Amanda Holden is no stranger to sticking up for her Britain’s Got Talent boss Simon Cowell – and now she’s felt the wrath of Sharon Osbourne for it.
In what could turn into a nasty war of words, furious Sharon gave Amanda a very public dressing down when she took to social media and tagged her to directly respond to comments the BGT judge had recently made about her following her Celebrity Big Brother appearance.
Giving Amanda an “education” on her achievements – and how Simon needed her and not the other way round – Sharon, who is worth a reported £341 million with husband Ozzy, quipped the money she made from his shows “darling, went on a few handbags”.
It comes after Amanda branded Sharon and pal Louis Walsh “bitter and pathetic” over comments they made about Simon when the duo recently appeared on the ITV reboot of Celebrity Big Brother. During their stint on the show, they made fun of Simon’s appearance and said he would “need more Botox” when they finished sharing gossip about him to the country. Sharon claimed she wouldn’t work with Simon again for “all the money in the world “, while Louis said Simon makes everything “about him.”
Taking a savage swipe at the former X Factor legends, Amanda told MailOnline : “I just thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s like watching a pantomime.’ I just think they look so nasty and awful… it was like Cinderella with her two sisters in the background – just stabby, stabby, stabby.”
In a clear dig at Sharon and Louis, the 53-year-old added: “I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon – 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.”
While Sharon refutes this and hit back she was already earning millions and living in a Beverly Hills mansion “before you were born”, it’s not the first time Amanda has had Simon’s back. The TV star even credits Simon for reviving her career when he made her a judge on Britain’s Got Talent when it first aired in 2007 after the public turned on her when she cheated on then husband Les Dennis with Men Behaving Badly actor Neil Morrissey.
She told The Sun at the time: “ I’m a terrible flirt. I come from a family of them. My grandmother still pinches bums at 92. But I always thought of myself as a good girl and then things happened, and I realised no-one else did. I’m grateful to him [Simon]. Obviously, he’s made me a lot of money, but he also gave me an amazing profile change.”
Back in 2018, Sharon was running her mouth about Simon again and stunned fans when she was asked who she would save from a sinking ship on the Howard Stern show. The 71-year-old bluntly said she would throw Simon overboard “with a f***ing brick around his neck” and went on to brand the X Factor a “f***ing karaoke”.
But again, Amanda was there to Simon’s defence and shared the pair have a “love/hate relationship” and hinted Simon may even have enjoyed the dig as he likes people who are rebels. She told the Mirror: “Simon loves people who break the rules – he’s a rule breaker himself. He enjoys outrageousness. They’ve always had a love/hate relationship. It’s like water off a duck’s back.”
If Amanda isn’t careful, she’ll soon find herself in a full on feud with Sharon, who launched a scatching personal attack on Amanda over her most recent comments and said: “No disrespect to Simon Cowell, but he NEEDED ME for musical credibility on X Factor and I delivered for him and together we 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.
“When I met my husband I was already very well established in the music industry… I think you must have forgotten my husband is a music icon who has sold 170 million albums, won multiple Grammy Awards and is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. We have been together 44 years and he has spoiled me from the first day we met, he has given me more than any man ever could, all of this before I ever knew who Simon Cowell was.”
In a warning to Amanda, Sharon ended the post with: “I must say whenever I have seen you on TV I always thought you were very beautiful and talented. However, never make comments about my lifestyle given to me by Simon Cowell. It’s demeaning to me and my husband and all the achievements I have made in my life as you’re making yourself look like an ill informed sycophantic. Sincerely, Sharon Osbourne.”
Amanda Holden has since made a cheeky return to Instagram hours after Sharon’s epic rant went viral. Making a brave return to social media, she first posted a paparazzi photo of herself coyly looking over her shoulder as she headed into the Heart FM studios earlier in the week. The mum-of-two then followed this up with a second post of her enjoying a family day out with her parents and youngest daughter. The Mirror has contacted Amanda’s reps for further comment on this story.
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