logo
How Ozzy Osbourne went from Prince of Darkness to King of Reality TV with The Osbournes

How Ozzy Osbourne went from Prince of Darkness to King of Reality TV with The Osbournes

News.com.au2 days ago
Black Sabbath frontman and rock icon Ozzy Osbourne died on Wednesday at the age of 76, leaving behind a legacy of hits.
While the rocker's music will live on for decades on playlists and airwaves the world over, Osbourne also left a significant impact on television.
Along with his wife Sharon and their children Kelly and Jack, Ozzy starred in one of the first ever reality TV shows, The Osbournes – a show which pulled back the curtains on their private lives and became a hit with audiences.
It was the noughties and the beginning of the reality TV boom with only Survivor and Big Brother on screens at that point, but The Osbournes had a point of difference and proved to be a runaway success for MTV.
'No one had ever done what we did before,' Kelly said during an appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast in 2021.
'We didn't know what [footage] they were going to use, and what they weren't, because they filmed everything.'
But the footage that made the cut resonated with audiences when it premiered in 2002, and 'the next day, everything changed. It was like Beatlemania, except for The Osbournes.'
The show went on to run for four seasons on MTV from 2002 and 2005, winning a Primetime Emmy Award in its debut season for Outstanding Non-Fiction Program (Reality).
The out-of-the-box hit also broke ratings records for MTV at the time, drawing in as much as 8 million viewers in one episode.
'We realised early on that anything Ozzy did was going to be funny,' Sue Kolinsky, who worked as a producer on the show, told the New York Post following Ozzy's death.
'Like making a milkshake – we were gonna have [that be] three minutes of an episode. He was so funny, and he had no idea how funny he was.'
After the success of the first two seasons, Ozzy and Sharon secured a $US20 million payday for the next two seasons of the show.
Perhaps what made the show a hit was that the Black Sabbath frontman was nowhere like his onstage persona, one who bites off the head of a bat when egged on.
In reality, this 'Prince of Darkness' was more like a loveable teddy bear, and the viewers warmed to him.
Safe to say, The Osbournes paved the way for other reality shows, such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie's The Simple Life in 2003, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians in 2007.
Reality show aside, Ozzy also made great viewing in documentaries, with three docos about the legendary frontman available right now on Tubi.
So press play and remember the life of Ozzy Osbourne with these docos on Tubi, which are all completely free to stream.
The Decline of Western Civilisation Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
A fast-paced look at the heavy metal scene in late 80s in LA, with a focus on struggling musicians, fans and starstruck groupies.
In the doco, Ozzy shares the hard truths about living a rock'n'roll lifestyle.
The doco also features interviews with legendary musicians such as Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons, who was among the many to pay tribute to Ozzy after his death.
'Sad to report Ozzy has passed away,' the Kiss rocker tweeted. 'He was a giant. Admired and loved by millions of fans worldwide. Prayers and condolences go out to the Osborne family.'
Ozzy Osbourne: Crown Prince of Darkness (2022)
This unauthorised documentary features interviews from the rocker while also airing previously unseen footage to reveal the true story of the often misunderstood frontman.
This doco explores the history of Ozzy's influential heavy metal band, Black Sabbath. Through archival footage and interviews, the film dives into the band's impact on the music scene and the personal struggles they faced on their rise to the top.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kelly Osbourne's heartbreaking statement about father Ozzy's death
Kelly Osbourne's heartbreaking statement about father Ozzy's death

