The untold story of Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife

The untold story of Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife

Have you ever heard of the popular MTV reality show The Osbournes? If so, you must know a lot about Ozzy Osbourne, a British singer, songwriter, and rock star, and his family. Although the show premiered in 2002 and ended in 2005, fans are still interested in the family, especially Thelma Riley. She is the music legend's ex-wife who never appeared on the show.

Ozzy Osbourne performs at halftime during the NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams and he signs copies of his album "Patient Number 9" at Fingerprints Music
Ozzy Osbourne performs at halftime during an NFL game, and he signs copies of his album "Patient Number 9" at Fingerprints Music. Photo: Brian Rothmulle, Scott Dudelson (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Thelma Riley came to the spotlight due to her marriage to Ozzy Osbourne, the vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. His band sold over 100 million albums in the 1970s. Though there have been ups and downs in his career and marriages, he still stands out as one of the music legends of all time.

Profile summary

Full nameThelma Mayfair Riley
Other nameThelma Osbourne
GenderFemale
Thelma Riley's date of birth17 May 1954
Age70 years (as of 2024)
Place of birthBirmingham, England
Current residenceLeicestershire, England
NationalityBritish
EthnicityWhite
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Zodiac signTaurus
Weight136 lb (62 kg)
Height5 ft 6 in (167 cm)
Eye colourDark brown
Hair colourDark brown
Marital statusDivorced
Ex-spouseOzzy Osbourne
Children3
ProfessionTeacher

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Thelma Riley's biography

Born Thelma Mayfair Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife, is also popularly known as Thelma Osbourne. She was a trained teacher who maintained a low key when she was married to the star.

How old is Thelma Riley?

Thelma Riley's age is 70 years as of 2024. She was born on 17 May 1954 in Birmingham, England, and her Zodiac sign is Taurus. Her nationality is British, and her ethnicity is White.

Is Thelma Riley still alive?

Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife, is still alive. She has been out of the limelight for years, especially after parting ways with Ozzy.

Top-5 facts about Thelma Riley
Top-5 facts about Thelma Riley. Photo: Scott Dudelson (modified by author)
Source: Original

Why is Thelma Riley famous?

Thelma is a former English teacher who worked in a local school in Leicestershire, England. However, she is widely recognised by many as the first wife of Ozzy Osbourne. Her separation from her husband hit the headlines, making both of them even more famous.

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How did Ozzy meet his first wife?

Thelma Riley and Ozzy Osbourne met in 1971 at Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham, where she worked as a waitress. Ozzy was 22 years old then, and his music career was starting to flourish. She and Ozzy had a romantic relationship for months and married in July of the same year.

How long was Ozzy married to Thelma?

Ozzy and Thelma were married for eleven years before their divorce and had two children. The divorce was finalised in 1982, and the singer married his second wife, Sharon Arden, the same year.

Was Ozzy married to Thelma Riley when he met Sharon?

No, he married Thelma in 1971, though he had met Sharon a year before. Sharon was 18 years old then. Her father, Don Arden, was Black Sabbath's manager. She worked as a receptionist for her father and met Ozzy.

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Their romantic relationship started in 1979 after he was kicked out of his band. Sharon reportedly developed Ozzy Osbourne later on as a solo musician by being his manager. Ozzy dated her while married to Thelma. After his divorce, they married on 4 July 1982.

Did Ozzy have kids with Thelma Riley?

Ozzy and Thelma share two biological children. The singer has also adopted Elliot Kingsley, Thelma's son from a previous relationship. His name is Elliot Kingsley.

She had him in 1966 with an unknown man. Elliot was five years old when his mother married Ozzy.

The talented singer had two biological kids with Thelma. Their firstborn is Jessica Starshine. She was born on 20 January 1972, while her younger brother Louis was born in 1975.

Thelma Riley is the grandmother to five children. Thelma Riley's grandchildren are Elijah and Maia from her son Louis and Harry, Isabelle, and Kitty from her daughter Jessica.

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What happened to Thelma Riley?

The educator filed for divorce after complaining that her ex-husband was addicted to illegal substances. This was the same reason why he was sacked from Black Sabbath in 1979.

She also accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her, and not being a good father to his children. Moreover, she called him a womaniser.

The music icon acknowledged the accusations by stating he once cheated on his wife with three women at a hotel. In his 2007 autobiography, I Am Ozzy, he said his marriage to Thelma was a terrible mistake.

He stated that his substance and alcohol addiction affected his family life. Things became worse because he was often away from home on tour with his group, Black Sabbath.

Ozzy admitted in a 2011 documentary film, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, that he could not recall his children's birthdays. The documentary was produced by Ozzy's son Jack. His children complained of him being physically and emotionally absent in their childhood.

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Who are Ozzy Osbourne's children?

Ozzy Osbourne is a father of six; three kids with Thelma and three with his second wife, Sharon. His other children are Aimee (born on 2 September 1983), Kelly (born on 27 October 1984), and Jack (born on 8 November 1985).

His children have made names in music, acting, and entertainment, with some appearances in the family reality show, The Osbournes.

Where is Thelma Riley in 2024?

Many people have asked where Thelma Riley is today. She currently lives in Leicestershire, England. She often takes children on educational tours in the country. She stepped out of the spotlight after her divorce and now goes by Thelma Maryflair.

How tall is Thelma Riley?

Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife is 5 ft 6 in or 167 cm tall. She weighs about 136 lb or 62 kg and has dark brown eyes and hair.

Quick facts about Thelma Riley

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  • She enjoys organising house parties in her free time.
  • Making jewellery is one of her hobbies.
  • Thelma raised all three kids as a single mother after her divorce.
  • Her ex-husband's real name is John Michael Osbourne.
  • She is passionate about fashion and food.

Thelma Riley is an ec-celebrity wife who came to the limelight for her marriage to Ozzy. Her position as Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife rings a bell whenever his name is mentioned.

Yen.com.gh recently published the untold story of Dennis Rader's ex-wife, Paula Dietz. Dietz was a bookkeeper born in a religious home. She gained fame as a result of her marriage to Dennis, who happened to be the BTK murderer.

Dennis Rader murdered ten people while living in the same house with his unsuspecting wife and children. Find out what happened to their relationship and where Paula is today.

Source: YEN.com.gh

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Favour Adeaga (SEO author) Favour is an author, speaker, and coach. He graduated with a degree in Mass Communication from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2011. He had his internship programme at The Nation Newspaper and taught diploma students in Newspaper and Magazine course at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi. He curates the facts and life hacks category since 2018. Favour is the author of two books available on Amazon. He currently lives in Nigeria. favouradeaga@gmail.com

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Cyprine Apindi (Lifestyle writer) Cyprine Apindi is a content creator and educator with over six years of experience. She holds a Diploma in Mass Communication and a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University. Cyprine joined Briefly.co.za in mid-2021, covering multiple topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. In 2023, she finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. She received the 2023 Writer of the Year Award. In 2024, she completed the Google News Initiative course. Email: cyprineapindi@gmail.com