Pod Insights British Scandal Sharon and Ozzy | Master of Reality | 3 About this episode When The Osbournes TV show becomes a global hit, Ozzy and Sharon step into a whole new kind of fame. Sharon rides the wave like a pro, whereas Ozzy would quite like to hide under it. Money pours in, the cameras never leave, and the family realise they've sacrificed more than just privacy.
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Transcript 8,497 words · 14 speakers
Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
0:00 Matt Forde? Okay, Alice, this is very exciting for us today. This is the first time that an episode of British Canada's been filmed.
0:05 Alice Levine? Yes, and I've had a little bit of direction from the producers. We need to do something that's sort of attention grabbing. We'll keep people watching and listening, something a bit wow.
0:15 Matt Forde? Great, I'm up for that.
0:17 Alice Levine? Great, so just some ideas we were knocking around before you arrived. We thought we could gather all your exes here and then get them to just tell stories about you, embarrassing, demeaning kind of stuff.
0:28 Matt Forde? I mean, that sounds like a nightmare. Are there any other ideas?
0:32 Alice Levine? Uh, okay, we could try. This is really fun. So for a lot of people, this is the first time they'll actually have ever seen us in the flesh, flesh being the operative word. So what we thought we could do is reveal different parts of your body, brackets intimate, and then see if the general public can identify you from them.
0:50 Matt Forde? Um, I mean, I obviously want to do stuff for the good of the show.
0:54 Alice Levine? Yeah, yeah, me too.
0:55 Matt Forde? But if there was something else, then I'd be open to that.
0:59 Alice Levine? Okay, you don't, you don't like the penis one. Okay. Oh, here now, I loved this when I first heard it. Okay. So we give you liposuction on all your flabby bits and then hopefully it goes a bit wrong and then there's an infection, we get to kind of follow that up and you'll be under local so you can talk throughout.
1:19 Matt Forde? Okay. I mean, that gives me a bit more agency than the others, I think.
1:23 Alice Levine? Yeah.
1:23 Matt Forde? And if, if you are convinced it will help the show.
1:26 Alice Levine? Yeah.
1:27 Matt Forde? I'll do it.
1:28 Alice Levine? Great. I'll see if there's a dodgy doctor that can do it in 60 seconds because that's best for socials.
1:34 Matt Forde? 5th of July, 2025, Villa Park, Birmingham. Ozzy peers out from the wings, takes in the sight of the crowd and feels the breath leave his body. Forty thousand punters in the stadium, five million people watching live all around the world.
1:55 Matt Forde? Ozzy can scarcely believe it. Here he is, 76 years old and he's the headline act. Staring in wonder around the venue, he feels the years peel back. Back to the days when his dad brought him here to watch Villa, when he and his school friends would hang about the car park on match days, scoring cheap speed and ciggies. The days when he was playing old, John Osborne.
2:20 Alice Levine? Stop. That's a plain Jane name, John Osborne. John Osborne works in IT, doesn't he? He's big on LinkedIn, a John Osborne.
2:26 Matt Forde? Loves going to conferences.
2:27 Alice Levine? Yep. He's a real lanyard fiend.
2:31 Matt Forde? A hand rests gently on Ozzy's shoulder. He turns to see Tony Iommi, his old Black Sabbath bandmate. A twinkle in his eye. Give him hell, Oz. Ozzy grins. He goes to step out onto the stage, but his leg won't move. His hip is locked tight. As he tries again, his body lurches. A lightning crack of pain shoots up his spine. He folds over in agony. Gritting his teeth, he tries to gain control of his muscles. But he can't command them to do his bidding. He needs help. Sharon! Sharon rushes to his side, clutches his trembling arm.
3:14 Speaker 02 What is it, Oz? What can I do?
3:17 Matt Forde? He exhales slowly. The chair. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tries to soothe himself. But the thought screaming in his head over everything is, "This is how I'll be remembered."
3:36 Matt Forde? Sharon guides him delicately back into the chair being wheeled towards him. A bespoke throne, seven foot high, stuttered black leather. Adorned with a giant vampire bat, its wings spread wide. A wheelchair, fully befitting the Prince of Darkness. Ozzy clasps the armrests.
3:59 Speaker 02 Are you sure you want to do this?
4:02 Matt Forde? Ozzy looks up, the pain still coursing through his body, his muscles still convulsing. A bit fucking late in the day to be asking that now.
4:13 Alice Levine? As his wife, she's going, "You all right?" As his manager, she's like, "I think you can do it."
4:17 Matt Forde? Jab in with summer and we'll sort it in two hours.
4:20 Alice Levine? That's what your wife did when you were in recovery. Got a mortgage to pay.
4:26 Matt Forde? Sharon splutters out a laugh, one that sets off a tear. He stares lovingly at her. How the two of them have survived the 50 years of mayhem they've shared, he'll never know. But this feels like a fitting end. Not many people get to play their own wake.
4:47 Matt Forde? The roar swells as his band takes their place. He sees Sharon wipe her eyes, then smile.
4:54 Speaker 03 "One last time."
4:57 Matt Forde? She nods. He leans back in his throne, raises an arm, and points a shaking finger towards the stage. Three men approach and start to push the Prince of Darkness forward into the deafening chants and the screams of the crowd, for what he knows will be his final shout.
5:16 Speaker 03 "All aboard! Let's fucking go!"
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6:29 Matt Forde? From Audible Originals, I'm Matt Ford.
6:31 Alice Levine? And I'm Alice Levine.
6:33 Matt Forde? And this is British Scandal.
6:46 Matt Forde? So Alice, I think it's fair to say Ozzy and Sharon are quite a pair.
6:50 Alice Levine? They are quite a pair. They are a couple with so many contradictions. On the one hand, they are soulmates really. They're funny together, they're silly, they can be really romantic and goofy. But then there's this other side, which is totally toxic. This dark side where you get incidents like the last episode of domestic violence where Ozzy tried to kill Sharon.
7:11 Matt Forde? Yes, and he's vulnerable in his own way. He's got addiction issues, things in his childhood that are deeply traumatic. And he is a chaotic individual.
