Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away last week, sending thousands of fans into mourning, including his beloved wife, Sharon. However, before marrying the X Factor star, Ozzy was actually wed to Thelma Riley.
However, their marriage, which lasted from 1971 to 1982, was fraught with issues, as Ozzy candidly admitted on numerous occasions. It therefore is no surprise to learn that following their split, Thelma removed all traces of her ex from her life, with some of her neighbours and colleagues confessing they had no idea that she was married to the Prince of Darkness.
Here's all you need to know about Thelma, including how she kept Ozzy out of her life…
Tumultuous marriage
Ozzy and Thelma first crossed paths in 1970, a year before they married, and even though the singer was cautioned against pursuing her, the pair ended up together.
Their rush down the aisle was later labelled by Ozzy as a "terrible mistake". However, the star laid none of the blame at Thelma's feet, instead focusing on his own antics. He wrote: "If I loved Thelma, I certainly didn't treat her like I did. If I've got any regrets about my life, that's one of them.
© Alamy Stock Photo"I put that woman through hell. I should never have married her. She didn't deserve it; she wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't a bad wife. But I was a [expletive] nightmare."
Speaking to the Mail, he admitted: "You name it, I did it. I hit her big time, and I was a complete idiot."
Keeping Ozzy out
Following their split, Thelma made sure to not be involved with the rock 'n' roll star and didn't discuss her marriage with him with her neighbours.
According to a report in the MailOnline, a former neighbour by the name of Karen once joked with Thelma about her sharing a last name with Sharon, who at the time was a judge on The X Factor.
© Getty"I loved The X Factor and when I bumped into Thelma in the street after Sharon's final appearance I had a laugh with her," she told the publication. "I didn't really know her but cheekily asked her if they were related and she looked horrified and said, 'No way, who would want to be part of that mad family!'
© Getty Images1. Meeting Sharon
Ozzy first met Sharon in 1970 when she was 18 years old and her father was managing his band, Black Sabbath. However, their romantic relationship didn't start until years later when Sharon took over managing Ozzy's career.
2. His first tattoo
His famous 'OZZY' tattoo on the knuckle of his left hand was done by himself.
3. Bat incident
In 1982, Ozzy bit the head off a bat while onstage. He later claimed he thought the animal was a rubber toy thrown to him by the crowd and never intended to hurt it.
4. Driver's license
Ozzy got his driver's license later in life when he was 60 years old. He had to take the test around 19 times to actually pass.
5. Taunting nickname
His nickname ''Ozzy'' was actually a taunt by his school friends growing up before it became his stage name.
"Until this day I had no idea I was a neighbour of Ozzy Osbourne's first wife! She never let on and clearly didn't want to."
© Getty ImagesJohn Fender, who directed a property company with Thelma, added: "I know Thelma, we are both directors of a company, but I had absolutely no idea. I am in a state of shock, she never mentioned it. She kept it very quiet. I am completely astonished. Osbourne is a fairly common name and I never put two and two together."
Strained relationships
It isn't just Thelma that Ozzy has had a strained relationship with, as he's believed to be estranged from daughter Jessica and his stepson, Elliot.
On his relationship with Elliot, Ozzy said: "I spent the whole time when I was home screaming at him or whacking him around the ear hole. And it’s not like he ever did anything bad to deserve it. I wish I could have been better with him."
© Getty ImagesMeanwhile, in the 2011 documentary, God Bless Ozzy, Jessica spoke about her dad being absent during the early parts of her life. "I don't remember being put to bed or having a bath by Dad or anything like that," she said on-camera. "I wouldn't say he was there for us."
When pressed on whether he was a good father, she simply said: "No."
