Sharon Osbourne slams X Factor co-star Simon Cowell over 'dated' talent shows

Sharon Osbourne has hit out at Simon Cowell's reality shows, branding them as "formulaic" and urging the music mogul to "stop with the pantomime" on programmes like Britain's Got Talent

Jack Wetherill Showbiz & TV Editor and Bang Showbiz

10:05, 20 Mar 2025

Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell have worked together in the past(Image: Ken McKay/Shutterstock)

Sharon Osbourne has unleashed a scathing attack on Simon Cowell, branding his talent shows as "dated" and calling for an end to the "stop with the pantomime" acts.

It's not the first time Shazza's slated the likes of Britain's Got Talent, previously lashing out at judge Amanda Holden. It saw Amanda hit back, also defending Simon with her words.

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The 72-year-old, who previously judged on The X Factor and America's Got Talent, didn't hold back in her criticism of the 65-year-old TV tycoon during her chat with Music Week. She slammed the shows for being overly scripted and lacking authenticity.

She vented: "It's formulaic, it's for TV, it's not 'real'. You get tired of the b*******. It gets me every time."

Osbourne continued her tirade against the contrived nature of these programmes, particularly America's Got Talent, saying: "You see it with America's Got Talent, everybody knows who's coming on, you're prepped before every person comes on - it's like, 'Stop with the b****** and the tears.'"

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Sharon Osbourne has slammed the 'formulaic' talent shows on TV(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images)

She urged for a more genuine approach: "If it was real, it would be a whole lot better because the idea for the show is brilliant but just make it real, make it organic, stop with the pantomime. It's very dated."

Despite Simon's track record of success with bands like One Direction, Sharon, who managed rock legends like her husband Ozzy Osbourne and Motorhead, expressed her disdain for the boyband industry.

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She confessed: "I can't stand boybands. I never have been able to as far as what they achieve and what they do. I hate it because it's formulaic."

Her contempt for the manufactured aspect of the music business was palpable as she concluded: "It's, 'Oh, let's go to Sweden, we'll get that k******* to write us a song and then we'll have a hit and we'll get a good choreographer and a good stylist'.

Simon Cowell has spoke of his pride of how long Britain's Got Talent has been going(Image: Getty Images)

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"I hate that part of the industry, it's so disposable. It's not even elevator music."

Although The X Factor ultimately lost its place on the airwaves due to dwindling viewer numbers, Cowell remains optimistic that Britain's Got Talent will endure for years to come.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz and other press in April of last year, he expressed his sentiments: "I always thought, 'If we can get three or four years out of this, it would be amazing', and then you reach 10 years and you go, 'that's a milestone'."

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Cowell further explained: "I think because so many people now come from all over the world to compete, and it's not just winning the show, it's having that viral moment which can literally change your life overnight."

He then concluded: "I think that's why people are going to come back year after year after year and hopefully keep competing and get better, because that's what I'm seeing is that the acts are getting better, and because the show has all ages, I think it's going to be here for a long, long time."

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