7:20 Alice Levine? I just can't imagine how on earth they are going to get back on track.
7:24 Matt Forde? Well, this is episode three, Master of Reality.
7:32 Matt Forde? Thirty-five years earlier. September 1989, Amersham Police Station. Ozzy slumps in his jail cell, staring into the middle distance, a cold shiver skittering all over him. He's lost track of time. Every second feels infinite. He keeps fading in and out of consciousness. Images of Sharon's contorted, terrified face flash across his mind.
7:59 Alice Levine? Ozzy, stop!
8:02 Alice Levine? This is of course that horrible incident at their house where he completely lost it and went for her.
8:07 Matt Forde? Yes, and got arrested, and is about to face the consequences of his own actions.
8:17 Alice Levine? Osborne!
8:19 Matt Forde? Ozzy has jolted from his nightmare as a guard appears and barks at him. Someone has seen you! His heart sinks. He can't bear another interrogation, or a lawyer, come to tell him how many years he's facing. But the guard hauls him to his feet, drags him through the station to the door of the interview room, then leans in close to his ear. "Any funny business? I'll break your legs." Ozzy swallows hard. The door swings open, he's shoved through, and his legs almost give out from underneath him when he sees who's there. Sharon. He tries to speak, to say her name as he chokes on air. Their eyes meet fleetingly.
9:02 Matt Forde? As she turns her head away, he sees them. Blackish-purple handprints on her neck. He crumples into his seat.
9:12 Speaker 03 I'm so fucking sorry Sharon. I don't know what happened. It's just all fucking black. But I'd never want you dead. I'll just fuck.
9:22 Matt Forde? Ozzy breaks down. His head drops, sobbing onto the table.
9:26 Speaker 02 I wanted to see you so I could tell you in person.
9:29 Matt Forde? He hears her take a slow, steadying breath.
9:35 Speaker 02 I've made a decision.
9:38 Matt Forde? Ozzy clasps his hands together.
9:40 Speaker 03 No, Sharon, please.
9:43 Matt Forde? He brings his hands to his head, driving his fists in hard, bracing himself.
9:49 Speaker 02 I'm not pressing charges.
9:51 Matt Forde? Ozzy blinks, collapses back in disbelief.
9:55 Speaker 02 Whatever that was, whatever you became that night, I know that wasn't my husband. But I can't continue Oz.
10:04 Alice Levine? This will be life-altering if she leaves him. She is what, I mean, not to overstate it, keeps him alive.
10:11 Matt Forde? Yeah, he's chaotic enough with Sharon Osborne in his life. Without her, game over. Also, you can't imagine either of them with anyone else.
10:20 Alice Levine? No, I really can't.
10:21 Matt Forde? Imagine if she started dating...
10:23 Alice Levine? Hugh Dennis.
10:24 Matt Forde? Yeah, Tony Hadley. What? You can't. She's never gonna find anyone that's gonna like...
10:29 Alice Levine? Ozzy with Fiona Bruce, it just doesn't make sense.
10:36 Matt Forde? Tears start to fill Ozzy's eyes. He forces his palms together.
10:40 Speaker 03 Sharon, I can't, please. I'll do anything.
10:45 Matt Forde? He wills her to look at him, but instead she takes a step toward the door, places her hand on the bolt.
10:52 Speaker 03 Anything Sharon, I swear.
10:55 Matt Forde? He sees her pause, then slowly turn as she fixes him with a look. Tears now in her eyes.
11:03 Speaker 02 I swear Oz, I should get a fucking medal.
11:06 Matt Forde? Ozzy can hear his own heartbeat in the silence.
11:09 Speaker 02 I'm giving Mother Teresa a run for her fucking good deeds. You're going to rehab and you will not step foot inside the house again until that fucking demon inside you is dealt with.
11:23 Alice Levine? Can you imagine group therapy with Ozzy Osbourne? Look, everyone, we're not supposed to eat in here and Ozzy, you are eating a bat. So can we just put our snacks aside?
11:31 Speaker 03 I'll eat it for the fucking protein.
11:36 Matt Forde? Ozzy's stomach knots. He pictures the rules, the withdrawal.
11:41 Speaker 03 Of course.
11:43 Speaker 02 You have a family, Oz. From this moment on, they come first. The kids need their father and I need my husband back.
11:51 Matt Forde? He wipes his blubbering face, snot and tears all over his hands.
11:55 Speaker 02 But I'm telling you now, you fuck this up, I'm gone, forever.
12:00 Matt Forde? Ozzy's body gives out, collapses onto the table, convulsing with relief. He doesn't know what he's done to deserve this. All he knows is that he'll quit whatever he has to. Booze, pills, his whole rock and roll reputation. Because he is never going to risk losing Sharon, ever, again.
12:29 Matt Forde? Ten years later, February 2000. Sharon's home office, Beverly Hills. Sharon's grip tightens around her mouse. She's squeezing it like the brick she so dearly wants to smash into her client's face. On screen is an email. Complaints about her management style. Lies. Billy Corgan, the singer of The Smashing Pumpkins, maligning her. Twisting reality to try and wriggle out of their contract. She smacks the mouse against the desk, swearing until her throat burns. She drags the keyboard close.
13:08 Speaker 02 Dear sirs, please inform Mr. Corgan I will no longer be able to work with him on health grants. Because he makes me fucking sick.
13:19 Matt Forde? She's good.
13:19 Alice Levine? That is such a great email. Can I actually send that email to somebody right now?
13:24 Matt Forde? Yeah.
13:24 Alice Levine? I just know exactly who needs to get that. Um, question, did we get?
13:28 Matt Forde? Sorry, I just sent an email.
13:33 Matt Forde? A quick, cathartic thrill rushes through her, replaced by panic. The pumpkins were the only act she had a shot of placing on a festival line-up this summer. Sharon spent the past decade reinventing herself and Ozzy just to keep them alive in an industry that's already written them off. She tries desperately to think, but her concentration is shattered by a shout from downstairs.
13:56 Speaker 03 Sharon!
