Kelly Osbourne has spoken out after her brother Jack Osbourne made a deeply personal confession in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! jungle, admitting the fame he experienced during The Osbournes was far harder to cope with than most people ever knew.

While chatting around the campfire with Ruby Wax, Martin Kemp, Angry Ginge and Alex Scott, Jack opened up about the chaotic and overwhelming reality of growing up on one of MTV’s biggest-ever shows. The Osbournes’ explosive popularity in the early 2000s reshaped the landscape of reality TV (Rolling Stone) — but behind the scenes, Jack was struggling.

Jack and Kelly were teenagers when they found fame on The Osbournes (Credit: Sol Jones/INFphoto.com)

Jack Osbourne admits fame “messed me up”

Jack revealed that the show was only supposed to last three years. Instead, MTV pushed for more seasons, extending the run to four years as ratings exploded (The Guardian). With cameras following almost every moment of family life, the impact on teenage Jack was profound.

“The filming never really bothered me — it was the result of the filming that bothered me,” he told campmates.
“A huge amount of attention. I was always pretty shy and private.”

He explained that being thrust into sudden international fame at just 16 created a dangerous mix of “no structure, too much freedom and too much money,” adding:

“When you give a 16-year-old kid a [bleep] tonne of money and no rules in LA… you’re like, ‘Let’s go play.’”

Jack admitted he spiralled into addiction, describing it as:

“A lot of pills, a lot of alcohol, a lot of weed.”

He entered treatment at 17 and has remained sober ever since — something he has spoken about over the years in interviews (BBC News).

Kelly Osbourne reacts: “I am beyond proud of my brother”

Despite living quietly on a farm in Iowa with her fiancé Sid Wilson and their son, Kelly is keeping up with her brother’s jungle journey.

After watching a clip of Jack’s emotional conversation, she posted on Instagram:

“I am beyond proud of my brother! I love him so much!”

Kelly and Jack were just teenagers when The Osbournes premiered in 2002. Kelly was 17, Jack 16. Their older sister, Aimee Osbourne, famously refused to participate, choosing to stay off camera (The Independent).

The show ran until 2006, becoming a cultural phenomenon known for its chaotic, foul-mouthed and wildly entertaining look into life with Ozzy and Sharon (Variety). Ruby Wax summed it up perfectly in the Bush Telegraph:

“The Osbournes was the first reality show where you followed a real family. It was the most exciting TV you’d ever seen. And it was way before any of the reality shows that came after.”

Ruby added that she admired Jack’s honesty:

“I can’t reconcile the kid on that show with the man we’re seeing now. He’s mature, grounded… but anyone would be affected by that kind of fame.”

Jack previously broke down discussing Ozzy Osbourne’s death

Jack’s comments follow a recent emotional moment in camp where he spoke about the loss of his father, Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July. His grief added an extra layer of vulnerability to this week’s conversations, giving fans a raw insight into the man behind the public persona (The Hollywood Reporter).

Jack Osbourne’s sister Kelly has reacted to his comments about The Osbournes in I’m A Celebrity (Credit: Alex Oliveira/startraksphoto.com)

Where Jack Osbourne lives now

Jack is now settled into a far calmer lifestyle. He shares three children with his ex-wife Lisa Stelly, and one child with his second wife, Aree Gearhart.
Far removed from the chaos of Hollywood, Jack now lives on Welder’s Ranch in Idaho, a peaceful 133-acre estate surrounded by nature — which explains his surprisingly impressive fire-making skills in the jungle. He has described ranch life as “the exact opposite” of his teenage fame whirlwind.