Ozzy Osbourne: Sharon was a 'praying mantis'

Ozzy Osbourne feared for his safety when he relapsed two years ago because his wife Sharon would lie in waiting for him like a ''praying mantis''.

The Black Sabbath rocker - who is proudly 480 days sober - lived in fear of his wife of 32 years catching him out when he fell off the wagon two years ago because she would become violent with him and even threw a scalding cup of coffee in his face. He told the Daily Mirror newspaper: ''Sharon was pretty p****d off with me.

She'd wait like a praying mantis to catch me out drunk or stoned. And when she did she would throw books at me, all sorts. She once broke all my platinum discs, smashing them over my head. ''Last year when I was in a hotel, and she found out, she gets a pot of coffee and throws it in my face. It f***ing hurt and I had a red face for days.

But she's been great, and we have seen it through.'' Ozzy, 65, and Sharon, have since patched things up and now make an effort to prove their love to each other every day, even though the former 'X Factor' judge's home menagerie sometimes gets in the way. He explained: ''I try to be a good husband, I try to be romantic. We get our vows renewed all the time - when I was 50, and then when I turned 65, that was the last time.

I buy Sharon flowers, we tell each other we love each other every single day, no matter where in the world I am, and we don't go to bed on an argument. ''We share a bed still, except the dogs get more bloody space in the bed than I do. Bella sleeps with us every night and Sharon gets cross if I disturb her. The key to a happy marriage is give and take - I give and she takes!''