13:59 Matt Forde? Sharon grits her teeth, charges downstairs to the living room, where a Spanish news channel blares full pelt, while Ozzy jabs helplessly at the remote. What the fuck are you doing? I'm trying to work, Oz!
14:13 Speaker 03 The clicker's not working!
14:16 Matt Forde? Sharon snatches it from him. Ozzy, it's fucking soaking!
14:22 Speaker 03 It fell in the dog bowl!
14:25 Matt Forde? This is such a stressful household! It's like, um, it's like they live in the Beano or something. These are like such hapless people. Why are they the Chuckle Brothers?
14:38 Matt Forde? She blazes past him, yanks the plug from the wall. The TV goes black. The room falls silent. There! She slams the broken remote into his chest, storms back upstairs.
14:52 Speaker 03 But I wanted to watch the History Channel!
14:56 Matt Forde? Sharon stops dead in her tracks. Her fists clench, knuckles straining against the skin. She knows the problem isn't just Ozzy. It's everything. She needs to find a way to secure her family's financial future. But god, he makes things hard.
15:15 Matt Forde? Caring for a 50-year-old man-baby is a full-time job too. It's draining enough being a mum to three moody teenagers. And on top of that, she's just torpedoed her biggest act. She needs Ozzy to start pulling his weight again. She's only 47, but right now she feels more like a goddamn retired caregiver than she does a wife. Sometimes she thinks maybe the worst decision she ever made was to take him back. She could have walked away, made a clean break. Sharon sighs, and here's the television downstairs kicking to life. MTV's latest nu-metal sensation blares from the speakers. You a fan of nu-metal, Alice?
15:56 Alice Levine? I can't say I am or I was, but I was a big fan of the music channels.
16:02 Matt Forde? I was mad how hypnotic just watching music videos was.
16:05 Alice Levine? And how many hours of it you could watch.
16:07 Matt Forde? But endless, and it made me feel American. I was like, this is what they're all doing. I bet Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski are doing this. I feel cool.
16:15 Alice Levine? Yeah, because we would have been, I would have been 13 or 14.
16:18 Matt Forde? And were you into Slipknot and System of a Down when you were 13?
16:21 Alice Levine? Yeah, yeah, I loved that. What's that Slipknot one?
16:26 Matt Forde? That one.
16:30 Matt Forde? Sharon knows to save their marriage, she needs to get Ozzy out of his slump. She just needs to make the world see that Ozzy is still relevant, that she is still relevant, and stop her from wanting to murder him. And she thinks she might just know the person to call.
16:55 Matt Forde? One week later, the Ivy, Santa Monica. Nina Diaz checks her watch, scans the room again. Still no sign of Sharon and Ozzy. She squirms, glances at her phone, at the message from her boss that Johnny Knoxville has just pulled Jackass, MTV's biggest show, from the network. Nina should be back at the office, but as one of MTV's top producers, she needs to keep her ear to the ground. There's a burst of commotion at the door. Nina looks up as Sharon bustles over, all air kisses and apologies.
17:34 Speaker 02 Nina, darling, sorry I'm late. Nightmare morning. Ozzy not joining us? Oh God, I haven't brought Ozzy to a meeting in years. Not since he's tripped naked at a dinner with the head of CBS Europe.
17:48 Matt Forde? Nina chokes on her mineral water, lets out a laugh.
17:51 Speaker 02 He hopped up onto the table, dipped his willy in the guy's wine, swirled it, then planted a huge kiss on his lips. So no, he's at home.
18:01 Matt Forde? Nina had forgotten how entertaining Sharon could be. She settles in, orders a drink.
18:07 Speaker 02 That's why I'm late. I let him spread eagled on the sofa, groaning like a fucking porn star.
18:13 Alice Levine? You feel like you wanna have a conversation where you're like, okay, so there's things we say in the house, yeah? And then there's things we say at school.
18:19 Matt Forde? Nina giggles. Sharon's always received a bad rap in the press, especially after she took Ozzy back. But Nina can't deny, she is a force of nature.
18:30 Speaker 02 Our new dog's not housebroken, you see. She's shitting like Mr. Whippy, and Ozzy keeps slipping in it. Went arse over tit just as I was leaving. Put his back out.
18:40 Matt Forde? The waiter excuses himself.
18:43 Speaker 02 So now I need to call a physio for him. Plus a dog psychologist for Lola. Anyway, let me tell you my idea. A thirty minute segment on Ozzy's influence on all these new metal bands. Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot wouldn't exist if it wasn't for...
18:58 Matt Forde? Nina holds up her hand.
19:00 Speaker 02 Hang on, sorry. Did you say dog psychologist?
19:05 Matt Forde? Nina sits wrapped for the next two hours, as Sharon shares madcap tales of when she pissed in Ozzy's vintage whiskey bottles after an argument. Or shat in a Tiffany box and sent it to a critic. Or tried to knock her father down with her car, with the kids in the backseat. By the time the coffees are cleared, Nina's mind is utterly ablaze.
19:25 Speaker 02 So, you'll take the idea forward?
19:28 Matt Forde? Nina tries to catch up.
19:30 Speaker 02 Uh, yeah, of course.
19:33 Matt Forde? But her mind is entirely elsewhere.
19:38 Matt Forde? She says her goodbye and steps out into the bright LA sunshine. Takes in the giant billboard across the street of MTV's The Real World series. The network has just aired the latest ten seasons. It's been a staggering success. Even become a boilerplate for a new kind of television. A format the critics have dubbed reality TV. And The Real World just consists of six young people sitting around a Soho loft. If Nina could capture even a tenth of the story Sharon has just shared in a similar format, it could be explosive. Nina picks up her phone, calls her boss.
20:21 Speaker 02 I might have something. I'll be in in ten.
20:26 Matt Forde? She knows convincing any self-respecting celebrity to subject themselves to the real world treatment would have to be out of their mind. Cameras rolling 24/7. No privacy. Every last moment filmed for months on end. It had been madness. But if there were ever any celebrities crazy enough to embrace that madness, it might just be The Ozborns.
