29 October 2005
SHARON Osbourne last night accused her X-Factor co-stars of trying to bully her off the show.
By Fiona Cummins
DEFIANT Sharon Osbourne last night vowed not to be intimidated by X-Factor stars Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh who she claims are trying to force her off the show.
The 53-year-old branded Cowell "Herman Munster" and Walsh was labelled a "lousy leprechaun" in a bitter war of words that almost ended with her quitting.
But Sharon insisted she will carry on as a judge on the popular ITV show and claimed a pathetic whispering campaign was launched against her solely because her acts are doing better than those of her co-hosts.
She hit back after Cowell described her as being "one op away from the Bride of Wildenstein". She also accused Walsh of spreading rumours that her hair was falling out.
Sharon said: "I can't believe some of the hurtful things they have been saying behind my back.
"They'll deny it but they know the truth. It's a disgrace."
Her spokesman Gary Farrow added: "Louis should be careful. He's one to talk, the lousy leprechaun.
"The only person who'll lose their hair by the end of the series will be him when he's tearing it out in frustration."
Sharon confessed she was so distraught by the verbal onslaughts that she considered pulling out of tonight's show.
But she added: "I soon realised by doing that it would only give them what they want. I'll give them both barrels. It's a bit rich all this stuff coming from Cowell and Walsh.
"Simon looks like Herman Munster, the only thing he's missing is a bolt through his neck.
"He and Louis have been utterly pathetic all week by ganging up on me, they're just making fools of themselves.
"It's sad because all they've done is draw attention away from the acts, and they're the most important people on the show."
Sharon has got off to a flying start in the X-Factor finals while Cowell has already lost two of his acts, Addictiv Ladies and 4Tune.
Walsh's acts have struggled, with Chenai escaping the chop when 4Tune were dumped.
Gary Farrow said: "A lot of this is sour grapes from the two boys who thought they'd walk it like last year.
"Instead, Sharon has left them trailing and instead of concentrating on their own bands they're trying to upset her."
Cowell's jibes about plastic surgery were particularly hurtful as he made them behind Sharon's back to her daughter Kelly.
He told her: "There doesn't seem to be much she hasn't had nipped and tucked."
More than 10million viewers are tuning into watch the show in its live studio phase.
Moroccan stripper Chico is the hot favourite for the chop for the second week running followed by student Philip.
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