Ozzy Osbourne's wildest moments - drugs, affairs and truth behind sick bat stunt
The Black Sabbath singer, who died on Tuesday aged 76, became renowned for his controversial live shows and his chaotic personal life.
Drug and alcohol use often fuelled manic behaviour in front of his adoring audiences, and also his most crazed moments in between shows, reports The Mirror.
Following the tragic death of the Black Sabbath legend, here are some of the most memorable and infamous moments from the hell-raising life of the late heavy metal pioneer. The Alamo
In 1982, Osbourne was wearing one of his wife's dresses for a photoshoot close to The Alamo in Texas, the site of a heroic sacrifice by the Texan troops against the invading Mexicans.
The rock star drunkenly relieved himself on a cenotaph commemorating the dead, later donating thousands to the group which maintains The Alamo. Cats
In the midst of an alcohol and drug haze, Osbourne said that he set about slaughtering 17 cats with a shotgun. The rocker said he was found by his wife under a piano, armed with a knife in one hand and a shotgun in the other. Ants
Osbourne toured with Motley Crue in the 1980s, and it was during this time that he is rumoured to have shocked his fellow rockers after "spotting" a line of ants. Bassist Nikki Sixx claimed that Osbourne took a straw and, as if snorting cocaine, hoovered the line of ants up his nose. Bats
In 1982, Osbourne was on stage at a gig in Des Moines, Iowa, during a US tour. A fan threw a bat on stage, and in the frenzy of performance, Osbourne – believing it to be rubber – bit its head off. There remains debate as to whether the bat was alive or dead when it was thrown on stage. Doves
Osbourne had history with the decapitation of winged creatures, beginning with an incident which stunned CBS Records executives. Ozzy Osbourne onstage during the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony streaming on Disney+ at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio (Image:for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Celebrating a new album in 1981, the Black Country-born rock star was intending to release two doves in a symbolic act at the record label. Instead, he grabbed a dove and bit its head off, before being thrown out of the building. Sex addiction and affairs
In 2017, during an interview with music magazine Rolling Stone, he joked that the secret to his marriage was "don't get caught with your mistress".
He is quoted as telling Rolling Stone: "When I was a crazy f*****, I'm lucky she didn't walk out. Now I'm coming on five years clean and sober, and I've realised what a f****** idiot I was. I mean, I'm still nuts, but in control of it a bit more."
Osbourne added: "When I said, 'Don't get caught by your missus,' I'm not proud of all that s***. I upset my wife and I upset my family and I made a lot of shock and shame. I love my wife, and it made me realise what a f****** idiot I've been." Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne (Image: Getty Images)
In 2016, he revealed he was undergoing "intense therapy" for a "sex addiction" that nearly resulted in the disintegration of his marriage, but he later told The Times he was not a sex addict, saying: "I'm in a f****** rock band, aren't I?"
In 2017, he and Sharon renewed their wedding vows in Las Vegas.
Speaking of Sharon's unwavering loyalty, Ozzy said: "Even now, I have a lot of trouble understanding why Sharon stayed – or why she married me in the first place. I mean, she was actually afraid of me half the time. And the truth was I was afraid of me, too. Afraid of what I'd do to myself or, even worse, to someone else."
