Amanda Holden doubles down on Sharon Osbourne criticism in defiant statement

A spokesperson for Amanda Holden has insisted she does not regret starting a row with Sharon Osbourne, after choosing to stand up for Britain's Got Talent boss Simon Cowell

Amanda Holden remains defiant of her comments towards Sharon Osbourne, despite being on the receiving end of a venomous lashing from the outspoken star.

Sharon hit out at Amanda after said she hated seeing her boss Simon Cowell being 'dissed' by people on a reality TV show that he helped grow the careers of. Many took Amanda's comments to be a dig at Sharon and Louis Walsh who made a number of jibes at Cowell during their appearance on Celebrity Big Brother.

Outspoken Sharon refused to turn a blind eye to Amanda's comments and unleashed an explosive open letter to the presenter on social media, branding her both 'crass' and 'clueless'.

A spokesperson for Amanda has now spoken out to suggest she does not regret standing up for Cowell, who she is set to join on Britain's Got Talent next week.

A spokesperson for Amanda told the Mirror: “Amanda is aware of Sharon’s incredible career but, just like her, Amanda will always defend those close to her.”

A row between the women kicked off after Holden, who is on the judging panel of Britain’s Got Talent alongside Cowell, was quoted as saying that she “hated seeing certain people in a reality show dissing Simon” and claimed that he helped their careers.

Osbourne wrote on Saturday that Holden did not know her “history in the music industry, my achievements, the artists I have worked with, the shows that I’ve produced, and my global celebrity”.

Osbourne, who has managed The Smashing Pumpkins and Motorhead, added that “the brand of Sharon Osbourne is known worldwide” and she has been “blessed with an amazing lifestyle throughout my entire life” pointing to homes in the US and the UK.

She said: “I never discuss money, lifestyle, or positions of power. 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.”

Osbourne, a star of a 2000s reality show called The Osbournes with her family and her own talk show The Sharon Osbourne Show, also said that all the wages “my darling went on a few handbags”.

In the newspaper article, Holden is quoted as saying: “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.”

Holden, who is a judge alongside Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent, compared watching the return of Celebrity Big Brother to a “pantomime” and added that people should have “respect for the opportunity that was given to you and the pay cheque that was given to you”.

During Osbourne’s appearance on the ITV reality series as a celebrity lodger, she and Irish talent manager Walsh made several comments about famous faces including Cowell.

Former The X Factor judge Walsh said “I haven’t talked to him at all, nothing, zero”, referring to Cowell.

Osbourne said: “But that’s Simon. He cuts you off. He doesn’t know how to keep friends.”

She also claimed that she “missed a huge gig” being a judge on the first season of America’s The Masked Singer due to her contract with Cowell’s The X Factor.

Osbourne said: “Do you remember that year, everything in the press, ‘they’re old’, young blood, and I went mad when they told me. I went mad. And then he called me. He was trying to sweet talk me.

“He would always (want) change, change, change, well you’re the one that needs changing mate.

“Look, somebody that dresses the same for probably three decades you would say, they don’t see that it’s not right, nobody’s going to tell him, but everything is the same, the same, the same.”

Nicole Scherzinger, Osbourne and Walsh did not return for series 15 of The X Factor after a shake-up to the judging line-up.

The X Factor last aired around five years ago with judges Cowell, Louis Tomlinson, Ayda Field and Robbie Williams before being rested.

Osbourne had been set to appear but “decided to pass on the series”, she said in 2018.