Jack Osbourne has shared an emotional insight into his relationship with his legendary father Ozzy Osbourne, months after the Black Sabbath frontman's death at age 76.
The 40-year-old reality star, currently appearing on ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, described his father's passing in July as 'the ultimate mic drop' following Ozzy's final performance at Villa Park.
A Father's Final Wish
Jack revealed that his decision to enter the jungle was driven by his desire to honour Ozzy's legacy and his father's specific wish that he wouldn't spend his time 'moping about and being sad'.
In a heartfelt Bush Telegraph confession after speaking with Lisa Riley, Jack admitted: 'I'm still navigating it all, it's been three nearly four months and so it's still pretty fresh.'
Ozzy's death came just 17 days after his historic Back to the Beginning reunion gig with Black Sabbath bandmates at Aston Villa's stadium - a charity concert that raised over £144 million, making it the highest-grossing charity concert of all time.
The Shadow of Addiction
The Osbourne family's journey was profoundly shaped by addiction struggles that affected both father and son.
Jack recalled how his 'childhood wasn't exactly normal', with Ozzy acknowledging he was 'not even present really' during much of his children's early lives due to what he called a 'very selfish disease'.
Some of Jack's most disturbing childhood memories include witnessing his father's attempted murder of mother Sharon when he was just four years old.
'He had been downing bottles of vodka for a few days and then started acting all weird with mum,' Jack remembered. 'We've decided that you have to die he told her.'
Police were called after Sharon hit the panic button, and young Jack watched through the bannisters as officers handcuffed his father - who was 'wearing nothing but underpants' - and led him away.
The Turning Point Towards Sobriety
The path to recovery began with a pivotal argument between father and son.
Ozzy once recalled the life-changing moment: 'I had a row with Jack. I had to talk business and I said "what have you ever f****** wanted? I'll give you whatever you want". He says "what about a father?" That kicked me in the balls so hard.'
That confrontation became the catalyst for Ozzy's sobriety journey. Jack, who had been sober since 2003, essentially showed his father that recovery was possible.
Kelly Osbourne credits her brother with having 'a lot to do with' their father's eventual sobriety, noting: 'Jack changed a lot of things when he changed himself, and it's hard for a father to look at his son and say "if he can do it, how come I can't?"'
Ozzy maintained his sobriety for his final 12 years, describing how 'the first year is the worst' before 'you can start breathing again'.
Health Battles and Lasting Legacy
In their later years, both Osbourne men faced significant health challenges that brought them closer together.
Jack was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2012, while Ozzy received his Parkinson's Disease diagnosis in February 2019.
'I understand when you have something you don't want to have,' Jack said of their shared health struggles. 'But if he wants to talk about it, I'm there. And if not, I try to slip in information.'
These health battles reinforced the importance of family, leading to the creation of The Osbournes Podcast two years ago, which often captured the family in hysterical fits of laughter.
Reflecting on his father's legacy, Jack described feeling 'so lucky and blessed' to call Ozzy his dad, adding: 'He is an incredible man. He really is. His contribution to music is bigger than his faults.'
Just days before Ozzy's heart attack in July, Jack had praised his father as 'funny, unique and powerful', and he remains certain that Ozzy would have supported his jungle adventure as a fitting tribute rather than an expression of grief.