News.com.au

time21 minutes ago

  • News.com.au

Kelly Osbourne's heartbreaking statement about father Ozzy's death

Kelly Osbourne has addressed the death of her father, Ozzy Osbourne, at age 76. Taking to her Instagram Stories today — just two days after saying goodbye to her dad — the host, 40, wrote, 'I feel unhappy I am so sad. I lost the best friend I ever had.' Earlier this week, the Osbourne family announced in a statement that the rocker died 'surrounded by love.' 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.' Ozzy's death came just weeks after he performed at his final Black Sabbath show on July 5 in Birmingham, England. While backstage at the emotional farewell concert, Kelly got engaged to her boyfriend Sid Wilson. The pair share son Sidney, who was born in 2022. One day later, the star shared the news on Instagram with a video from the proposal. Wilson, 48, popped the question in front of Ozzy, Sharon, 72, and her brother Jack, 39. 'Kelly, you know I love you more than anything in the world,' the Slipknot DJ said, as Ozzy joked, 'F**k off, you're not marrying my daughter.' Wilson continued, 'Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you. So, in front of your family and all of our friends, Kelly, will you marry me?' The TV personality looked shocked as she said yes and accepted the ring. The couple kissed and hugged as their family and the show's crew cheered. Kelly captioned the sweet clip, 'Oh and this happened yesterday!' Days later, she defended her dad against online rumours that the musician, who revealed he had Parkinson's disease in 2020, was dying. 'So, there's this video going around on social media, and it's supposed to be my dad, but it's AI,' Kelly told her fans. 'And it has a voice like my dad's David Attenborough or something.' She continued, 'And it starts out saying, 'I don't need a doctor to tell me that I'm going to die. I know I'm going to die.'' 'What the f**k is wrong with you people?' Kelly added. 'Why would you spend your time making a video like this?' She went on to state that Ozzy was 'not dying.' 'Yes, he has Parkinson's, and yes, his mobility is completely different than it used to be,' Ozzy and Sharon's daughter said, 'but he's not dying. What is wrong with you?' Kelly also slammed the rumours that Ozzy and Sharon had a 'suicide pact,' which her mother spoke about over 15 years ago. 'That was bulls**t my mum said to get attention one time,' Kelly explained, noting, 'And my dad's not dying. Stop.' The young Osbourne first rose to fame on her family's reality show in the early aughts. Ozzy and Sharon, who tied the knot in 1982, documented their family's day-to-day life on the MTV series The Osbournes. The show ran for four seasons, from 2002 to 2005, and featured the patriarch, matriarch, Kelly, and Jack. Ozzy and Sharon's eldest daughter, Aimee, 41, opted not to participate. Over the years, Kelly has spoken about her tight-knit relationship with her dad. In May, she even shared how close Ozzy is with her two-year-old son. 'Oh my God, they're best friends,' Kelly gushed to People. 'So, favourite time of the day is night-time because [Sidney] leaves me and gets in bed with my mum and dad because I'm staying in their house right now while my house is getting ready. 'And he goes and gets in bed with them and they have cartoon time together and it is the sweetest thing ever. I have to literally rip him out.' Kelly also opened up about her close bond with her brother. Jack was previously diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but has continued to work in the industry. 'To be honest with you, I still don't know how I feel about it because it's so unique and individual to every single person,' Kelly said of her brother's diagnosis. 'Everybody that has MS presents differently and I think that's why it's so hard to diagnose and that's why so many people for so long go undiagnosed.' 'And seeing what my brother goes through and how brave he is and just what an incredible human he is despite having relapsing and remitting MS, you would never know if he didn't choose to tell you,' added the star. In 2022, she called Jack 'my biggest confidant.' She told Entertainment Tonight that he is her 'first phone call every single day.' However, Kelly and Aimee don't share that same sibling energy. 'We're just really different. She doesn't understand me and I don't understand her,' Kelly confessed on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast in 2021. Despite her strained relationship with Aimee, Kelly detailed in 2019 just how special the family's reality show was with just the four of them. 'The first season was such a magical time in my family's life because we had no idea what we were doing. We had no idea that the show would be so successful,' Kelly told PeopleTV's 'Reality Check' at the time. 'We didn't know how people would perceive us or anything.' As she put it, 'I think that is the most raw and vulnerable you will see any family on TV. And then it all kind of was like an explosion of too much reality for us.'

Kelly Osbourne speaks publicly for the first time since her father Ozzy Osbourne's death
Kelly Osbourne speaks publicly for the first time since her father Ozzy Osbourne's death

7NEWS

timean hour ago

  • 7NEWS

Kelly Osbourne speaks publicly for the first time since her father Ozzy Osbourne's death

Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne has broken her silence days after her father's death at the age of 76. News of the pioneering heavy metal singer and Black Sabbath frontman's death on July 23 was met with an outpouring of condolences from family, friends and fans. On Thursday, local time, his daughter spoke about her huge loss. 'I feel unhappy I am so sad,' Kelly, 40, shared on her Instagram account. 'I lost the best friend I ever had.' Ozzy is survived by his wife, Sharon, and six children — Jessica, Louis and Elliot from his first marriage to Thelma Riley, and Aimee, Kelly and Jack from his second marriage. Ozzy was spending time with his loved ones just two days before his death. In a video that was shared to Kelly's Instagram story on July 20, the late musician could be seen sitting with his daughter and grandson Sidney. Kelly shares her son with fiancé Sid Wilson. Speaking to PEOPLE in May, Kelly said her two-year-old son and the rock legend were thick as thieves. 'Oh my God, they're best friends,' Kelly said of the relationship between her son and her father. 'So, favorite time of the day is night-time because [Sidney] leaves me and gets in bed with my mum and dad because I'm staying in their house right now while my house is getting ready. 'And he goes and gets in bed with them and they have cartoon time together and it is the sweetest thing ever. I have to literally rip him out.' The Osbourne family announced the rock legend's passing in a statement to the UK Press Association. 'It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time,' the family said. Word of Osbourne's death came more than two weeks after the ailing front man reunited with his original Black Sabbath bandmates Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for a triumphant final show on July 5. Shortly after Osbourne's death was announced, a two-word tribute appeared on the official Facebook page of Black Sabath: 'Ozzy Forever'. Osbourne had struggled with health issues for years, previously opening up about his battles with Parkinson's disease and repeat spinal surgeries in a November 2023 interview with Rolling Stone magazine. 'I'm taking it one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will,' the then 74-year-old singer said.

Wrestling star Hulk Hogan dead at 71
Wrestling star Hulk Hogan dead at 71

ABC News

time9 hours ago

  • ABC News

Wrestling star Hulk Hogan dead at 71

Professional wrestling legend Hulk Hogan has died at the age of 71. Hogan is widely credited with transforming the wrestling scene into an entertainment spectacle. US media is reporting he died at his home in Florida. In a post on X, the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) stated it was "sad to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away". "One of pop culture's most recognisable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s," the wrestling organisation said. "WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans." Hogan is known for his towering two-metre physique, bandana and distinctive blond handlebar moustache. In recent years, he also emerged as a political figure, throwing his support behind US President Donald Trump's 2024 election campaign. ABC/Reuters/AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store