The Osbournes: The hit series that paved the way for family reality TV
Kelly, Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne appeared on MTV’s The Osbournes (Ian West/PA)
In 2002, the family of former Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne, who once bit the head off a bat on stage and who has died aged 76, took over TV screens in a reality show that aired on MTV.
, which proved popular among audiences across the world, saw them go about their daily lives as cameras documented their every move.
It came to an end in 2005, but the family members – husband and wife duo Ozzy and Sharon and children Kelly and Jack – appeared across similar reality series in the years following.
In 2009, the variety-style show was broadcast, and between 2016 and 2018, Ozzy and Jack appeared in , in which the father-and-son duo visited different sites to learn about their history.
They also revisited their best bits in the show , which was released in 2024.
Amid news that the series would come to an end, poet Benjamin Zephaniah, who, like Ozzy, hailed from Birmingham, wrote a five-stanza poem dedicated to the family.
The show had some viral standout moments that still do the rounds online.
One of the most beloved clips from the series shows Ozzy growing frustrated at being unable to use the TV remote control.
He shouts to his son, Jack, to ask for help and swears profusely, also calling the issue a “nightmare in Beverly Hills”.
One of the recurring incidents in the first series was Ozzy constantly finding dog mess in the house.
Sharon’s collection of dogs and cats, which seemed to grow throughout each series, proved able to trash the house much better than Ozzy ever could a hotel room.
Another stand-out moment from the show was the bizarre sight of Ozzy working out in a gym while wearing a white vest and track suit bottoms.
