Kelly Osbourne has said she does not agree with her mother Sharon’s public support for Tommy Robinson, while insisting that the pair’s political differences have not altered her love for her.
Speaking to Attitude on the National Television Awards red carpet on Tuesday night, 8 September, Kelly was asked about Sharon’s backing for Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally.
“I don’t agree with my mum, no,” she replied. “That’s one thing that I can say I don’t agree with her on. It’s hard because I love my mum, but I also have to understand that she’s entitled to her own opinions as well.”
Sharon’s position became public in May after Robinson promoted an anti-immigration demonstration in London. Responding to one of his social media posts, she wrote: “See you at the march.”
The move prompted Centrepoint, the youth homelessness charity, to distance itself from the former X Factor judge. The organisation said political activity of that nature was inconsistent with its values and confirmed that it had no plans to work with her in the future.
Kelly also spoke about her mother’s views on transgender issues and voiced strong support for the LGBT community.
“The LGBT community means everything to me. I wouldn’t be me without them,” she said. “It was the trans community that taught me about bravery.”
She said she had felt “sad” after realising that she and Sharon might not share the same outlook, but suggested that her mother’s views were rooted in a lack of personal experience and understanding.
“I don’t know if my mum knows enough trans people to make a fair judgement or anything to do with that sort of thing,” Kelly said. “Whereas for me that is my world.”
Sharon has previously spoken about introducing age limits for decisions relating to gender-affirming care and questioned whether gender identity could be a phase. Kelly said that, in private conversations, her mother was more receptive to the issues than her public remarks might suggest.
“When I speak to her one-to-one, she gets it,” Kelly said, adding that she did not believe Sharon’s comments were “in any way against” the trans community.
Sharon has become increasingly outspoken on political matters in recent months. In February, she said she was considering moving to Birmingham and standing in local elections in the Sparkhill ward, after expressing concern about independent candidate Shahid Butt, who had been convicted in Yemen over a plot involving the British consulate.
Sharon does not live in the Midlands but has longstanding links to Birmingham through her late husband, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who was born in the city’s Aston area.
