Sharon Osbourne has revealed her husband Ozzy suffered a fall which caused a decline in his health – as the family appeared on their podcast together for the first time since the rock icon’s death.
The matriarch of the famous family, 73, was joined by her son Jack, 40, and her daughter Kelly, 41, as they spoke about their grief over losing Ozzy, who passed away in July of this year following a heart attack.
While this was ultimately how Ozzy died, his family have now claimed that he had been declining for a while and a ‘domino effect’ of ill health had begun in December last year, after he fell while they were away on holiday.
It was previously reported that Ozzy suffered a disastrous fall in 2019 which dislodged metal rolls in his back from previous surgeries, however this is the first time a second fall has been publicly disclosed.
Reflecting on Ozzy’s medical state in the months before he died on their podcast, The Osbournes, the family told how Ozzy was hit by a series of health issues.
It marked the first time the family had recorded a podcast together in more than a year, as they took the opportunity to honour the late star.
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Sharon Osbourne has revealed her husband Ozzy suffered a fall which caused a decline in his health – as the family appeared on their podcast together for the first time since his death
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The matriarch of the famous family, 73, was joined by her son Jack, 40, and her daughter Kelly, 41, as they spoke about their grief from losing Ozzy, who passed away in July of this year following a heart attack
Sharon recalled: ‘It started in December of last year, the kind of getting worse. We were supposed to go to Finland, Daddy was going to stay here [in the UK], while we went to Finland and then we were going to stay for Christmas, New Year and stay until the show.
‘It was the first week of December and he wasn’t feeling great and he took a little fall and he kept saying my back hurts and we left on the 10th and said you can come with everyone a little bit later, he went to the hospital.’
Jack, who is due to appear on the new series of I’m A Celebrity, added: ‘Backing up a bit, he wasn’t very good at handling pain… but being the gentleman he was, he didn’t tell anyone he took a fall and it turned out he had a fracture in his back, in his vertebrae.’
Sharon said: ‘They say when you fracture a vertebrae it’ll take about six weeks to heal, it’s very painful and most of the time your body will heal itself.
‘But yes you will be in a lot of discomfort, but when they tell me its going to heal itself because someone of his age with his medical state, the condition of his body and the amount of drugs and other issues – you know it’s not going to heal itself. It would have been a miracle.’
Jack said: ‘It started a bit of a domino effect.’
Sharon agreed: ‘It started a bit of a domino effect. He was in so much pain he had to go into hospital. I came back from the holiday early.
‘We scrubbed having Christmas here in the UK and went back and he was in agony.’
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While this was ultimately how Ozzy died, his family have now claimed that he had been declining for a while and a ‘domino effect’ of ill health had begun in December last year, after he fell while they were away on holiday
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Jack added: ‘Backing up a bit, he wasn’t very good at handling pain… but being the gentleman he was, he didn’t tell anyone he took a fall and it turned out he had a fracture in his back, in his vertebrae’
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Kelly appeared on the podcast with her mother Sharon and brother Jack
Jack chimed in: ‘But then he got pneumonia.’
Sharon said: ‘He was in hospital and then he got pneumonia and that’s happened to him three times in the past year. So with the pneumonia and his vertebrae he was just so uncomfortable.’
Elsewhere on the podcast, Sharon revealed how she has been struggling to sleep alone since her husband died.
Sharon admitted: ‘I hate going to bed at night.’
Kelly said: ‘I mean, I slept with you for the first two months so that you weren’t on your own. But then I felt like you needed some space.
‘I wake up and for the first three seconds I feel normal. And then I remember everything. Mornings are the hardest for me.
‘What is the morning? Because it happened in the morning. And I used to spend most of my time with Dad in the morning.’
Kelly admitted she didn’t realise just how ‘horrible’ it would feel to lose her beloved dad, who had been in poor health for years before his death from a heart attack.
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Sharon pictured with Ozzy and one of their grandchildren
She tearfully said: ‘I never realised just how horrible grief is. I never knew I was capable of loving somebody so much and missing somebody so much. I just, I never thought there’d be a day where he wouldn’t be here.’
Sharon asked: ‘But then how blessed are you to have had a dad like him?’
Kelly noted her dad would ‘hate’ to see her crying and admitted she has taken comfort from her three-year-old son Sidney, who she has with rocker fiancé Sid Wilson.
She said: ‘I’m just so grateful that Sidney got to meet him. And that they had such a special little relationship. If it wasn’t for my baby boy…’
Father-of-four Jack agreed: ‘Having the kids has been a huge help.’
The TV personality has found some positives in his grief, as he explained: ‘It is both horrible and beautiful in the way that it forces you to unpack and examine things.
‘Like, yeah, it sucks that he’s gone, but also, for me, it has led to a huge amount of gratitude and love and like really cherishing moments that at the time you take for granted.’
The public outpouring of grief for the Paranoid hitmaker has been ‘so helpful’ to his family, but Sharon admitted she doesn’t think Ozzy would have realised how much he meant to people.
