As her recent stint in the Celebrity Big Brother house proved, when Sharon Osbourne goes in on someone, she really goes in.
Over the weekend, the former X Factor judge more than lived up to this reputation with a takedown for the ages, aimed at Amanda Holden.
During their CBB stint last month, both Sharon and Louis Walsh held nothing back when it came to their former X Factor boss Simon Cowell – which Britain’s Got Talent star Amanda took issue with while speaking to the Daily Mail for a new interview.
“I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon,” she said, without naming anyone specifically.
“He’s the person who’s given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and a lifestyle they probably wouldn’t have had.”
Amanda added: “It’s bitter and pathetic. It was like Cinderella with her two sisters in the background – just stabby, stabby, stabby.”
The following morning, Sharon shared a lengthy statement on social media, directly responding to Amanda’s claims.
Sharon began: “The truth is, you don’t know me, Amanda or any of my close friends. You know nothing about my history in the music industry, my achievements, the artists I have worked with, the shows that l’ve produced, and my global celebrity.
“Unlike you, the brand of Sharon Osbourne is known worldwide. There are many countries that I could work in if I choose to, however, I don’t have the ambition or time to do so, and unlike you, I don’t work in radio or pantomime.
“Our worlds are totally different. I have been blessed with an amazing lifestyle throughout my entire life. Before you were born, I was living in a mansion in Beverly Hills and continue to do so today and continue to have my country estate in England as well. But there is something you should know. I never discuss money, lifestyle, or positions of power. I find it to be classless and crude.
“However, you’ve now forced my hand to divulge these things to you and I honestly don’t want to seem like I’m bragging, but the truth is my money and success were not due to doing a couple of Simon Cowell talent shows.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed doing them at the time as they were great fun,” she continued.
“Yes, Simon paid me very well. Probably more than what you’re receiving today, but all of that my darling went on a few handbags.”
Sharon went on to claim that during her initial stint on the X Factor panel, she was “the only judge who had global accomplishments with multiple million-selling artists, Grammy Award winners and arena and stadium headliners”, pointing out she’d also produced the annual Ozzfest music event, won an Emmy for her work on the reality show The Osbournes and penned a best-selling book.
“Amanda, I think you’re missing the point here,” she added. “No disrespect to Simon Cowell but he NEEDED ME for musical credibility on X Factor and I delivered for him and together all of us made a great team.
“It was only after several seasons of X Factor that Simon started to build his music empire and I give him much kudos for what he built. But in case you are living under a rock, my husband is a music icon who has sold 170 million albums, won five Grammy Awards, and is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee.
“We have been married 42 years and we had a fantastic lifestyle before I ever heard of Simon Cowell.
“On closing, I hope I’ve given you a proper education about me so that the next time you choose to mention me, you’ll have some facts in your pocket.”
Referencing the BGT star’s Cinderella dig, Sharon concluded: “The bottom line, Amanda, is, that you’ll never be in my league, and you’ve picked on the wrong ugly stepsister.”
Amanda’s rep later told The Mirror: “Amanda is aware of Sharon’s incredible career but, just like her, Amanda will always defend those close to her.”
Her spokesperson had no further comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
While Sharon’s CBB stint was a short one, she still managed to make headlines on a number of occasions, largely down to her no-holds-barred approach to fellow celebrities.
At one point she took aim at James Corden, Anna Wintour and Ellen Degeneres in the same breath (and has had more ire for the Gavin & Stacey creator since leaving the CBB house), as well as voicing her criticism of Adele.