‘A Real Family Man’: Former Nanny Remembers Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Genuine Love’

Legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne died on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Following his passing, heartfelt reactions quickly poured in from friends and fans around the world — including the family’s former nanny.

Ozzy’s death was confirmed by his family in a statement on social media. They said he was “surrounded by love” at the time of his passing. Public mourning began immediately, with countless tributes emerging from those who loved Ozzy.

One intimate reaction came from Jessie Breakwell, an Australian artist who spent nearly two years caring for the Osbourne children as a nanny in the 1990s — long before MTV’s “The Osbournes” introduced Ozzy to a new generation.

“Heartbreaking to hear about the passing of Ozzy Osbourne. He was incredibly kind, hilarious, and sharp as a whip—always keeping me in stitches. My heart goes out to the family,” wrote Jessie.

Jessie began working for the family in 1996, when she was a 26-year-old penniless backpacker in London. She had decided to travel the world after completing her degree in Fine Arts at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

A week after applying for work with a London nanny agency, a limousine took her to meet the family. She was interviewed by Ozzy and Sharon and met the children — Jack, Kelly, and Aimee.

Jessie believes she got the job because the family wanted someone “relaxed.” For the next 18 months, she worked as the Osbournes’ nanny, traveling between their homes in Beverly Hills and Buckinghamshire, England.

“I spent more time with Ozzy than probably any of them, to be honest, when he was home between tours. He was the funniest guy. Because he spoke slowly people didn’t realise how switched on he actually was,” she recalled.

She remembered Ozzy as a “real family man,” telling The Sydney Morning Herald that “I have nothing bad to say. He loved them and he loved Sharon, he was obsessed with her,” adding:

“Even when no one was around, they’d chat and giggle and make jokes. It was genuine love.”

In contrast to his public persona as the “Prince of Darkness,” Jessie recalled Ozzy as “always kind,” saying that “he had time for everybody and made you feel really welcome.”

She also shared anecdotes about the frontman’s many quirks. “Because he didn’t drive, he used to do things like get in the car, open the sunroof, turn his own music on and stand up and sing out the roof,” Jessie said.

She remembered some of these behaviors as unusually intense. “At times he could be a little obsessive compulsive,” she recalled, adding:

“For a week he’d just be drawing all week, the next he’d have a cycling obsession, so he’d put the bike in the loungeroom and be cycling for days, or he’d decide he would only eat steak and he’d have 50 steaks a day.”

She also remembered Ozzy as a talented artist who kept thousands of colored markers on hand to draw with whenever inspiration struck. She said he used his colorful creations as a sort of intuitive mindfulness practice.

After her time with the Osbournes, Jessie returned to Australia. She is now based in Melbourne, where she earns a living as a painter. At one point, she even created a painting of the Osbournes’ dogs, titled “Dominoes.”

In a recent Instagram post, Jessie shared a new piece she’s been working on — a colorful portrait of art instructor and painter Bob Ross — alongside a promise of an upcoming tribute to Ozzy.

“Ozzy your [sic] up next 💔,” Jessie wrote.

Jessie joins countless friends of the Osbournes, as well as millions of Black Sabbath (and “The Osbournes”) fans, in grieving Ozzy’s loss. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who are mourning.