TV News

Lesley Goldberg
The Hollywood Reporter

Sharon Osbourne has some harsh words for NBC: "I never want to hear from them again."

The outspoken reality personality continues to lash out at the network that employed her as a judge on "America's Got Talent" after a public falling-out over the role of her son, Jack Osbourne, in its summer reality entry "Stars Earn Stripes."

More than a month after she claimed the network fired her son from "Stars" after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Osbourne reaffirmed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that her time with the talent competition is over, and she took aim at NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt, deeming the executive "not well" after he allegedly blasted her for comparing the network to the Titanic.

NBC reality chief Paul Telegdy, meanwhile, recently told THR that while the network has five years of options on Osbourne, "you can never really coerce a performer into performing if they don't want to. We don't want to force anyone to do one of the best jobs in TV."

He added, "Literally not one word has passed between myself and Sharon since she started the process of telling us she wanted to leave the show by means other than a phone call."

NBC declined to comment Thursday.

The Hollywood Reporter: Are you still planning on leaving "America's Got Talent"?
Sharon Osbourne: Oh, God, yes! I've left. I'm gone. I won't go back. Greatest show; I love the show, but I really don't like NBC, and that's why I wouldn't go back. I don't like them; they treat their talent like s---! Not that I'm a talent, but I'm an employee, and they treat you like s---.

Have you negotiated out of your contract?
They don't want me, and I don't want them. I never want to hear from them again.

Have you spoken with anyone from the show since you announced you wouldn't be returning?
Of course. I speak to Nick Cannon, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern. Our friendship will go on. Our friendship was before the show, and it will go on after the show.

Have you discussed your departure with network execs and the show's producers?
The producers are amazing people. FremantleMedia and Syco Television, they're all amazing. I talk to them; they're my friends. I've worked with them for so long. One of the producers on the show I worked with for nine years, because I worked with her in England and then came here with her, so I have a great relationship with them. The only problem is NBC.

Have you spoken with Bob Greenblatt?
No. I asked to see him, but he wouldn't see me. I asked to see him a good four to five weeks ago; sent him an email. But he wouldn't see me.

You've had no correspondence with him?
No. I went on the David Letterman show, and then he sent an email to my agent saying he didn't like it when I said the word Titanic. I didn't know that he had anything to do with the Titanic. Why should he care if I used or say the word Titanic. I don't think he's well, bless him.

Are you interested in joining another talent competition series?
No. I've done it for nine years, and that's long enough. Been there, done that.

Will you be participating with Jack's National Geographic series "Alpha Dogs"?
No. I'd drive my son insane if we worked together: He would lose his voice screaming at me all day!

Looking at CBS' "The View," what was behind the inspiration to go makeup-free for "The Talk"'s season premiere?
Sara Gilbert came up with the idea. She's extremely green, and she really doesn't like the process of having her makeup done every day. We were like, "Oh yeah, sure!" but then when it came down to it and it was actually like D-Day, we had to deliver. I was like, "Oh s---!"

What do you think of all the new players joining the daytime landscape: Katie Couric, Jeff Probst, Queen Latifah coming up?
If a show is good, there's room for it. There's room for every show if it's good, and it's up to the public to tell you if whether it's good or not. There's always been competition, and there always will be.

Have you watched any of them? Which are you curious about?
I work during the day, so I haven't taped any of them, but I will. [I'm curious about] Katie because she had such huge talent her first week, big superstar power.

What advice would you give to newcomer Probst?
Just stick at it. It's such a learning curve to do a show in the daytime. It takes time, but you've just got to stick it out. When I first started doing daytime, I didn't get any advice, and I thought I knew it all, and I knew nothing! I wish people had given me a little bit of advice, but I didn't get any. But you learn by your mistakes.