Royal variety no-show for injured Ozzy
Prince Charles and Sharon Osbourne chatted backstage about the burglary at her country home and the health of her husband Ozzy at a celebrity gala.
After last night’s Royal Variety Performance at the London Coliseum, the prince asked X Factor judge Sharon: “How’s Ozzy?” and told her: “I heard about your burglary.”
Sharon told Charles: “It was awful, but thankfully Ozzy is OK.”
Ozzy had to pull out of the show because of an operation yesterday to adjust a metal plate inserted in his shoulder after a quad bike crash. The plate was damaged during his altercation with the burglar at his Buckinghamshire mansion last month.
Later last night, Sharon said: “He had the operation today. It sounds worse than it is and he only needed a day visit but unfortunately because he is recovering he couldn’t perform tonight. Ozzy is really sad to have missed it.”
Charles also congratulated golden girls Kelly Holmes and Jill Halfpenny on their winning performances.
Kelly, newly crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and Strictly Come Dancing winner Jill, met the prince before the show.
“Congratulations to both of you,” he said as he was introduced.
He asked Jill, who was dressed in a revealing silver frock and accompanied by dance partner Darren Bennett, how much training she had put in for the show.
He told double Olympic gold winner Kelly that he had watched her take the sports personality title on TV.
The athlete was wearing a stunning dress for the occasion, this time an ivory creation by designer Frank Usher with diamonds by Boodle and Dunthorne.
Surprise guest Tommy Steele had the prince doing the hand-jive during his rock and roll medley.
But the stars of the night were the three young boys who will play the lead in the new Billy Elliot movie.
They managed to upstage even Elton John, who has written the music for the show and accompanied them on piano.
James Lomas, George Maguire and Liam Mower got the biggest ovation of the night for their dance routine to John’s song Electricity.
At the end of their performance the trio waved up at the prince in the royal box and gave him the thumbs up.
The three will share the lead role of the dance-loving schoolboy when the musical opens in London's West End in May.
