“Some of the worst times I’ve been through. There’s been times when I thought my number was up”: New documentary lifts the lid on Ozzy Osbourne’s struggles with his health

The world is not exactly short of TV content about Ozzy Osbourne, but there’s a new documentary in the pipeline that sounds like it will delve a bit deeper than most of what we've already seen.

It’s called Ozzy Osbourne: No Escape From Now and is set to be aired on Paramount+ by the end of the year. It deals in particular with the singer’s last six years and the health problems he’s encountered, including his fall in 2019 and Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“This is Ozzy Osbourne like you’ve never seen before: an honest, warm and deeply personal portrait of one of the greatest rock stars of all-time,” a synopsis says, “detailing how the singer’s world shuddered to a halt six years ago, forcing him to contemplate who he really is, confront his own mortality and question whether or not he can ever perform on stage for one last time. Addressing his health issues and the impact of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the film showcases the central role music continues to play in Ozzy’s life.”

Ozzy himself has said: “The last six years have been full of some of the worst times I’ve been through. There’s been times when I thought my number was up. But making music and making two albums saved me. I’d have gone nuts without music.”

Ozzy Osbourne's Paramount+ doc explores his Parkinson's battle, fearing his time was nearly up - YouTube

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It’s directed by the BAFTA award winner Tania Alexander, who’s best known for being one of the co-creators of the Channel 4 show Gogglebox. Filming began way back in early 2022 whilst Ozzy was working on his Patient Number 9 album. And it’s still in production so filming will continue into the summer, including the final Black Sabbath gig at Villa Park on July 5. I think we can already envisage what the redemptive feelgood ending is going to be, can’t we?

Contributors include Tony Iommi, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Billy Idol, Chad Smith of the Chili Peppers, Robert Trujillo of Metallica and, of course, his wife Sharon.

The latter has described the doc as an “honest account” of what has happened to her husband since 2019. “It shows how hard things have been for him and the courage he has shown while dealing with a number of serious health issues, including Parkinson’s,” she said.

“It’s about the reality of his life now. We have worked with a production team we trust and have allowed them the freedom to tell the story openly. We hope that story will inspire people that are facing similar issues to Ozzy.”