A one-off, hour-long documentary that is a “moving and inspirational account of the last chapter” of Ozzy Osbourne’s life is to air on the BBC.
The Black Sabbath frontman died aged 76 on July 22 from a reported heart attack, just weeks after reuniting with the band on stage as part of The Back To The Beginning farewell concert in Birmingham.
Titled Ozzy Osbourne: Coming Home, the programme will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on August 18 at 9pm, and is told through “unique and intimate access to the whole Osbourne family”, including wife Sharon, and children Kelly and Jack.
The programme has been filmed over three years and “captures the extraordinary rollercoaster of their lives” as the famous couple “attempt to complete their long-held dream of moving back to the UK”, the BBC said.
It also captures musician Ozzy as he “heroically battles to get fit enough to perform” and the family dealing with “the dramatic consequences of his ill health”, with Kelly quoted as saying in the film: “Iron Man wasn’t really made of iron.”
The rocker had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019.
Clare Sillery, head of commissioning, BBC Documentaries, said: “We are honoured to have had the opportunity to film with Ozzy and his family.
“The film captures an intimate glimpse into their journey as they prepare to return to the UK.
“It features family moments, humour, reflection and shows the enduring spirit that made Ozzy a global icon.
“We hope it brings comfort and joy to Ozzy’s fans and viewers as they remember and celebrate his extraordinary life.”
Ben Wicks and Colin Barr, executive producers at production company Expectation, said: “It was an incredible privilege to spend the last few years with Ozzy, as well as Sharon, Jack and Kelly.
“Ozzy wanted to make it back to the UK and appear on stage one last time – our film is an inspiring and poignant account of him fulfilling that dream.
“Ozzy was loved by millions around the world not just for his music, but for his sense of mischief and his honesty, all of which we saw plenty of in the final years of his life.
“But one thing shone through even more brightly to us, and that was Ozzy’s intense love for his exceptional family who were by his side through it all.”
The film was originally conceived as a series, announced in 2022 and called Home To Roost, and which was to document Ozzy and Sharon’s move back from the US, where they had lived for more than two decades, to rural Buckinghamshire.
But the project “evolved as Ozzy’s health deteriorated” into the one-hour film, the BBC said.
Last month, fans gathered alongside Ozzy’s family to pay tribute to the star as a funeral cortege travelled through Birmingham.
Sharon and the couple’s children could be seen wiping away tears when they arrived at the Black Sabbath bench, where thousands of tributes, balloons and flowers were left.
Musicians from Bostin Brass played Black Sabbath songs to accompany the cortege, and fans threw flowers at the hearse as it slowly passed through the city.
