EXCLUSIVE: Jack Osbourne Brutally Trolled For Breaking Down Over Dad Ozzy's Death on Reality Show After He Vowed Subject Was Off Limits — 'He's Just Cashing In'
Viewers said Jack Osbourne cashed in after breaking down despite vowing the topic of dad Ozzy Osbourne's death was off limits.
Nov. 18 2025, Published 6:24 p.m. ET
Jack Osbourne is facing a storm of online abuse after breaking down on I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! over the death of his father, Ozzy Osbourne, despite earlier suggesting the subject was off limits – a backlash RadarOnline.com can reveal has escalated into accusations he is "cashing in" on his family's grief.
The reality-show contestant, 40, who flew to Australia just months after his Black Sabbath frontman father died in July aged 76, had previously hinted he would avoid discussing his father on the nationally televised series.
Emotional On-Air Breakdown
Critics blasted Jack for crying on air after saying Ozzy was off limits.
He said before entering the camp: "I think things will naturally come up and I'm not necessarily going to stray away from too many things. But, you know, obviously there are certain things I probably won't discuss on a nationally televised show that's filmed 24/7."
Fans, remembering his vow, were then left stunned when he became emotional on air while speaking to fellow contestant, British actress Lisa Riley, about the legendary rocker's final days.
During the episode, Osbourne broke down as he recalled the shock of his father's sudden decline.
"It was definitely a shock," he said.
"I mean, we knew he was sick for a while, but it was definitely a shock, I mean, we didn't know it would be that quick… it was the ultimate mic drop, he did a massive big gig and was like, 'Alright, I'm done.'"
Accusations of 'Cashing In'
Viewers claimed Jack cashed in on Ozzy Osbourne's death for screen time.
When Riley asked what Ozzy might think of him joining the ITV show, Osbourne replied tearfully: "He would be so supportive of this."
Away in the Bush Telegraph, Jack told viewers his grief was a "weird thing," adding: "I'm still navigating it all, it's been three, nearly four months, and it's still pretty fresh."
But the emotional scenes triggered an immediate backlash online.
One critic blasted: "Jack said he wouldn't talk about it, and now he's sobbing for the cameras. It feels like he's cashing in on Ozzy's death."
Another wrote: "This is the sort of stunt you'd expect from a cheap reality star, not someone who claimed he wanted privacy to grieve."
A third added: "His grief is real, but using it for screen time is wrong. He promised not to do this."
Jack gets emotional over dad Ozzy Osbourne.
Trolls Are 'Relentless'
Another source reported people accused Jack of timing his breakdown for attention.
A show insider said trolls were "relentless," adding: "They are accusing him of doing exactly what he publicly said he wouldn't – turning his father's death into a storyline. It's been ugly."
Another source close to the production said: "People online are calling him hypocritical. They're saying his breakdown looked timed for maximum attention."
Dad-of-four Osbourne had spoken earlier about preparing for the jungle in the wake of his father's death, saying it was going to be hard leaving them behind in America.
A Social Experiment
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Critics insisted Jack used Ozzy Osbourne's death to drive his storyline on the show.
Sources said the idea of filming so soon after Ozzy's death had forced him to question the move, but Osbourne added the show had grabbed his curious nature.
He added the fact is is "like a real f------up social experiment" appealed to him.
Osbourne said: "I jokingly was saying to friends of mine the other day, 'If this was like a prisoner of war camp, people would be sent to prison for the cruel and unusual punishment of prisoners.'"
Ozzy's family previously confirmed the former rock wildman had died surrounded by loved ones, saying: "It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning."
The joint causes of the heavy metal icon's death were an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction.
