BBC pulls Ozzy Osbourne film hours before airing due to family issues

Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home was billed as an intimate portrayal of the famed rocker, focusing on his and wife Sharon's return to the UK after living in Los Angeles. Photo / Getty Images

BBC bosses reportedly pulled their Ozzy Osbourne documentary hours before it was due to air over “concerns” from his family.

Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home was billed as an intimate portrait of the heavy metal icon after his death aged 76 in July, and was set to chart his and wife Sharon’s return to the UK after more than two decades in Los Angeles – but it was yanked from BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm on Monday local time, with the show hastily replaced by Fake or Fortune.

The Sun’s TV editor Rod McPhee reported: “Although the Beeb initially offered no explanation for the last-minute axing of the Ozzy and Sharon’s hotly anticipated show, Coming Home, I’ve been told there were concerns about how the family felt about the end product.”

A source also told the Sun: “There have been conversations behind the scenes that maybe the BBC were rushing their show on Ozzy out – especially because Paramount+ also had a film in the offing.

“The BBC’s production had been originally planned to run as a 10-part series following Ozzy and Sharon’s move back to the UK called Home To Roost.

“After Ozzy passed away, the makers of the series then decided it should be a one-off film.

“What mattered the most to the family was the overall tone and theme of the programme, which features Ozzy and Sharon in one of their last interviews together.

“It started to feel like the goal being pursued was that the BBC and the makers of the film were to get the show on air faster than the Paramount+ doc.

“Naturally that has caused some concerns with the family.”

The Ozzy documentary was expected to show Ozzy – who died after a years-long battle with Parkinson’s disease – preparing for his farewell performance in Birmingham, which came 17 days before his passing.

A BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mirror: “The film has moved in the schedules. New premiere details will be shared in due course.”

Ozzy spent his final months filming the project with his family, including 71-year-old Sharon and their children Kelly and Jack.

The rocker died shortly after returning to the UK.

His doctors had cleared him to travel for a farewell gig at Villa Park in Birmingham with his former Black Sabbath bandmates.

One source told the Sun: “After delaying their big move back to Welders in the UK for almost two years because of Ozzy’s health, his doctors had finally signed off his ability to travel to the UK and perform at the farewell gig.

“Ozzy was having singing lessons almost every day in preparation for his last show, wanting to go out with a bang. He was in constant pain and had nurses tending to him around the clock but was determined to play this last show.

“His determination came from wanting to play for the fans one last time who gave him the amazing life he and Sharon have enjoyed together.”