Kelly Osbourne has opened up about her first Christmas without dad Ozzy

Kelly Osbourne has spoken candidly about how deeply her life has been altered by the loss of her father, Ozzy Osbourne, admitting that Christmas—and she herself—will never feel the same again.

The 41-year-old reflected on the family’s plans for their first festive season without the Black Sabbath icon, who passed away in July at the age of 76. Kelly described her late father as “magical” and said his death has fundamentally changed who she is. “The person I was before he died doesn’t exist anymore,” she said. “Loss changes you forever. There was no one like him.”

Despite the heartbreak, Kelly revealed that she, her mother Sharon, and other family members are determined to honour Ozzy’s memory on Christmas Day. While the holiday has always been filled with laughter and chaos—Kelly joked that her dad “tried to ruin Christmas every year” because he was a self-confessed Scrooge—the family plans to embrace those memories rather than shy away from them.

Ozzy and Sharon with kids Kelly, Jack and Aimee in the early 1990’s

Ozzy died on July 22, just weeks after a triumphant charity homecoming concert with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham, close to the neighbourhood where he grew up. He had been living with Parkinson’s disease and other health complications, including injuries from a near-fatal quad bike accident in 2003 that left him with a broken neck.

Speaking at the launch of baker Juliet Sear’s new signature bakeware range at Fortnum & Mason in London, Kelly explained that Christmas will be spent at her mother’s home in England. She will be joined by her brother Louis and extended family, though sister Aimee and younger brother Jack will remain in Los Angeles.

This year, Kelly is handing over cooking duties to Louis, whom she affectionately crowned head chef. “He’s the best cook in the family,” she said, revealing plans for a traditional turkey feast, followed by a celebratory meal at a luxury restaurant the next day.

Kelly believes Louis inherited his culinary skills from Ozzy, recalling how her father loved cooking staples like shepherd’s pie and homemade chips. “The best chips you’ve ever eaten,” she laughed. She also credited Louis with being her emotional anchor through her grief, calling him her “pillar” and praising him as “the best human in the world.”

Ozzy and his family on The Osbournes, which ran from 2002 until 2005

Although Ozzy enjoyed cooking, Kelly joked that he famously avoided the kitchen on Christmas Day, quipping that he once hid drugs in the oven because no one ever checked there.

She also shared cherished holiday memories, recalling how Ozzy would dress up as Santa Claus—sometimes with disastrous results. As children, she and her siblings once set up fishing wire as a booby trap to test whether it really was Santa, causing Ozzy to fall and nearly cancel Christmas altogether.

This year, the Osbournes plan to spend Christmas Day reminiscing and sharing stories about Ozzy around the dinner table. Kelly became emotional as she spoke about ensuring her son never forgets his grandfather. “I don’t believe he’s truly gone,” she said. “I want my son to always know how special his Pappa was—and still is.”

She also described a recent visit from Santa to their home, which delighted her son and brought unexpected joy to the entire family. “Seeing him dance and sing with Santa was magical,” Kelly said. “Creating those memories means everything right now.”

Earlier this month, Ozzy was posthumously honoured with the Birmingham Lord Mayor’s Award on what would have been his 77th birthday. Kelly and Sharon attended the ceremony together to accept the recognition on his behalf.

Kelly said her mother is coping as well as can be expected, taking each day as it comes. Sharon has decided to remain in the UK permanently, now that Ozzy is laid to rest there.

“I stay where my mum is,” Kelly explained. “And I can’t leave my dad.” She added that her son is now settled in school in England, reinforcing her decision to make Britain their permanent home.

While the UK remains her emotional base, Kelly still divides her time with her farm in Iowa, where she plans to spend New Year’s. “I never imagined I’d become a Midwestern girl,” she said with a smile. “But being with my animals—my cows, chickens and ducks—will be healing for me.”