“They put the funk into dysfunctional,” ran the tagline for The Osbournes – the sweary reality show that gave audiences an insight into the very-much-unscripted lives of the Osbourne family. The show may only have been on TV for three years, but it has become immortalised in pop culture. Twenty years since the first episode aired, here’s why we’re celebrating it…
How it all began
Sharon, now 69, came up with the concept for the show four years before it aired, but it was the family’s appearance on MTV Cribs that convinced the music channel to give them a standalone series. That small glimpse into the mayhem of the Osbourne family was enough to leave viewers wanting more. It was a big risk for patriarch Ozzy, whose “Prince of Darkness” reputation as the bat-head-biting lead singer of Black Sabbath was a huge part of his personal brand.
Letting camera crews into his LA mansion to film his chaotic-but-loving family life could have had a negative effect, and Sharon has since praised him for giving the show the go-ahead. “He was the one who was in the public eye, he was the celebrity,” Sharon said in a recent interview. “He’s the one that took all the risks. We didn’t – the kids and I – but he took a huge risk. It paid off for Ozzy, because people saw how funny he is – just hysterical. He’s just a teddy bear. I look back at some of it from time to time and I think, ‘Oh, my God, he’s so funny.’”
The most explosive reality TV rows
1 of 17Anna Vakili and Jordan Hames, Love Island, 2019
When Anna said "yes" to being Jordan's girlfriend on the 2019 series of Love Island, we all thought they were headed straight for the final. However after only two days of being in a relationship, Jordan decided to try and chat up new girl India Reynolds, resulting in the biggest screaming match of the season.
2 of 17Lady C and Brian Friedman, I’m A Celebrity, 2015
Lady C had a couple of fights in 2015's I'm A Celebrity, but her foul-mouthed rant at Brian was by far the most explosive. "Be careful who you take on dear baby boy," she bellowed. "Some people actually have sharper tongues than you, you self-important little runt."
3 of 17Nathan Henry and Chloe Ferry, Geordie Shore, 2017
Nathan has had a fair few rows over the course of Geordie Shore, but his one with Chloe Ferry was by far the worst. Nathan confronted his best friend over the fact that she was "cockblocking" Gary Beadle. Having had a few drinks, it soon turned into a screaming match, with Nathan calling Chloe an "attention-seeking little tw-t".
4 of 17Mark Wright and Lauren Goodger, The Only Way Is Essex, 2011
There's no doubt that Mark and Lauren's bust-up was dramatic. Not only was it in front of all of their friends and family, but it ended up with Mark being pushed into the pool. Lauren was fuming that she wasn't invited to Mark's party, and ended the relationship in an explosive series finale.
5 of 17Malin Andersson and Terry Walsh, Love Island, 2016
Malin and Terry seemed like they were firmly in a relationship when Malin got voted off Love Island in 2016. However only days later Terry had managed to find himself another girl. In a shock twist, Malin was sent back into the villa, resulting in one of the most explosive rows Love Island has ever seen.
6 of 17Frankie Essex and Jamie Reed, The Only Way Is Essex, 2012
When Frankie told Jamie his behaviour was unacceptable, the discussion got a little heated, but it didn't properly explode until Frankie threw her drink at Jamie. He threw one back as she walked away, then Frankie made a lunge for the entire punchbowl. Jamie was held back from throwing a bowl himself, and viewers were left gobsmacked.
7 of 17Kim Woodburn and the rest of the house, Celebrity Big Brother, 2017
When the other contestants ganged up on Kim Woodburn, she didn't take it lying down. "You want trouble? You've got it," she told Nicola McClean one night. Then everyone else started sticking their oar in and before you knew it, most of the house was involved. After ignoring the announcements from Big Brother telling her to calm down, Kim was taken away by security, yelling "adulterer" at Jamie.
8 of 17Millie Mackintosh and Spencer Matthews, Made in Chelsea, 2013
When Millie and Rosie confronted Spencer in front of his girlfriend Louise for cheating on her, Spencer denied everything. This only made Millie press harder, saying "This is what you've f***ing done to her." Spencer still denied everything so Millie decided to slap him in a truly iconic reality TV moment.
9 of 17Malia Atkin and Kady McDermott, Love Island, 2016
Malia managed to stir up a tornado in 2016 after just one evening in the villa. Kady was jealous that Malia had been out with her man Scott, and when she accidentally spilled her drink on her rival's leg, Malia took it personally. The fight got physical and Malia had to be removed from the villa.
10 of 17Jemma Lucy and Paul Danan, Celebrity Big Brother, 2017
The bleep button was working hard when Jemma decided to confront Paul. When Jemma accused him of acting his son's age, it hit a nerve and he started to yell "what have I ever done to you?" over and over. Luckily Paul decided to storm away - who knows how heated the row would have become.
11 of 17Jemma Lucy and Holly Rickwood, Ex on the Beach, 2016
CBB isn't the only row that Jemma has had on reality TV. While on Ex on the Beach, Holly came back from a date with Jemma's ex Hawley, and Jemma was quick to start asking questions. Little did Holly know, Jemma had already seen pictures of their date. As the fight became heated, Jemma made a lunge for Holly, grabbing her hair.
