Ozzy. The air rushes out of Sharon's lungs. What's left of her world crashing down around her. He wants to meet. She balls her fists. Tell him to fuck off. As far as I'm concerned, I no longer have a dad. Her assistant twitches nervously. Uh, no, I meant Ozzy. Every muscle in Sharon's body tightens at the sound of his name. A cold sweat prickling her scalp. The idea of seeing that demon again. It chills her to the marrow. She tried.

• 51:04Matt Forde?

  Against every single one of her better judgments, she tried with Ozzy. But there's nothing left to save. She's had enough. Of his drinking, his drugs, his foul temper, his violence. No, she doesn't want to see Ozzy. Not now. Not ever again.

• 51:32Matt Forde?

  From Audible Originals and Samistat Audio, this is the first episode in our series Sharon and Ozzy.

• 51:38Alice Levine?

  A quick note about our dialogue. In most cases, we can't know exactly what was said, but all of our dramatizations are based on historical research.

• 51:46Matt Forde?

  If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osborne, Extreme by Sharon Osborne, Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe by Mick Wall, and Off the Rails by Rudy Sasso. British Candle is hosted by me, Matt Ford.

• 52:02Alice Levine?

  And me, Alice Levine.

• 52:03Matt Forde?

  Written by Chris Lockery. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor was James Maniac. Sound design by Dan King. Our engineer was Jai Williams. For Samizdat, our producer is Chika Ayers. Our assistant producer is Louise Mason. Our senior producers are Joe Sykes and Dashar Lissitzina. Executive producers for Wondery are Theodora Leludis, Estelle Doyle, and Marshall Louie.

• 52:33Speaker 10

  Hey, I'm Cassie DePecce, the host of Against the Odds from Audible Originals. In each episode, we share thrilling true stories of survival, putting you in the shoes of the people who lived to tell the tale. In our latest series, we track the story of Hugh Glass, the real-life revenant that inspired the 2015 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio. In 1823, Glass was brutally mauled by a grizzly bear in present-day South Dakota and left for dead. His survival depended on trekking through 350 miles of wilderness alone with grave injuries. But he was driven by his thirst for revenge. Follow Against the Odds wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge all episodes of Against the Odds early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

• 53:18Speaker 11

  I'm Gemma Whelan, and in the new season of The Spy Who, we tell the story of the original femme fatale, The Spy Who Was Mata Hari. A famous dancer-turned-World War I secret agent accused of seducing Allied officers to uncover their plans, but was she a temptress or a scapegoat for French failures? Follow The Spy Who now, wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also listen to the full season of The Spy Who Was Mata Hari early and ad-free on Audible.