Guess who’s coming to dinner at the White House? The unlikely guest is former Black Sabbath rocker Ozzy Osbourne, invited by US President George Bush to dine with him at his home in the nation’s capital.
And perhaps the person most surprised by the invitation is the rock musician himself, who once was given a lifetime ban from the president’s home state of Texas for urinating on a public monument. “I thought I’d be on a wanted poster up on the wall,” says Ozzy, “not invited to his place to tea.”
President Bush is apparently a big fan of the singer’s new MTV show, The Osbournes, a reality TV programme that takes viewers behind the scenes in the daily life of Ozzy, his wife Sharon and two of their teenaged children, Kelly, 16, and 15-year-old Jack. A production team spent four months filming the family’s every move in their multi-million dollar mansion, with cameras placed everywhere except the bedrooms and bathrooms.
With episodes such as Ozzy Deals With Doggie-Doo and Kelly Starts A Fire, the show has become the most successful series in the channel’s 20-year history.
“I don’t get it, man,” says Ozzy of his TV success. “It’s me being me in my house… We didn’t play up to the cameras trying to be a bit more gross. That’s the way we are.”