‘The moment I knew I would never speak to Sharon Osbourne again after X Factor’-Ruth Lawes-Entertainment – Metro

Tabby O’Callaghan was mentored by Sharon Osbourne on the first season of the X Factor (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)

X Factor star Tabby O’Callaghan knew immediately it was going to be his final conversation withSharon Osbourne.

The musician, now 43, reached third place on the first series of the ITV reality show in 2004 after being mentored by the Celebrity Big Brother star, 71.

After the programme ended, Tabby told Metro.co.uk that Sharon had plans to take his music career to the next level, including breaking America.

However, he said what was promised failed to materialise and he lost contact with the music manager just one year later.

‘It went from we’re going to America to nothing and it did kind of traumatise me at the time,’ he recalled.

That final conversation about his career happened during the auditions in Belfast for the second season of The X Factor in 2005.

Tabby said Sharon had plans for his career that did not materialise (Picture: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)

He said the last conversation he had with Sharon was the year after the show ended (Picture: Ken McKay/REX/Shutterstock)

Tabby had travelled to the city to learn from Sharon what the next move was as he had returned to his hometown of Sligo, Ireland after showbusiness work had stalled.

The father-of-two explained: ‘I had a lot of heat on my career at that point so I wanted to make a move and do something. So I went to meet Sharon to say, “What’s happening or do you intend on doing anything with me?”

‘I’ll never forget those elevator doors closing as she was heading to her floor. I just had a feeling that would be the last time we would have a proper conversation. And it was.’

During their final conversation, Sharon agreed to put out Tabby’s single Number One initially in England before deciding only to release it in Ireland.

Tabby looks unrecognisable two decades after the X Factor ended (Picture: Instagram)

He still works as a musician and credits the show for helping his career (Picture: Instagram)

He recalled: ‘I felt like she had a plan. But as time went on, I started to question whether she had a plan.’

Tabby said he feels no ‘animosity’ towards Sharon and does not ‘blame’ her remotely for her inactivity.

He continued: ‘It’s just next show came along and she was busy. Kelly [Osbourne] had a career, Ozzy had a career, she had a career, and as much as she loved me, I wasn’t an Osbourne.’

However, Tabby said he wished that Sharon had ended their work agreement earlier so he could have pursued ventures on his terms without being held back.

Tabby said he lived with The Osbournes both during and after the show (Picture: Channel 4)

Tabby said he enjoyed chatting and watching the Discovery Channel with Ozzy (Picture: Getty Images for iHeartMedia)

He explained: ‘I just wish that maybe she had let me go a bit earlier because I found out a couple of years after that I was getting offers left, right, and center.

‘There was a lot of stuff I missed out on that I wasn’t even aware of.’

Tabby looked back on his time with Sharon and The X Factor fondly – revealing he lived with The Osbournes for several months both during and after the show.

Speaking about living in the famous household, he said: ‘I used to love sitting with Ozzy. I’d get up in the morning and Ozzy would come down in a pair of shorts and a sweat band and he’d be in the gym working out.

‘Me and him used to sit and watch the Discovery Channel together – just chatting about life and art and music.

Tabby met Sir Elton at a party and said he was ‘lovely’ (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)

‘I was very lucky. I feel very privileged that I got to do that. He’s exactly what you’d expect him to be like.’

While Tabby was on The X Factor he also rubbed shoulders with a host of stars, including Liz Hurley, David Walliams, The Pet Shop Boys, and Sir Elton John at a party in honour of jeweller Theo Fennell.

Tabby said the Rocketman was ‘lovely’ and when he asked him what Queen legend Freddy Mercury was like he responded: ‘He was crazy like me, darling.’

In a more raucous incident, Tabby said got drunk with Oasis star Liam Gallagher and the late Motorhead founder Lemmy in the first-class cabin bar on a flight.

Liam chastised Tabby for taking part in the X Factor(Picture: Ian Gavan/Getty Images)

Tabby recalled: ‘Liam and I got into a bit of an argument during the flight as we were going along. I mean, it ended all right. But he was criticising me for doing the show

‘He was like, “You’re a real musician. What are you doing a show like that for?” And then his bandmates were just telling him to shut up.’

Despite the taste of the high life and fame, Tabby said he has no desire to become a global superstar.

He said: ‘I’m not sure I’d like to be a celebrity in today’s celebrity world. I think I was lucky, I caught it in time, I got to go and have fun and enjoy it when it wasn’t so intense.’

Tabby said it was ‘surreal’ to meet the late Lemmy on a flight (Picture: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Tabby is a full-time musician, session musician and producer and plays in several bands. He performs gigs every week and is planning to put out a single inspired by traditional Irish music.

‘My idea of success now is like, if I want to put out singles, I don’t need a record label. I can just put stuff out as I go.

‘I get to play what I want, with whom I want, where I want, and when I want. There is not just power there’s freedom and freedom is power.’

While The X Factor did not catapult Tabby into global fame, he said he does not regret the show in the slightest.

He said: ‘I got to do amazing things. I got to meet all my heroes, and I got to record with Ozzy, I travelled all over the world off the back of it and it gave me my career.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Sharon’s rep for comment.

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