Liam O'Dell
Apr 14, 2024
Celebrity Big Brother, ITV
After enjoying a brief stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house last month, former X Factor judge Sharon Osbourne has now got herself caught up in a very public spat with fellow TV talent show judge Amanda Holden, sending the internet into a frenzy with memes aplenty.
It started with Osbourne, together with fellow X Factor judge Louis Walsh, taking aim at music mogul Simon Cowell on the reality gameshow, now on ITV after stints on both Channel 4 and Channel 5.
When Walsh asked her about The Masked Singer, Osbourne replied: “Why do you think I’m so f***ing mad with Simon, because that year that you and I were contracted to do X Factor, it was the first year of The Masked Singer and they asked me to do it in America and I said I can’t, because I had Simon.
“So then they casted it and then when Simon – well, he didn’t call – but when they called and said ‘no, you’re not doing it’, I missed a huge gig. That’s why I was furious.”
And while Osbourne’s relationship with Cowell may not be in the best place, Holden waded into the row this week by telling the Mailthat she “hated” seeing “certain people in a reality show” sharing harsh criticisms of her colleague.
She said: “I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon – he’s the person who’s given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and a lifestyle they probably wouldn’t have had.
“It’s just bitter and pathetic. It was like Cinderella with her two sisters in the background – just stabby, stabby, stabby.”
Well, Osbourne was pointed in her response to Holden on Saturday, posted to Twitter/X and clocking in at more than 500 words.
She wrote: “The truth is, you don’t know me, Amanda. You know nothing about my history in the music industry, my achievements, the artists I have worked with, the shows that I’ve produced, and my global celebrity. Unlike you, the brand of Sharon Osbourne is known worldwide.
“There are many countries that I could work in if I choose to however, I don’t have the ambition or time to do so, and unlike you, I don’t work in radio or pantomime. Our worlds are totally different.
“I have been blessed with an amazing lifestyle throughout my entire life. Before you were born, I was living in a mansion in Beverly Hills and continue to do so today and continue to have my country estate in England as well. But there is something you should know: I never discuss money, lifestyle, or positions of power. I find it to be classless and crude.”
Osbourne – whose husband is Black Sabbath vocalist Ozzy - then went on to argue her success isn’t down her “doing a couple of Simon Cowell talent shows”.
@AmandaHolden \n \nI am responding to your interview with the @DailyMailUK News of 12 April. I respect the fact that you feel the need to defend your good friend and employer, Simon Cowell, who is also your husband\u2019s employer, or so I\u2019ve read. However, a couple of your statements\u2026— (@)
“At the time that I worked on X Factor, I was the only judge who had global accomplishments with multiple million-selling artists, Grammy Award winners and arena and stadium headliners. I was also a very successful festival producer with Ozzfest which ran for 24 years, as well as a best-selling author and producer of the hit MTV show The Osbournes for which I received an Emmy Award.
“Amanda, I think you’re missing the point here. No disrespect to Simon Cowell but he NEEDED ME for musical credibility on X Factor and I delivered for him and together all of us made a great team.
“It was only after several seasons of X Factor that Simon started to build his music empire and I give him much kudos for what he built. But in case you are living under a rock, my husband is a music icon who has sold 170 million albums, won 5 Grammy Awards, and is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. We have been married 42 years and we had a fantastic lifestyle before I ever heard of Simon Cowell.
“On closing, I hope I’ve given you a proper education about me so that the next time you choose to mention me, you’ll have some facts in your pocket. The bottom line, Amanda, is, that you’ll never be in my league, and you’ve picked on the wrong ugly stepsister.”
Ouch.
And, unsurprisingly, Twitter/X is loving the drama:
The Sun reports Cowell has since sent Holden a message of support via his fiancée Lauren Silverman (he doesn’t have a phone), and quotes a spokesman for Holden who said the Heart radio presenter and Britain's Got Talent judge “will always defend those close to her”.
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