Kelly said: ‘The outpouring of love has been so helpful to us. I never could have even imagined it to be as helpful as it has been to know that we’re not alone in our grief, in our sadness and that the rest of the world loved him as much as we did…
‘I haven’t seen an outpouring like that since Princess Diana died. I didn’t expect it.’
Sharon added: ‘Ozzy, he wouldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t. He didn’t realise how much he was loved and that was his beauty because he never took it for granted from anyone. He never took it for granted I’m this, I’m that. He had no idea.’
Ozzy had been battling ill-health for over 20 years before his sad death aged 76.
The Black Sabbath legend had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 2003 and had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal surgery in September 2023.
His health battle began more than two decades ago, when in 2003, he broke his neck after falling off a quad bike leading to some extensive back surgery and metal rods being put down his spine.
The British musician was diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson’s disease in 2003, however he only went public with the condition in 2020.
In 2020, the singer shared in an interview with Good Morning America alongside his wife Sharon his diagnosis.
He shared: ‘I had to have surgery on my neck which screwed all my nerves. I found out that I have a mild form of…’ Struggling to finish the sentence Sharon stepped in: ‘It’s Parkin two which is a form of Parkinson’s.’
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Ozzy had been battling ill-health for over 20 years before his sad death aged 76
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The Black Sabbath legend was suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 2003 and had undergone seven surgeries in the past five years, including a fourth spinal surgery in September 2023
She added: ‘There are so many different types of Parkinson’s. It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body. It’s like you’ll have a good day, then a good day, and then a really bad day.’
However, Ozzy previously said that his biggest struggles were due to a fall which he suffered in 2019 which caused metal rods in his back to dislodge.
The rods had been put there following a quad bike accident at his Buckinghamshire home in 2003.
He told Rolling Stone UK magazine: ‘The second surgery went drastically wrong and virtually left me crippled.
‘I thought I’d be up and running after the second and third, but with the last one they put a f*ing rod in my spine.
‘They found a tumour in one of the vertebrae, so they had to dig all that out too. It’s pretty rough, man, and my balance is all f*ed up.’
In February 2019, Sharon revealed he had been admitted to hospital after suffering from flu and had experienced ‘complications’ from the illness.
Sharon tweeted: ‘As some of you may have heard, Ozzy was admitted to hospital following some complications from the flu. His doctors feel this is the best way to get him on a quicker road to recovery. Thanks to everyone for their concern and love.’
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His health battle began more than 20 years ago, when in 2003, he broke his neck after falling off a quad bike leading to some extensive back surgery and metal rods being put down his spine (pictured in 2004)
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The British musician was diagnosed with a mild form of Parkinson’s disease in 2003, however he only went public with the condition in 2020 (pictured 2022)
The illness led to him cancelling a string of tour dates while he recovered, including postponing the UK and European legs of his No More Tours 2.
Ahead of his final live performance in July 2025, which was a benefit concert in Birmingham, Ozzy gave an update on his health status and state of mind.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Ozzy’s Boneyard, he said: ‘You know what, I go on about the way I can’t walk and I can’t do this, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all of my complaining, I’m still alive.’
He continued: ‘I may be moaning about how I can’t walk as well but as I look down the road, there’s people that didn’t do half as much as me, and they didn’t make it.’
‘I’m trying to get back on my feet.’
Host Billy Morrison added: ‘Ozzy, you are so much better than you were just a year ago.’
He replied: ‘Yeah, but the recovery is very slow. That f***ing surgeon. Plus the Parkinson’s. When you get up in the morning, you just jump outta bed. Oh I have to balance myself, you know? But you know, I’m not dead, as you say. I’m still actively doing things.’
Also ahead of the gig, Ozzy’s wife Sharon revealed: ‘Ozzy’s working with his therapist every single day. He’s doing really well, actually. Ozzy’s number one thing in life is his fans, so he’s working hard to be ready for them, to make this show the perfect way to end things.’
Last year, Ozzy was not well enough to perform at the band’s Rock’N’Roll Hall of Fame induction in America.
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However, Ozzy previously said that his biggest struggles were due to a fall which he suffered in 2019 which caused metal rods in his back, which had been put there following a quad bike accident in 2003, to dislodge (pictured 2022)
At the Back To The Beginning show, Ozzy performed on a black throne as he was unable to stand.
Ozzy, who has undergone multiple back and neck surgeries, moved in a specialist rehab therapist in Los Angeles to try to help him stand for several minutes on stage, walk more freely and feel better balanced.
He had also been a firm supporter of the health service, following being treated by NHS staff in 2003 after his near-fatal accident left him with a fractured neck vertebra, fractured ribs and a broken collarbone.
Despite his setbacks, and his worsening condition, Sharon claimed his voice was as good as ever before his final ever gig.
Speaking to The Sun she added: ‘He’s very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this. Parkinson’s is a progressive disease.
‘It’s not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body, and it’s affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it’s ever been.’
