Sharon Osbourne has slammed TV talent shows and their treatment of young contestants.
The 71-year-old star was a judge on ‘The X Factor’ from 2004 to 2007, before returning in 2013, and again from 2016 to 2017, and also sat on the ‘America’s Got Talent’ panel between 2007 to 2012, but she’d never take on such a job again as she doesn’t think the wellbeing of auditionees is prioritised in the way it should.
She told Best magazine: “I’d never do a talent show again.
“I’ve come to realise that the way they’re run isn’t right.
“Take kids. It’s not fair to put them through that schedule, that hard work.
“That’s particularly true of reality-based shows.
“The young people who appear on them are not mentally prepared for what is going to happen to them.
“When they fall by the wayside, they get brushed aside.”
Despite being brought in to both ‘X Factor’ and ‘AGT’ by Simon Cowell, Sharon insisted they aren’t friends.
She said: “Simon Cowell’s never been a friend. I thank him for giving me opportunities- I did well by him and he did well by me. But he’s never been a buddy-buddy.
“Would I ring him for a chat? No, never.
“On the other hand, I love Nicole Scherzinger. I absolutely idolise her. I’m in awe of her talent.
“She’s got the biggest heart, an amazing woman.
“Louis Walsh is a complete poppet. He’s a family friend.
“And I just adore Gary Barlow.”
But Sharon famously never saw eye-to-eye with Dannii Minogue when the Australian pop star was a judge on ‘X Factor’ and she insisted they are too different to have been friends.
She explained: “We just have nothing in common.
“I love women but there are some who don’t love other women.
“Dannii didn’t care for me. Why? Possibly because some people don’t like to hear the truth.
“Some women love to be around the guys. That’s not me.
“I love men but a lot of men don’t care for women like me. They don’t like a woman with a reputation for being a ballbuster.
“Dannii’s a flirt. Her way is not my way. The only thing we have in common is that we’re both women.”
