SHARON OSBOURNE Talks About IRON MAIDEN Drama: 'It’s Just The Singer I Can’t Stand'

Summary

• Sharon Osbourne says she loves Iron Maiden—just not Bruce Dickinson, calling him ‘horrendously disrespectful’ during Ozzfest 2005.
• The infamous bean-throwing incident was fully orchestrated by Sharon, but Ozzy only found out at the very end, replying: ‘You’re terrible.’
• Rumors of Iron Maiden being banned from Sabbath’s farewell were denied—Sharon confirms Ozzy still has respect for the band.

Sharon Osbourne still hasn’t let it go. Two decades after the absolute circus that was Ozzfest 2005, she’s perfectly willing to laugh about sabotaging Iron Maiden with beans, pre-recorded sound effects, and strategic sound cuts.

But she also wants one thing to be very clear: this wasn’t some blanket war on Maiden. This was personal.

“I love Iron Maiden,” she told Metal Hammer. “It’s just the singer I can’t stand.”

Then she doubled down, proudly recalling how she responded to Bruce Dickinson’s jabs at Ozzy with a not-so-subtle campaign of disruption.

“If you’re going to take money from Ozzy, play before him every night on a tour, and then badmouth him to the audience, you’re going to pay.” Cue the beans.

Yes, actual beans.

Ozzfest Meltdown

For those who forgot (or were too young to be traumatized by it in real time), Ozzfest 2005 was supposed to be a celebration of heavy metal’s big guns. Instead, it turned into a case study in how not to handle internal drama.

The beef started with Bruce. Throughout the tour, he took swipes at Ozzy from the stage, mocking artists who “needed reality TV” to stay relevant. This wasn’t exactly cryptic. The Osbournes was still a ratings machine, and Bruce made sure the audience got the hint.

Sharon, at first, kept her cool. Then came the show in San Bernardino. That night, Iron Maiden’s set went off the rails: the PA cut in and out, random sound cues fired off at the wrong moments, and fans stormed the stage. Just another Saturday night, right?

By the time the eggs started flying, along with open cans of baked beans, everyone knew something was up. Sharon later confirmed she engineered the whole spectacle.

She even took the stage afterward to thank Iron Maiden “for their professionalism,” while calling Dickinson a few choice words. Unsurprisingly, the audience was not impressed.

Ozzy’s Take

What did the Prince of Darkness think of all this? According to Sharon, he had no idea it was happening.

“He didn’t even know what Bruce was doing,” she said. “I never told him, not until the night of that final show.” When she finally came clean, Ozzy’s reaction wasn’t exactly rage or regret. Just: “You’re terrible,” he told her.

In typical Ozzy fashion, he seemed more baffled than angry. Sharon made it clear that Ozzy doesn’t harbor any resentment toward Iron Maiden as a band. “Ozzy has nothing but respect for the guys in Maiden,” she added.

Not Invited

Some fans wondered if Iron Maiden had been snubbed from Black Sabbath’s upcoming farewell event as a lingering consequence of the Ozzfest mess. Sharon, once again, shot that idea down. “Oh God, no,” she said flatly.

But she did admit to removing someone else from the lineup. And if you’re wondering who it was, she’s not naming names.

What we do know: it wasn’t Maiden, and Bruce won’t be dodging canned food again, at least not on her stage.

No Reunion, No Apology

It’s been 20 years since that food-fight-turned-metal-feud, and no one involved has exactly grown fonder of the memory. Iron Maiden and the Osbournes haven’t worked together since, and that’s probably for the best.

Bruce got his digs in. Sharon got her revenge. Ozzy mostly just got confused.

And somehow, fans got treated to one of the pettiest and most bizarre blowups in metal history, complete with protein-rich projectiles.

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