20:54 Matt Forde? One week later, Beverly Hills. Sharon snaps her flip phone shut, her head swimming, trying to make sense of the call she's just taken. Celebrity reality was how Nina described it, a brand-new type of TV show. One that pierces the artifice of regular television, giving a truly real look at the lives of the rich and famous by having a camera crew living in their house. Nina's even offered Sharon an executive credit. This could be her ticket. Not just a personal success, but also to revitalising her marriage. For her and Ozzy to have fun and make some money in the process.
21:37 Alice Levine? Can you imagine pitching that to your partner? "I'd like to film what we do in private." "Oh yeah, that sounds sexy." "No, sorry, everything we do, everything, and it's going to be with a professional group."
21:48 Matt Forde? Mainly you slipping in dog shit. That's what's going to keep our marriage alive. This is not a decision Sharon can make alone.
21:56 Speaker 02 Kids, living room, family meeting.
22:00 Matt Forde? Sharon stands in front of the sofa as Amy, Kelly, Jack and Ozzy all file in.
22:06 Alice Levine? I love that he counts as kids.
22:08 Speaker 02 You alright Sharon? You look like you've got a fart brewing. Actually, my darling, that was MTV on the phone asking if we'd like to make a show. A TV show?
22:22 Matt Forde? Jack rolls his eyes. Ah, MTV's so fucking lame. You're fucking lame. What's the show, mum? Sharon shrugs.
22:31 Speaker 02 I don't know. A sort of real-life documentary, I think, about us and life in our home.
22:39 Matt Forde? Amy's face, however, contorts in horror. So does Ozzy's.
22:44 Speaker 03 You wanna invite cameras into the house? Have you lost your fucking mind?
22:50 Speaker 02 That's exactly why I want to do this. I'm fucking proud of the life we've made, of the man you've become, and I want the world to see it.
23:00 Matt Forde? Ozzy's wild stare softens, but Amy's doesn't.
23:04 Speaker 02 I'm sorry, you want to expose our family's weirdness on fucking television? It will like, turn us into a freak show. Are you like, too fucking stupid to see that?
23:16 Matt Forde? Fire blazes through Sharon.
23:18 Speaker 02 How fucking dare you!
23:22 Matt Forde? Amy storms towards the door.
23:24 Speaker 02 Mum, yesterday, dad tried to take me to school. It was Saturday. He thought it was fucking Monday.
23:31 Matt Forde? Sharon's glare softens. She knows Amy has struggled at school.
23:36 Speaker 02 They already call us the fucking Addams Family. You do this to me, I swear, I'm moving out.
23:43 Speaker 03 Well, I guess that fucking settles it.
23:47 Matt Forde? Sharon grinds her teeth.
23:50 Speaker 02 No, it fucking doesn't.
23:54 Matt Forde? Slowly, she turns back around. She loves Amy with all her heart, but this isn't just about her. Sharon needs this, and she isn't going to back down. She's going to grab this opportunity with both hands, and, come what may, she is going to let the world in.
24:15 Speaker 02 The Osbournes are a normal fucking family, and we're going to prove it.
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25:30 Speaker 09 And I'm Malcolm Gladwell. We're back for season two of our Audible original podcast, The Unusual Suspects.
25:36 Speaker 08 We'll sit down with extraordinary guests from the worlds of art, film, literature, comedy, and wellness to hear from their unexpected stories of success.
25:43 Speaker 09 And who do we have this season? Well, we'll talk with Grammy-winning artist Anderson Paak, athlete Rich Roll, portrait artist Amy Sherald, Oscar-winning director Ron Howard, legendary writer David Sedaris, and many more. These conversations are more intimate than last season, wouldn't you say?
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26:22 Matt Forde? October 2001, Dahini Road, Beverly Hills.
26:28 Speaker 03 Amy, they're watching.
26:30 Speaker 02 Christ, Dad, I know. This is what you and Mum agreed. I'm dialing off.
26:34 Speaker 03 Okay, I love you.
26:37 Speaker 02 Love you too.
26:38 Matt Forde? Ozzy places the receiver down, tries to ignore the eye of a camera pointing at him from the end of the hallway. Filming has started, and Amy is living with her friends for the duration, and Ozzy wishes he was there too. He turns to the camera.
26:54 Speaker 03 What's that fucking smell?
26:58 Matt Forde? Ozzy sniffs. A strange scent is filling the front room, and he seems to be the only one who's noticed it. Nina puts her finger to her lips, reminding him again not to talk to them. He's never going to get used to this: people following him everywhere he goes, but having to pretend that they're not. Sharon said this would be a reality series, but it couldn't feel more surreal. Kelly saunters in, texting.
27:29 Speaker 02 Why is the kettle on fire?
27:32 Matt Forde? Ozzy turns around, sees the hob fully ablaze.
27:36 Speaker 03 Did you put that on there? It's an electric fucking kettle!
27:41 Matt Forde? He runs to the oven, flames nipping his hands.
27:44 Speaker 02 How the fuck was I supposed to know?
27:47 Matt Forde? Well, it's plastic.
27:49 Alice Levine? It's got a big cord trailing out of it.
27:52 Matt Forde? Tossing a tea towel over it, he lobs the whole flaming mass into the sink.
27:57 Speaker 03 You fucking dim bulb, you almost burnt the house down!
28:00 Speaker 02 Don't fucking scream at me!
28:02 Matt Forde? Kelly flances out. Ozzy turns to the unblinking camera crew.
28:07 Speaker 03 You were just gonna watch us fucking burn, then?
28:10 Matt Forde? Nina's finger returns to her lips. Ozzy feels a gasket below.
28:15 Speaker 02 Sharon!
28:18 Matt Forde? He marches up to their bedroom.
28:20 Speaker 02 Jesus, what's that fucking smell?
28:23 Matt Forde? Ozzy drags her in close.
28:25 Speaker 03 This fucking film crew, I'm losing my mind, man. I want them gone.
28:30 Matt Forde? Sharon laughs.
28:33 Speaker 02 Why are you whispering? You're wearing a mic!
28:36 Matt Forde? Sharon points behind him. Ozzy turns to see the crew in the doorway. His blood boils.
28:43 Speaker 03 Right, fucking out, all of you now!
