Sharon Osbourne has opened up about her decision to leave her home in Los Angeles to return to England.
The former music manager and The Talk panellist, 71, is married to Black Sabbath musician Ozzy Osbourne, 74.
In a new interview with BBC’s Woman’s Hour, the former X Factor presenter said that she feels “uncomfortable” living in Los Angeles.
When asked by host Anita Rani whether she had made the decision to move for the benefit of her family, Sharon agreed.
Her husband Ozzy is living with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease. The condition can cause unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. Often, the disease can become more severe over time.
In September, Ozzy underwent surgery due to a neck injury he sustained after a quad bike accident at his estate in 2003, which was exacerbated by a fall at his home in 2019. He has attempted to treat the pain with previous surgeries.
Sharon said that Los Angeles, where she and her family moved more than 20 years ago, does not give them the privacy that they want.
“Where we live in the countryside [in England], it’s not full of paps,” she explained.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne photographed in 2020— (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)
“It’s very frustrating for [Ozzy] when he goes out and when he goes for a walk being followed by paps. In the pictures, he doesn’t look his best and then they say ‘how frail’ he looks and [speculate over] how long has he got to go. You lose your dignity somehow.”
“England has always been home,” she said. “I don’t think I’m very American. I just feel more at home [in England]. I miss the culture; the lifestyle. Looking at it now at Christmas time, it’s magnificent, it’s so special.
“Christmas in LA… it’s sunny, it’s not festive. They’ve got one dusty old Father Christmas in his sleigh. It just doesn’t feel festive at all.”
In an interview with The Guardian last year, Ozzy revealed how his Parkinson’s diagnosis has affected his mobility.
“You think you’re lifting your feet, but your foot doesn’t move. I feel like I’m walking around in lead boots,” he explained.
Speaking on the Piers Morgan Uncensoredshow in September, Ozzy said that he and his family had been through “absolute hell” while navigating his health problems.
“I finally had my last procedure two days ago,” he said of the surgery he had on his neck. “I can’t believe I have come to the end of it. It’s been five years of absolute hell for me and the family.
“I have Parkinson’s but I never think about it,” he added.
Following much press speculation about his condition, Ozzy denied he was on his “last legs” in an episode of The Osbournes Podcast in September.
He explained: “The paps wait to ambush me everywhere. There’s always some precarious photo where my mouth’s half open and I’m bent over.”
“I’m far from being on my last legs,” he clarified.
His 38-year-old daughter Kelly Osbourne added: “I always think that’s so ageist and insulting and rude.”
