Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's heartfelt exclusive interview with Piers Morgan
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne spoke exclusively to Good Morning Britain's Piers Morgan following the legendary rocker's diagnosis with Parkinson's disease.
The long-married couple opened up on Ozzy's infidelity, his epitaph and how he is enduring the disease.
In an emotional and heartfelt discussion there were also many light-hearted moments, the man behind the vocals on record hit Paranoid even yodels at one point.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne were interviewed by Piers Morgan at their Los Angeles home and spoke about Ozzy’s Parkins 2 diagnosis - a rare type of Parkinson’s Disease, and the fall he suffered in January.
The legendary couple also spoke about Ozzy’s cheating scandals over the years and what they both think about Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg.
On their marriage:
Piers asked both of them if they’re amazed they’re still together and Ozzy said: “I am. I’ve been a bad boy at times.”
Sharon responded: “It’s like a Shakespearian play - our love story. Ozzy’s been a right old f***er with women.”
Piers asked Ozzy if he thought Sharon would leave him after the last cheating scandal emerged, and Ozzy said: “Absolutely. I was terrified.”
Talking about whether he had a sex addiction, Ozzy said: “I think it’s another fix. If you’re a junkie like I was, anything that alters your mind, you go for. I didn’t love any of these people.”
Sharon explained: “I was just really broken in every sense.”
Ozzy then said: “She cut every sleeve off every coat I own.”
Sharon added: “I said to Ozzy ‘If you ever do this to me again, I’m going to cut your hair off or I’m going to cut all your clothes.”
And Ozzy said: “I wish I hadn’t have done the stupid thing that I did to get to it happening and that’s the truth. You never know what you’ve had until you’ve lost it and I thought I’d lost it big time.”
Piers asked Ozzy what’s been his greatest moment and he said: “Meeting Sharon. I’m not just saying that.”
He added: “When I fell in love with her, I knew from a distance. What attracted me to Sharon, she always had this infectious laugh. It’s like the plant was happy. It was just one of those things… the shoes fit. She’s still here and I’m still here, so out of all our ups and downs, we’re still together.”
On Ozzy’s fall:
Piers asked Ozzy how he was and Ozzy replied: “Let me put one thing straight, it’s been put in the papers that they discovered I had Parkinson’s when I had the fall. I’ve known about the Parkinson’s since 2003. I’ve had it all my life. The Parkinson’s I have is not like the Michael J Fox one.”
Sharon added: “It’s called Parkin 2. It’s a gene that Ozzy was born with and of course, Ozzy couldn’t get anything normal, it’s very rare and its path isn’t like normal Parkinson’s, that we all know.”
Piers then asked if Ozzy had had this gene since he was born and Sharon responded, “Born with it.”
Ozzy added: “When I fell on the floor, I remember thinking, ‘You’ve done it now Ozzy.’ I said to Sharon, ‘Can you phone an ambulance, I think I’ve broken my neck?’ She was up and out of that bed like a flash - running and screaming around the house.”
Sharon revealed: “I saw it happen in slow motion. He’d like gone down, didn’t put his arms out to break the fall. He went bang and was just laying there, white as a sheet, his blood pressure was through the roof. I’m just like, ‘He’s going to go, I know he’s going to go, I’m going to lose him.’
Piers asked how worrying this has been as a family and Sharon said: “Really, I mean beyond. It’s not even worrying, it’s just like a change of life.”
Ozzy added: “The kids have been great. My girls have been nursing and doing things.”
Sharon then joked: “And he’s been milking it!”
Ozzy further explained: “I’ve got some really good, caring friends in my life. You can’t beat that. My bed’s been supportive. Elton calls every week.”
On making new music:
On recording his new album, Ozzy said: “It’s saved my life. I was on the couch… when you’re ill, all you’ve got is your own head. My head never says ‘You’re going to be fine.’ It says ‘It’s the end and doom and whatever.’”
He added: “The first song we wrote was a title Called Ordinary Man and I said to Sharon, ‘It sounds like it could be an Elton song.’ She said, ‘Why don’t you ask him to sing on it?’ I said, ‘He wouldn’t want to sing with me.’ She said, ‘Well he can only say no.’ And he agreed.”
On Ozzy’s recovery:
Proving he hasn’t lost his humour, Ozzy joked that he was going to have some ‘yodeling’ for his treatment when he heads to Switzerland.
Sharon added seriously, “There’s a professor there. He hasn’t got a cure for Parkinson’s, no one has but what he can do is… he can get Ozzy’s immune system to hear [points high], so now, if Ozzy was to catch a cold it would turn into pneumonia. This professor has come up with a way of doing stem cells where it helps with the pain. He could hopefully get rid of Ozzy’s pain and then Ozzy will be healthier to deal with the Parkinson’s.
Piers asked Ozzy if he thinks it’s a miracle he’s still alive and Ozzy said, “Nine out of ten people I used to drink with or get loaded with, have all gone. I don’t know. I’m not saying I’ve got the magic touch. I’ve always said I’d probably get a rare bird poop on me and get a virus and disappear.
“I desire to get back on stage… that’s what I live for.”
Ozzy went on to explain he has been exercising more to help with his recovery. “I exercise as much as I can. I’ve got a trainer, I do Pilates, nurses 24/7, but the best medication I can get is being in front of an audience, which is breaking my heart to be honest. I will [perform live again].. Absolutely. I will be up there. I have to say that. I know you’re going to say what will you do if you can’t do it again, that’s not an option because I will do it.”
On Donald Trump and Greta Thunberg:
Piers asked if America can take four more years of Trump if he wins the US election in November and Ozzy said: “When he wins, because I”m sure he’s going to win now, I don’t think there’s anyone else to get there.”
Sharon added: “All I know is it’s taken politics down to a level where I don’t think it should be at. I think you should be able to debate on a subject, not take personal shots. He shoots from the hip. The thing is, he has done some good things, but as far as a representative, I would rather have Obama.”
Ozzy said: “He gets everybody moving, whether you agree with him or not. I don’t understand politicians. I think they should all form one big huge rock band and see how they play!”
On Greta Thunberg, Sharon said: “She’s amazing.” While Ozzy added: “She’s cool, but why do we have to go ‘Oh we’re listening now’ when loads of adults for ages have been going…”
Sharon intervened: “I think what she’s saying is ‘You’re all going to die, but it’s affecting my generation.’ I think the world needed that from somebody of her age.”
On being a vegan:
When Piers asked Ozzy about being a vegan for two weeks, Ozzy said: “About half a day. I thought ‘I might as well join the clan’ but then I thought, ‘Screw this. Get me a bacon sandwich.”
Concluding the interview, Piers asked Ozzy if he has any regrets about his life, Ozzy said: “We all have regrets. I regret not taking care of my parents more than I did. I regret not doing the last Black Sabbath tour. When I had that thing with all these different women and whatever, I really regret that. Forget the injury, I’m not that guy anymore. And I always try… Sharon’s always said this about me, I’ve always tried to better myself.
When Piers asked Ozzy what he’d like his epitaph to say, he revealed: “Bats taste like sh**!”