28:46 Matt Forde? Sorry Ozzy, but your bedroom is an active set. We agreed this. Ripping off his mic, he barges past them.
28:55 Speaker 03 And what about the bathroom? Wanna come and watch me curl one out in the fucking john?
29:01 Matt Forde? The crew stays still.
29:03 Speaker 03 So you fucking sills!
29:06 Matt Forde? Finally alone, Ozzy grips the edge of the sink. Stares into the mirrored medicine cabinet, then opens it. Painkillers, for his back. He's only supposed to take one every six hours, but a few extra would really help take the edge off this afternoon. He feels himself reaching for the bottle. His fingers brushing the cap. When the door opens.
29:31 Speaker 02 Hey, what was all that? Are you okay?
29:35 Matt Forde? He slams the cabinet shut.
29:37 Speaker 03 Jesus, it's nowhere fucking safe in this house!
29:41 Matt Forde? Sharon sidles up close.
29:43 Speaker 02 Listen, I know this is a lot, but I would sooner die than have you humiliated. You do know that, don't you?
29:51 Matt Forde? Her head comes to rest against his.
29:53 Speaker 02 I'm so fucking proud of you Ozzy! I just want the world to see what I see!
29:58 Matt Forde? He exhales slowly. He knows how much Sharon wants this. How good it could be for her career. She's made so many sacrifices for him, the least he can do is return the favour. But his sobriety is hanging by a thread. And right now, he's looking down another hundred days of filming. And he isn't sure how much longer he can hold.
30:33 Matt Forde? February 2002, Dahini Road. Sharon applies a final touch of lipstick, inspects her reflection. After five months of filming, Sharon should feel completely at ease on camera. But today feels different. She's about to shoot her end-of-series interview, just her, in close-up. And it's making her flesh crawl. She's adapted surprisingly well to the 24/7 cameras. She's even enjoyed having the crew in the house. But she hates one-to-one interviews. Nina's head pokes round the side of the dressing-room door.
31:11 Speaker 02 "Okay Sharon, we're ready for you."
31:14 Matt Forde? Sharon judges her hair, takes a deep breath, and steps into the studio.
31:20 Speaker 02 "Okay, I'm gonna play a few clips, just wanna get some reactions. Don't overthink it, just shoot from the hip."
31:29 Matt Forde? Sharon's stomach flutters. The first clip rolls. It's Kelly blazing out of her bedroom.
31:36 Speaker 02 "Which one of you fucking freaks booked me a gynecologist's appointment? My vagina, my business."
31:43 Matt Forde? Sharon tips her head back, cackling.
31:46 Speaker 02 "Ha, we should have called Kelly 'vagina'! All she ever fucking says: 'vagina this, vagina that.'"
31:54 Matt Forde? Nina smiles.
31:56 Speaker 02 "Perfect, exactly that, let's try another."
31:59 Matt Forde? They rattle through a few more clips. Jack playing with a flick-knife, Ozzy sniffing the dog's bumhole.
32:05 Alice Levine? "You know, just a Tuesday afternoon."
32:07 Matt Forde? Just the normal stuff that families do. Then they come to one of Sharon. She watches herself through slotted fingers, in tatty pyjamas, no makeup, rummaging through her kitchen bin, picking out mouldy fruit to throw. She laughs as she remembers the fight with the neighbours.
32:24 Speaker 02 "Their fucking karaoke went on until 2am!"
32:28 Matt Forde? The camera switches to Ozzy, swinging a gigantic hunk of firewood like an Olympic hammer, then sending it sailing over the hedge. Sharon freezes.
32:38 Speaker 02 What the fuck was that?
32:41 Matt Forde? Cold sweat pricks at her scalp.
32:43 Speaker 02 Did he smash a window? Fuck, I don't remember that.
32:48 Matt Forde? She clasps her hand to her mouth, feeling sick.
32:50 Speaker 02 Oh my god, they've got kids. We could have fucking killed one of them. How did I let...
32:56 Matt Forde? Nina cuts her off. Relax, it's just a sound effect. We added that in. Sharon's face scrunches in confusion. Wood hitting grass sounded too flat. That shatter effect just helps the moment pop. She stares at the screen, dazed. No one's gonna think you put any kids in any danger. Don't worry. No one's gonna think that you come across as reckless or mad in any way. People are gonna watch this and think, we're just like them. Nina lines up the next clip, but Sharon can no longer focus. Her mind is running away with itself. All this time, she'd assumed the point of filming 24/7 was to capture reality.
33:39 Matt Forde? But the more she watches, the more she realises the footage has been added to. Edited. Manipulated. It's a series of chaotic vignettes, spliced dialogue, audio lifted from one scene in order to add drama to another. It doesn't reflect their real lives at all.
33:58 Alice Levine? This seems so naive now, but there wasn't really anything for them to refer to. There was no precedent or template. And even years after The Osbournes, we as the audience were still none the wiser in lots of ways about these tactics.
34:16 Matt Forde? It's easy to look back and go, well, it kind of worked out for them because they made tonnes of money and it was a really big hit. But at that moment of realisation, when you're in the middle of it, you must feel like, oh god, we've agreed to something that we're absolutely not in control of.
34:29 Alice Levine? They could do anything. They could paint them any way. Apart from normal.
34:36 Matt Forde? Sharon's mouth goes dry, thinking about how this might look on air, and her blood runs cold.
34:44 Matt Forde? She promised to protect her family, to protect Ozzy, her kids. But Amy was right. She is deranged. She has teed her family up for humiliation. They are just weeks away from the premiere. All of America is going to watch this, and there is absolutely nothing she can do to stop it.
35:15 Matt Forde? March 5, 2002. The Osbournes' house, Beverly Hills. Ozzy pounds on his treadmill, watching the clock crawl towards 8pm. Ozzy's hiding down here in the basement, hoping his family have forgotten him. Their show The Osbournes premieres tonight on MTV, and he'd do anything to avoid watching it, including working out. Even Sharon is anxious, ever since she glimpsed that footage a few weeks ago. All he wants is for it to pass by quietly, without fanfare or ceremony. For tonight to be a night just like any other. But no such luck.
