Sharon Osbourne Shared A Wild Story About Sending An Assistant Into A Burning Building Then Firing Him

Gettyimages | Dan MacMedan

While she was a guest on the British quiz show Would I Lie To You?, The Talk host Sharon Osbourne told a story that she clearly thought was hilarious, but to most people comes across as horrifying and mega-privileged.

In a segment that featured a panel of British comedians trying to decipher whether or not a story was true or a lie, Osbourne recounted a time when she forced an assistant to go into a burning building to retrieve artwork... and then fired them when they didn't think it was funny. Yes, you read that correctly.

Gettyimages | Emma McIntyre

Some holiday candles apparently began the house fire, with her husband Ozzy's "arm and half his hair" aflame, and Osbourne went to go find the assistant the guest house.

I thought, right, where is that assistant? So I go into the guest house, and he’s like: 'Is everything alright?' and I’m like: 'No, the house is on fire, get out and help, go in and get the paintings out'.

And I said: 'You must go in and find the dogs.'"

Osbourne continued, explaining that after he saved the dogs from the burning building, she took the oxygen mask that firefighters had given him, put it on her dog instead, and sent him back into the flames to retrieve more artwork.

"They came and they had this oxygen for the assistant. So I said: 'How very dare you. You work here. You get more paintings out'."

Not only did she force this man to risk his life, she told host Rob Brydon that she fired him the next day when he didn't find the incident funny.

"Well, after this terrible night, he was not talking to me. Ozzy and I were recounting everything, we were laughing and laughing, and [the assistant] said: 'I don’t see what’s funny about any of this'. He said: 'I think I’m going to have damaged lungs'. I mean, please.

So then I just said: 'If you don't think that's funny, do you think this is funny? You're fired.'"

When Osbourne confirmed that this story was indeed true, viewers at home were less than amused by her callousness.

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Fans of Would I Lie To You? were so disgusted by Osbourne's tale that they don't want to see her on the quiz show ever again.

"Never bring Sharon Osbourne on the show again. What a disgusting story and horrible person. How that got into the episode, I will never know. She said it with no care or consideration. Disgusting to see. Ruined a great Christmas episode."

"If this is what @MrsSOsbourne admits to on prime time television, what else has she done to staff?"

". @WILTY_TV Disappointing stuff from my favourite show tonight. What a nasty piece of work Sharon Osbourne is. Awful booking."

"I love #WILTY , but these stories are usually funny and self-deprecating. Watching Sharon Osborne reveal, with no self awareness at all, that she’s a heartless monster was a bit shocking. I hope she gets excoriated over this."