12 of 17Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor, Made in Chelsea, 2013
"I'm so humiliated. I feel sick," Millie told Hugo when she found out he cheated on her. Hugo tries to apologise, but Millie wasn't satisfied with his simple "I'm sorry," and storms off after throwing a drink in his face. The pair have since made up and are now married.
13 of 17Ricky Rayment and Jessica Wright, The Only Way is Essex, 2014
When Jessica found out that Ricky had been messaging other girls behind her back, she confronted him in an argument that ended their relationship. Apparently he had told another girl that she "look[ed] amazing in her green dress" and he "ha[s] a soft spot" for her. The pair were soon both shouting at each other in one of the biggest screaming matches of the decade.
14 of 17Kendra Wilkinson and Edwina Currie, I’m a Celebrity, 2014
Kendra had been talking to campmate Michael Buerk about what it's like to be a reality TV star, saying that "you should never live your life for other people," when from across the campsite Edwina decided to chip in. Kendra was enraged by Edwina's response and sent a barrage of swear words her way.
15 of 17Lauren Simon, Seema Malhotra and Nermina Pieters-Mekic, Real Housewives of Cheshire, 2018
At Seema's wedding party, Lauren heard Nermina talking about her behind her back so decided to confront her about it. Nermina is unruffled, saying that what she would say behind Lauren's back, she would also say to her face. Seema takes the opportunity to confront Lauren about her own qualms and all hell breaks loose.
16 of 17Natalee Harris and Matty B, Ex on the Beach, 2018
Natalee and Matty B's final showdown was so fiery that she started ripping the artwork from the wall. They were happily cracking on with each other when Matty's ex Beth walked out of the water. Even though he decided to still pursue Natalee, she claimed he was "mugging her off" going into total meltdown.
17 of 17Hannah Elizabeth and Jon Clark, Love Island, 2015
Hannah and Jon certainly had their highs, with Jon even proposing at the end of the series, but they also had their lows. Calum Best certainly stirred the pot when came into the villa to take the boys for a night out in Magaluf. Hannah confronted Jon, he shouted back, she started crying and he stormed off. It's a miracle they managed to patch things back up.
The show featured Ozzy, Sharon, and two of their teenage children, Kelly and Jack – eldest daughter Aimee, who was 19 at the time, declined to take part in the programme.
“I always really valued my privacy within that family,” Aimee has said. “And, for me personally, and for who I am, you know, as far as morally and also just to give myself a chance to actually develop into a human being as opposed to just being remembered for being a teenager, it didn’t really line up with what I saw my future as. It definitely worked great for the rest of my family, but for me and who I am, I just knew it was never something that I would have been able to consider realistically.”
And boy, did the family grasp the opportunity with both hands. Viewers got a truly unfiltered look into the mayhem – and, bear in mind, this was long before social media gave us the opportunity to know which loo roll our favourite celebrities use.
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The surprise success
The genius of The Osbournes lies in the sheer anarchy. As one fan put it, “I instantly became a fan of the show, because their home was the antithesis of mine in the most alluring way: they swore at one another, there was drinking, there was screaming at everyone and everything – and at 13 that was super-cool.”
The first season saw Sharon throw bagels and ham over their garden fence in a dispute with their neighbours, leading to a telling off by the police for wasting food. Ozzy also got involved by throwing a hunk of wood at their neighbour’s window. Kelly and Jack would often engage in physical fights – one memorable altercation kicked off because Kelly got mad at Jack for dancing with Christina Aguilera, her sworn enemy at the time. The family’s dogs also played a huge part in the pandemonium, specifically their lack of potty training. Ozzy once famously told the rear end of one of their dogs, “I’m not picking up dog shit, I’m a rock star.”
But the show had its serious moments, too. In 2002 Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer, sharing her journey with viewers. Ozzy’s 2003 quad bike crash – in which he broke his collarbone, eight ribs, and a vertebra in his neck -– was also shown in the final season. Despite only airing for three years, The Osbournes became MTV’s most successful show ever at the time. It was the first of its kind to win a Primetime Emmy – reality shows simply didn’t exist before it came along, but it evidently became the blueprint for future ones like Keeping Up With The Kardashians and the Real Housewives franchise.
In fact, the show was so successful in its first season that savvy businesswoman Sharon was able to renegotiate their contracts. Each family member had initially got a tidy pay packet of $20k per episode for the first season. After Sharon’s renegotiations, the family earned a whopping $20m as a total salary. She also managed to get MTV to chuck in a house renovation and – get this – therapy for the family dogs. What a woman.
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What a legacy
No one could have predicted that an unscripted TV show about a Brummie rock star and his family living (and fighting) together in LA would have left such an impact on the landscape of TV that new family-based reality shows would still be cropping up left, right and centre.
While a now-sober Ozzy has said he was “stoned” for the entire three-year run, Sharon looks back at The Osbournes with fondness. “It was cool. We had the best time of our lives,” she has said. “We have so much to look back on. Jack has so much to give to his girls to say, ‘This was me at your age!’ It’s a great family heirloom.”