35:56 Speaker 02 Dad, get your sweaty arse up here, it's starting!
36:01 Matt Forde? Hobbling upstairs, he finds Kelly, Jack and Sharon all huddled in front of the telly. He catches Sharon's eye. She looks as terrified as he feels. Amy's spot on the sofa is now filled by Lola, the diarrhoea dog.
36:17 Speaker 02 Dad, fucking sit down!
36:19 Matt Forde? Ozzy plonks down next to them as the voiceover begins. He takes Sharon's hand. Meet the perfect American family. Sharon and Kelly squeal as their family portrait fills the screen. For a moment, Ozzy feels a curious calm. They've picked a lovely photo. The five of them, Amy included, all sat on the stairs, smiling sweetly. Then the camera cuts to Kelly, sat in the same room they're in now, launching a bottle of water full force at Jack's crotch. Sharon screams, Jack doubles over, the dogs start yapping, and the chaos begins.
37:02 Matt Forde? Ozzy's pulse keeps pace with the show's frantic editing. Panic rising as every last corner of his house is captured. His children screaming at each other, dogs pissing, cats hissing, Sharon humping a giant teddy bear cackling.
37:18 Alice Levine? This genuinely sounds like a fever dream.
37:20 Matt Forde? I mean, one of those things would be embarrassing enough. At school, you'd never hear the end of it. You were on telly and your dog pissed on the floor.
37:28 Alice Levine? But can you imagine their central nervous systems? They're all just perpetually in fight or flight because stuff's just happening all over the place, all the time. They can just never relax, even without the cameras.
37:38 Matt Forde? It's basically like being at war. You're just permanently paranoid about where the next incoming grenade's coming from.
37:44 Alice Levine? Instead of gunfire, dog shit. And instead of landmines, dog shit.
37:49 Matt Forde? Instead of a superior officer, dog shit.
37:54 Matt Forde? It's Bedlam. Ozzy turns and smiles as Jack and Kelly laugh at his side. Even Sharon is now caught up in the antics on screen. But then, the camera cuts to him. Ozzy's stomach hollows out as he sees himself shuffling forgetfully from room to room, shuddering, stammering, topless, his skin saggy and pale. The prince of darkness, a rock colossus, now a jabbering, juddering wreck. It's humiliating. The half hour passes in a state of shock. The whole episode playing out like some cruel hallucination. Around him, his wife and kids jump from phone to phone, reeling off messages that are pouring
38:38 Matt Forde? in while he sits, cemented to the sofa, stunned. Only roused by the sound of Sharon shrieking, he turns to see her hanging on the phone. She covers the mouthpiece.
38:52 Speaker 02 It's Nina. The switchboard's melting down at MTV. They've never seen anything like it.
38:58 Matt Forde? Ozzy blinks dumbly as Sharon returns to the call. He watches her eyes grow wide.
39:05 Speaker 02 They've only got early audience estimates, but they reckon six million.
39:11 Matt Forde? The number socks him cold. Six million.
39:20 Matt Forde? Ozzy sold 6 million copies of Blizzard of Oz. It took 20 years. Now he's reached that same audience in just one night.
39:29 Speaker 02 MTV wants us to come to New York to help promote the show.
39:34 Matt Forde? Kerry lets out a yelp. Ozzy's vision starts to swim, his breath becoming shallow as he realises his worst fear is coming to fruition. The show is a success. He's been pulled back into the vortex, into everything he's worked so hard to leave behind. Fame, paranoia, self-hatred, and it's rushing back in. He feels Sharon squeeze his hand in excitement, but he knows the dark place this led him to last time. And right now, he's never felt more scared. He has no idea how he's going to navigate this.
40:16 Alice Levine? And you might just think, oh, he doesn't want to do this show because he wants to be known for music and he thinks that this is in some way cheap. But this isn't stage fright or snobbery. For him, his mental health was destroyed by being in the spotlight, his substance abuse issues were exacerbated, it basically nearly killed him.
40:34 Matt Forde? Yeah, so going back into that, he kind of, for Ozzy Osbourne, sort of got himself in order, slightly got his life on track, got himself to a place where he was a bit safer, and now he's about to be plunged back in.
40:50 Matt Forde? Two weeks later, Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills. Sharon steps out of the car, slips on her sunglasses, ducks her head down, and heads for the boutiques. She and Ozzy have just been invited to the White House, and she needs something to wear. The Osbournes is a global phenomenon, MTV's highest rated series in history. She isn't just a star in America, she's a superstar in 20 countries, and she's loving it.
41:23 Speaker 02 Sharon, can we get a photo? Can you send my speeding ticket? Can you tell me to fuck off? Oh darling, I couldn't possibly.
41:33 Alice Levine? So before Brian Cox, she was the person that people asked to say, "Fuck off."
41:38 Matt Forde? It's funny that, isn't it, if you're a celebrity who's famous for saying something nasty or being horrible? Like, people must want that from Danny Dyer.
41:44 Alice Levine? Yeah, oh, for sure.
41:45 Matt Forde? Call me a mug.
41:46 Alice Levine? Go on.
41:47 Matt Forde? Say the C-word, please. It's for my daughter.
41:50 Alice Levine? It's her eighth birthday, please.
41:53 Matt Forde? Disappointment clouds the fan's face. Sharon melts.
41:58 Speaker 02 Fine. Fuck off!
42:01 Matt Forde? She lets out a chuckle, then waltzes into Dior. She flicks through the gowns, inspects a couple, when a shadow falls across her vision. Someone loitering behind her. Excuse me, ma'am. A man in the women's section. Mrs Osborne. Sharon fixes her eyes forward.
42:25 Speaker 02 Yes?
42:26 Matt Forde? I watched your show. She glances up at the security camera, makes sure she's in scope. I'm concerned about what I saw. Your husband. Sharon grits her teeth. She feels a sickness in the pit of her stomach. People have been airing their concerns about her husband for 25 years now. She's heard them all. Concerned she's excusing domestic violence, concerned she's romanticising family dysfunction. She isn't going to put up with it any longer. Spinning round, she cuts him off.
