Criticise me? Get out of my face
Sharon blasts audience boos as Ozzy flies in
Sharon Osbourne has lashed out at her critics after being booed for her decision-making during the X Factor’s notorious six-chair challenge.
The feisty judge tells me: “I don’t listen to the criticism. I’m like, when you earn your living in this industry, and have done for 50 years, give me a call. Otherwise, get the f*** out of my face. As they say, stay in your lane, b **** !”
Sharon, 65, is in charge of the girls category for the first of the live shows this weekend.
And she’s told Grace Davies, Holly Tandy and Rai-Elle Williams to follow her lead and brush off any criticism.
She says: “I tell them all not to look at social media.
“One half tell you you’re fabulous and the other half tell you they hate you. It’s not a good indicator.”
As X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing do battle in the ratings war, Sharon insists she would never jump ship and join the celeb dancers.
Laughing, she says: “I don’t like to perspire and you sweat doing that. I’m not bothered about the hunky men, I’d be going, ‘Does my breath stink? Do my armpits?’ I would die doing it!”
Sharon has already signed up for next year’s X Factor and says it was an easy decision to make. “I love the show so I wanted to stay. The industry is all I know. I’m a sad, old fart! I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”
She’s hoping pal Nicole Scherzinger, the only judge yet to sign a new contract, will be tempted to stay on the panel too.
“I’d love Nicole to stay because she’s my friend,” she says. “You want your buddies with you.” Asked if she’d like to see Cheryl Tweedy back, Sharon insists: “It’s not that I don’t want to work with Cheryl, she’s great. But Nicole and I have been friends for a long time. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”
She and Nicole may be pals but they went head-to-head over their categories, with Nicole desperate to mentor the Girls rather than the Overs.
Sharon says: “Initially Nicole said, ‘I’m happy with the Overs.’ But when she saw my girls she said, ‘Do you want to change?’ All the money in the world couldn’t take those girls away from me.”
But mentoring the youngest contestants – Holly and Rai-Elle – brings its own challenges.
Sharon says: “Having two 16-yearolds is a great responsibility. They’re very young so you feel over protective towards them. I mother them like they’re my own children.”
During the last series Sharon’s marriage was rocked when it was revealed hubby Ozzy had an affair with hair stylist Michelle Pugh. Ozzy, 68, later revealed he had a sex addiction but had the full support of his wife.
The pair remain united, with Ozzy in London this weekend for the live shows.
Sharon says: “I’m glad he’s here. I ask him what he thinks about their voices.
“He thinks my girls are amazing. Every day he goes to me, ‘I don’t know how they do it. They’re so young and brave’.”