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
We stormed Cheltenham last March napping 28/1 winner Wonderwall, now for Galway
Let's aim for Festival lift-off with I'm A Rocket Man at Galway in the last race this evening, writes Derek & The Pacemakers. The Stephen Casey trained six-year old's last run saw him finish third over this distance at Punchestown on June 7. But the suspicion is that he came across two 'hot ones' in the Willie Mullins trained Davy Crockett and French-bred Maskarvel. Davy Crockett was available at 11/10 in the morning but went off at 1/2, suggesting the word was out; Maskarvel was backed from 20/1 to 9/1. The I'm a Rocket Man song ain't half bad either, whether it's the 1972 original from Elton John which was ranked No. 149 in the 2021 list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Or the John/Dua Lipa 2021 UK chart topping collaboration Cold Heart - no2 in Ireland, no7 in the US - which samples "Rocket Man" for its chorus. 'And I think it's gonna be a long, long time.'Til touchdown brings me 'round again to find, I'm not the man they think I am at home Oh, no, no, no, I'm a rocket man, rocket man, Burning out his fuse up here alone…'. I'm a Rocket Man will have Ireland's top amateur Derek O'Connor on board, easily the most experienced rider in the race. We stormed Cheltenham last time out, got the gold bricks in place napping 28/1 winner Wonderwall So commencing countdown, engines on for Galway, drum roll please - I'm a Rocket Man each way! Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
The Irish Sun
16 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ozzy Osbourne's most outrageous moments from bat eating to meat throwing and feud with TV legend
SINCE shooting to fame as part of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne carved out a staggering career in the entertainment industry spanning almost 60 years. But this week, he sadly passed away 7 Ozzy Osbourne passed away following his battle with Parkinson's Credit: PA And with the world mourning the loss, it's impossible not to look back at the jaw-dropping moments that defined his one-of-a-kind career. Whether he was biting the head off a bat on stage, hurling raw meat into crowds, or feuding with TV royalty. Here's a look back at the most outrageous and iconic moments in the life of the rock legend. Bat-Biting (1982) 7 This bat-biting incident became a career defining moment for Ozzy Osbourne Credit: Alamy T he singer - dubbed the - has always played up to his satanic image. READ MORE ON OZZY OSBOURNE So when a fan hurled what he thought was a rubber bat toy at him on stage in January 1982, Turned out it was in fact a real bat and he later recalled: 'Immediately, something felt wrong.' There was a foul taste, and he felt the severed head twitch in his mouth. The teenage bat-thrower later insisted it was already dead, but Ozzy always maintained he felt it moving. Most read in TV Ozzy's Death Metal (1995) 7 Ozzy had almost killed a man by tossing a TV out a hotel window Credit: Getty Wild rocker He was boozing with guitarist Zakk Wylde in Prague unaware of a smoker outside when he decided to throw a TV out of his hotel room. Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne performing their version of Changes together He recalled: 'I am in The Four Seasons and I am watching the TV and I go to Zakk, 'I have never thrown a f****** TV out of the window of a hotel room. Let's f****** do it'. 'So I ripped the window open, picked it up and threw it out of the f****** window. It landed on the floor and f****** exploded. It went like a bomb. 'Little did I know that there was a guy smoking a cigarette and I shudder to think if that had hit him on the head. I would have killed him stone f****** dead.' Meat Throwing (1980's) 7 The rock legend hurled raw meat and animal parts into the crowd Credit: Getty In the Eighties, Ozzy took his fan interaction to a whole new level with a ritual as outrageous as it was unforgettable. The rock legend began hurling raw meat and animal parts into the crowd — all whilst encouraging fans to return the favour with whatever strange items they could sneak into the venue. One being the now-infamous bat incident and whilst some chalked it up to his on-stage theatrics, the truth was far more tongue-in-cheek. He revealed in his documentary The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, the inspiration came from old slapstick films featuring custard pie fights. He said: 'It gave me this idea to throw, instead of pie, bits of meat and animal parts into the audience. 'I thought it was hilarious. (They'd throw back) sheep testicles, live snakes, dead rats, all kinds of things. Someone once threw a live frog onto onstage, it was the biggest frog I'd ever seen and it landed on its back.' TV Legend Feud (2002) 7 Not yet disgraced TV host and comedian Bill Cosby slammed the Osbourne's family show Credit: Getty Back in 2002 Ozzy and his family created a reality show big enough to rival The Kardashians. The Osbourne's documented the ups and downs of the family's day to day life but not everyone had a good opinion about he show. Not yet disgraced TV host and comedian Bill Cosby slammed the MTV series as "not entertainment". Ozzy later revealed in his autobiography that Cosby had sent a letter scolding the family's use of foul language and supposed bad influence. Wife Sharon was quick to fire back with a letter of her own, pointing out that Cosby wasn't exactly a saint — especially after news of his extramarital affair surfaced in the late nineties. She also called out the hypocrisy of him clutching at straws over swearing whilst TV was drowning in violence. The Alamo (1982) 7 The Birmingham-born rocker was arrested at the site when he decided to publically urinate Back in 1982 a very drunk Ozzy was seen dressed in one of wife Sharon's gowns during a photo shoot near the Alamo — the iconic Texas landmark where outnumbered rebels made their famed last stand against the Mexican army. The Birmingham-born rocker was arrested at the site when he decided to publically urinate. He later returned to the landmark with son Jack with Ozzy admitting he wasn't sure if he actually peed on the memorial as he was "very inebriated". But Ozzy's fears were calmed once they were met by local councilman Robert Trevino who found Ozzy's old police report. He then revealed the star was only charged with public intoxication that day - and never with public urination or public indecency. Dove De-Capitation (1981) 7 Ozzy pulled one of the most bizarre stunts in music history Credit: The Mega Agency A bat isn't the only thing The Black Sabbath Frontman bit into. Back in 1981, during a meeting with CBS Records to celebrate his new solo deal, Ozzy pulled one of the most bizarre stunts in music history. Hoping to make an impression, he arrived at the boardroom carrying two white doves. What was supposed to be a quirky gesture quickly turned into a PR nightmare when he suddenly grabbed one of the doves and bit it's head off. Spitting it onto the conference table in front of label executives and later reportedly did the same to the second dove, he admitted: 'They were all throwing up all over the place. People were freaked.' He was immediately thrown out from the building and whilst the label was appalled, the stunt only added to Ozzy's reputation as rock's most unpredictable wild man.