43:01 Speaker 02 You can think whatever you like about me or my family, lovers, haters, piteous, I don't give a fuck! But I don't need your concern, and I don't need a fucking lecture, okay?
43:12 Alice Levine? You'd pay 35 quid for that on Cameo.
43:14 Matt Forde? The man gulps. I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't make myself clear. I'm a doctor. I'm concerned about the symptoms your husband is presenting. Sharon blinks.
43:28 Matt Forde? The tremor, the slurred speech, they are classic early signs of Parkinson's disease. His words hit her like an avalanche. An image of Ozzy's face appears in her mind's eye, laughing, loud, alive. But then it's replaced with their exchange that morning. The pause Ozzy took in the middle of his sentence, as if he'd lost the shape of the word. Sharon's throat tightens.
43:58 Alice Levine? It's hard to imagine now that it wouldn't have been obvious to his family, particularly to Sharon.
44:05 Matt Forde? I guess because of what Ozzy Osbourne was like and his speech style and all the drugs he'd done and everything, his behaviour was kind of permanently wobbly and stilted anyway. So then how do you discern what's Ozzy being Ozzy and what's something else?
44:20 Alice Levine? And that deterioration is so gradual often. And so if you're living with somebody who is under a lot of stress because you've introduced loads of cameras to the situation, you know, you might not notice those slight changes over time.
44:35 Matt Forde? You're not going to look in the mirror in the morning and think, do I look like I've got Parkinson's? I mean, he sniffs the dog's arsehole, but like, that's normal. He's fine.
44:43 Alice Levine? Is that a symptom of anything?
44:45 Matt Forde? Sharon stumbles back out onto the street. The fans surrounding her now getting short shrift as she returns to her car, headed for home.
44:56 Matt Forde? An hour later, Sharon tentatively loads a VHS of their latest episode and watches in horror as Ozzy appears on screen, his forearms shaking, his speech drawling. She's been living with him for so long, she's barely noticed how bad things have become. But watching now, she sees what the doctor saw. She has to get Ozzy checked out. But if she so much hints at the word Parkinson's, he'll spiral. His sobriety is so fragile. A shock like that would turn him straight back to drink. So she's going to arrange for all of them to have a full physical check-up at the physician's. A family outing, pretend it's something routine.
45:41 Matt Forde? And she just has to hope the diagnosis isn't as bad as she's starting to fear. She watches him on the screen, zoomed up close, slurring, and realises that one wrong move, one slip-up, and everything could fall apart.
46:04 Speaker 10 Journalist Tristan Redman goes where no son-in-law should ever go. Deep into his wife's family history, digging up the cold case of who murdered her great-grandmother. Because, I should mention, he thinks the murderer might actually be the beloved family patriarch. For the best binge-watch series like Ghost Story, listen to the Audible True Crime Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
46:24 Speaker 11 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.
47:19 Matt Forde? Two weeks later, Trump Tower, New York. Sharon counts down from three as Kelly's hand grips the door to the family's new apartment. The door swings wide to reveal a peach living room, shining marble pillars, gold fittings as far as the eye can see.
47:38 Speaker 02 Oh my god, it's so fucking tacky. I love it.
47:44 Matt Forde? Sharon smiles. It is tacky, expensive too, but they can afford it. The success of the Osbornes hasn't just made them money, it's provided all sorts of opportunities. Like Kelly's record deal. She's here in New York to meet potential producers for her debut album.
48:03 Alice Levine? I'd forgotten about that.
48:05 Matt Forde? I hadn't.
48:08 Matt Forde? Sharon has joined Kelly in New York like any good manager should. Throwing herself into Kelly's music career has been just the tonic she needed. She's been driving herself spare, fretting about Ozzy's results. The not knowing has been torture. She looks at the caller ID. Her throat tightens.
48:31 Speaker 02 Hello, is that Mrs Osborne?
48:34 Matt Forde? Sharon slips into the bedroom, closes the door quietly behind her, stares out at the New York skyline and braces herself.
48:44 Speaker 02 Speaking? Hi. We have the results back. I'm afraid I have some difficult news.
48:52 Matt Forde? A chill grips her as she sits on the edge of the bed.
48:56 Speaker 02 Oh God, it's Parkinson's.
48:59 Matt Forde? A silence carries down the line.
49:02 Speaker 02 I'm sorry? My husband, it's Parkinson's, isn't it?
49:09 Matt Forde? Again, silence.
49:11 Speaker 02 Your husband showed some expected physical effects of sustained substance abuse, but otherwise he's in remarkably good health.
49:19 Matt Forde? Sharon collapses onto the mattress, relief coursing through her, but then a twinge of confusion sets in.
49:26 Speaker 02 So, what's difficult?
49:29 Matt Forde? She hears a slow inhale.
49:32 Speaker 02 Your stool sample contains significant traces of blood, caused by colon cancer. We need to book you in for surgery right away.
49:43 Alice Levine? This is a perfect example of where she is looking after the family first and foremost and it doesn't feel like she has any time or brain space to think of her.
49:53 Matt Forde? And then, being told something's not right, it's not pleasant, a cancer diagnosis is big, without being glib, but you know, you just don't expect it.
50:02 Alice Levine? You've been there, was it over the phone?
50:04 Matt Forde? No, it was in person, at least there was that. And then my wife had to say, is it cancer? And he went, yeah, I was like, oh God.
50:10 Alice Levine? Also say that word, don't make me ask.
50:12 Matt Forde? I know, it's not a quiz. So, yeah, when you're expecting one thing, you get another. There is a moment of disbelief, until you know how they're gonna deal with it, you're just in limbo, you don't know what your life's gonna be like.
50:24 Alice Levine? As it turns out, for you, fantastic.
50:27 Matt Forde? What a laugh we've had.
50:28 Alice Levine? At your expense mainly, it's provided a lot of material.
50:31 Matt Forde? I did think that at the time, I was like, Alice is gonna have a laugh.
50:34 Alice Levine? And I did, when you told me, I thought, it's not PC, but I'm delighted.
50:39 Matt Forde? You just said it'd be great for the show.
