Amanda Holden addresses absence from Saturday Night Takeaway final amid Sharon Osbourne feud

Amanda Holden has spoken out regarding her noticeable absence from the final of Saturday Night Takeaway over the weekend amid her furious row with Sharon Osbourne

Amanda Holden has finally spoken out about the reason behind her absence from the final of Saturday Night Takeaway after being locked in a vicious feud with Sharon Osbourne.

This comes after the British Got Talent judge, 53, became the focal point of Sharon's anger when she decided to publicly stand-up in support of Simon Cowell, who was slammed by Sharon, 71, and Louis Walsh during Celebrity Big Brother.

Fans had expected to see Amanda on last night's final episode but she did not appear. A spokesman for ITV told us: "Amanda was listed in credits along with every other celebrity involved in the Revenge GOOME (in studio or not). Amanda wasn't meant to be here tonight, nor was Holly, Gino, Richard and Olly - all had prior engagements."

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And a representative for the Heart DJ explained that being credited as a special guest was simply an error in production and she was spending time with her family. The war of words between Amanda and Sharon first started when the mum of two branded the wife of rocker Ozzy Osbourne as "bitter and pathetic", during a recent interview.

Sharon had claimed that she fell out with the music mogul after she was overlooked for a stint on X Factor after she had turned down the opportunity to star in Masked Singer in America. Supporting Simon against the allegations, Amanda told the Daily Mail: "I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon - he's the person who's given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and a lifestyle they probably wouldn't have had. It's bitter and pathetic. It was like Cinderella with her two sisters in the background - just stabby, stabby, stabby."

Unwilling to let things go, Sharon decided to issue a statement - and did little to hold back her anger. She wrote: "A couple of your statements regarding myself are factually incorrect. The statement 'I hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon – he’s the person who’s given them all the chances, given them a lot of money and lifestyle they probably wouldn’t have had.' The truth is, you don’t know me, Amanda. You know nothing about my history in the music industry, my achievements, the artists I have worked with, the shows that I’ve produced, and my global celebrity."

She continued: "Unlike you, the brand of Sharon Osbourne is known worldwide. There are many countries that I could work in if I choose to however, I don’t have the ambition or time to do so, and unlike you, I don’t work in radio or pantomime." But her rant did not end there. She added: "Our worlds are totally different. I have been blessed with an amazing lifestyle throughout my entire life. Before you were born, I was living in a mansion in Beverly Hills and continue to do so today and continue to have my country estate in England as well.But there is something you should know. I never discuss money, lifestyle, or positions of power."

She then said: "I find it to be classless and crude. However, you’ve now forced my hand to divulge these things to you and I honestly don’t want to seem like I’m bragging, but the truth is my money and success were not due to doing a couple of Simon Cowell talent shows. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed doing them at the time as they were great fun. Yes, Simon paid me very well. Probably more than what you’re receiving today, but all of that my darling went on a few handbags."

After providing Amanda with a list of her global achievements, she clapped back once again and said: "It was only after several seasons of X Factor that Simon started to build his music empire and I give him much kudos for what he built. But in case you are living under a rock, my husband is a music icon who has sold 170 million albums, won 5 Grammy Awards, and is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. We have been married 42 years and we had a fantastic lifestyle before I ever heard of Simon Cowell." Sharon described her statement as an "education" as she then concluded: "The bottom line, Amanda, is, that you’ll never be in my league, and you’ve picked on the wrong ugly stepsister. Sharon Osbourne."

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