RTÉ News
18 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Two 'incredible' new professional dancers join Strictly Come Dancing cast
Two "incredible" new professional dancers will join the Strictly Come Dancing cast, the BBC has announced. American-born Alexis Warr and Australian-born Julian Caillon will join the hit dance competition series as it returns to BBC One and iPlayer this autumn. Warr, who is best known for winning the US dance series So You Think You Can Dance in 2022 and was crowned America's favourite dancer, became the first female ballroom and Latin dancer to claim the title. On joining Strictly Come Dancing, Warr said: "I've admired Strictly for years, so joining this incredible family is such an honour. "I can't wait to step into the ballroom, pour my heart into every moment, and share my love of dance with the UK." 🪩✨ Please welcome our two new Strictly Professional Dancers! 💃🏽🕺🏼Alexis Warr and Julian Caillon join the #Strictly Come Dancing family when the series returns this autumn on @BBCiPlayer Info ➡️ — BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) July 27, 2025 Caillon, who specialises in ballroom and Latin American, has appeared as a professional dancer for three seasons of Australia's version of Strictly Come Dancing, titled Australia's Dancing With The Stars. He said: "Joining the cast of Strictly really is a dream come true. "I've watched it for years, especially cheering on all the amazing dancers I know and work with who've been part of it. "I can't wait to get stuck in, have some fun, and be part of something special!" The newcomers will join the current cast of professional dancers, which includes Dianne Buswell, Nadiya Bychkova, Amy Dowden, Karen Hauer and Katya Jones. Neil Jones will also return in the autumn along with Nikita Kuzmin, Gorka Marquez, Luba Mushtuk and Jowita Przystal. The new series, hosted by Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly, will also welcome back Johannes Radebe, Aljaz Skorjanec, Kai Widdrington, Nancy Xu, Carlos Gu, Lauren Oakley, Michelle Tsiakkas and Vito Coppola. Warr and Caillon will join the professionals each week for group routines, music acts, theme weeks and Strictly's annual trip to Blackpool. Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Anton Du Beke and Shirley Ballas will also return to the judging panel. Sarah James, executive producer at BBC Studios, said: "We've been big fans of Alexis and Julian for some time, so it's with great excitement that we now welcome them both to the Strictly family. "They're two incredible dancers with bright futures ahead of them, and we know viewers are going to love getting to know them both." Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, added: "Alexis and Julian are the perfect additions to Strictly, and we can't wait for you to see them light up the ballroom this autumn. "With our fantastic professional dancers, plus everything else we love about Strictly, the new series promises to be bigger, better and even more glitter-packed than ever before." The news comes after the series faced a string of incidents this year, including Welsh tenor and former BBC Radio Wales presenter, Wynne Evans, being dropped by the broadcaster after he made an apology saying that he used "inappropriate language" during the launch of the Strictly Come Dancing tour. Months later, EastEnders star James Borthwick was also suspended from the BBC after a video emerged of the actor using a disabled slur on the set of the dance programme.