50:42 Matt Forde? Sharon's lungs heave. Her head feels heavy. This doesn't make any sense. Sharon can't get sick, it's not possible. She has a family to raise, a business to run. It's her husband that's supposed to be ill, not her.
50:56 Speaker 02 Mrs Osborne.
50:57 Matt Forde? Sharon snaps back to the room.
51:00 Speaker 02 Yes, of course. Can I, can I call you back?
51:04 Matt Forde? Kelly comes bounding in.
51:06 Speaker 02 I've just had the fanciest piss of my life. You should see the...
51:11 Matt Forde? Sharon twists her head to face Kelly. Forces a smile. But it's a second too late.
51:17 Speaker 02 Mum? What's up?
51:20 Matt Forde? Sharon feels her eyelids flutter, the muscles in her lips twitch. Her whole face is on the verge of blurting it out. But she can't burden her baby girl with this news. Not while she's so excited. She blinks back her tears.
51:36 Speaker 02 I'm okay darling, just... Missing your father.
51:40 Matt Forde? Kelly steps towards her, arms outstretched. Sharon lets herself be wrapped up in her daughter's arms and shuts her eyes.
51:47 Speaker 02 I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to leave you here, baby. I need to go... Home.
52:01 Matt Forde? Six months later. New Year's Eve 2002. Beverly Hills Hotel.
52:08 Matt Forde? Ozzy sits on the edge of the bath. Tracing the tiling of his en suite with his eyes. He knows he promised Sharon he'd do this. But he's starting to have second thoughts. It seems so unlike him. For all he's been a showman all these years. Living his life in public. There are still some things he strongly feels should remain private. Things between a man and his wife. Things that are just sacred. On the other side of the door, he can hear the camera crew getting into position. He inhales. He knows there's no avoiding this. So he might as well get on with it. Ozzy stands.
52:52 Matt Forde? Leatens his tie. Adjust's his buttonhole. Then makes his way downstairs. To the chapel.
53:03 Matt Forde? Stood at the altar, hands clasped awkwardly in front of him, Ozzy turns to his kids for support: Jack, Kelly and Amy. The camera crew are having a hell of a time keeping Amy cropped out of shot, but Ozzy was adamant. He wanted her in her rightful place, in the front row, in the heart of the family. Looking out over the room, everything is so close to being perfect. There's just one thing missing. The doors at the back of the room open, everyone turns, and there she is. Glittering in pearls and diamonds, a tiara glistening on her head.
53:47 Matt Forde? Sharon looks like a fairy tale princess. She had taken his breath away at their first wedding in Maui, but tonight, he's more in love than ever.
53:58 Matt Forde? Her chemotherapy has been brutal. There have been days where he feared she wouldn't pull through, that their vows were doomed to go unrenewed. But the doctors were amazed at how well she responded to treatment. Ozzy wasn't. She's a fighter. She always has been. In the corner of his vision, he sees the cameras draw towards him, left and right, and he feels a tiny tear well behind his sunglasses. It's not very rock and roll. Being emotional on camera clashes with every aspect of the outrageous, bat-biting persona he spent all those years cultivating. A character that almost consumed him completely. But this is the real Ozzy Osbourne.
54:44 Matt Forde? And as the woman he loves walks slowly towards him, he doesn't care who sees it. All his life, he's struggled to strike a balance between fame and family. His demons fed on that failure. And time and time again, he'd let rock and roll take precedence over the people he loved. But now, against all odds, he's as big a star as he's ever been, and he's completely at peace, and it's all thanks to Sharon. He's famous as a family man.
55:18 Matt Forde? Flashbulbs crack all around them as she takes her place by his side. But all Ozzy can see is her. He leans in to kiss her and she leans in to kiss him. And as their lips touch to the whooping of the crowd, he realises. He has everything he's ever wanted.
55:49 Matt Forde? The Osbournes ran for four series, with storylines following Sharon's cancer treatment, a reconciliation with her estranged father, Don Arden, Ozzy's near-fatal quad bike crash, and Kelly's own struggles with substance abuse. In 2020, Ozzy revealed he'd been diagnosed with Parkinson II, a rare genetic form of Parkinson's disease. In July 2025, Ozzy and Sharon arranged Ozzy's final gig at Villa Park. Back to the beginning. Performing both as a solo artist and part of the original Black Sabbath lineup, Ozzy raised millions for children's hospitals, hospices and Parkinson's research.
56:31 Matt Forde? Seventeen days later, on July 22, 2025, Ozzy died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, as Britain mourned their very own Prince of Darkness.
56:51 Matt Forde? From Audible Originals and Samistat Audio, this is the third episode in our series, Sharon and Ozzy. In the final episode of the series, we'll be joined by Mick Wall, one of the UK's most respected rock journalists and one of Ozzy's oldest friends.
57:06 Alice 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.
57:14 Matt Forde? If you'd like to know more about this story, you can read I Am Ozzy by Ozzy Osbourne, Extreme by Sharon Osbourne, Black Sabbath: Symptom of the Universe by Mick Wall, and Off the Rails by Rudy Sasso.
57:28 Speaker 12 British Candle is hosted by me, Matt Ford.
57:31 Speaker 13 And me, Alice Levine.
57:32 Speaker 12 Written by Chris Lockery. Additional writing by Alice Levine and Matt Ford. Our story editor was James Maniac. Sound design by Rich Evans. Our engineer was Jai Williams. For Samizdat, our series producer was Chika Ayers. Our assistant producer was Louise Mason. Our senior producers were Joe Sykes and Dashaliss Itzina. Our engineer was Jai Williams. Executive producers for Audible with Theodora Leludis and Destel Doyle.
58:08 Speaker 12 Imagine you're reading Pride and Prejudice, except you're not reading it. Harris Dickinson and Marissa Abella are reading it to you on Audible. Her barbs sting you. His coldness sends a shiver up your spine. Your heart aches. Your ears burn. You yearn for Elizabeth and Mr Darcy to profess their undying love for one another. You can't bear it any longer. Well, maybe a chapter longer. Performance is so good, you'll give love a second chance. Audible, stories that speak to you.
58:38 Speaker 13 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 One 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.
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