Tearful Sharon Osbourne Weighs Her Blessings

Nov. 25, 2002 -- Asked what she would be thankful for this Thanksgiving, Sharon Osbourne's steely exterior dissolved for a moment; the woman who has toughed out decades in the rock 'n' roll business had teary eyes.

"I'm thankful that I'm still alive, and I can appreciate everything that I've gotten, everything that's happened to us because I honestly, genuinely do," she told Good Morning America's Entertainment Correspondent Alex Cambert. "America has been very good to us."

Sharon Osbourne is married to heavy metal rock legend Ozzy Osbourne, and works as his business manager. Their latest gig is The Osbournes, an expletive-packed reality TV show that chronicles the lives of the couple, and their eccentric teenage children, Jack and Kelly.

After debuting in March, the show became MTV's all-time highest-rated show, and won an Emmy for the Best Reality TV show.

But off screen there has been sadness in the family's lives. Sharon, who turned 50 this year, was diagnosed with colon cancer over the summer, and though she has talked about it publicly with 20/20 host Barbara Walters, she had been keeping up a strong public front.

"And Barbara didn't make me cry, but you did," she told Cambert, laughing.

To make Sharon laugh again, Ozzy cracked a joke.

"She made me cry, Barbara did," Ozzy said. "She stood on me foot."

That’s News to Ozzy

Ozzy and Sharon recently celebrated their 20th anniversary, and Sharon Osbourne told GMA that the couple would be renewing their wedding vows at a special celebration on New Years Eve.

"We're going to do it properly," Sharon Osbourne said, explaining that there would be 600 people on the guest list.

"Six hundred people? You're kidding me," Ozzy said during the interview. "Where was my consultation about this?"

"It's a surprise for you," Sharon Osbourne replied.

"I'm not good at surprises," Ozzy said, stammering.

Since her illness, Ozzy — a rocker known for his wild concert performances — has shown his soft side.

"He's really romantic," Sharon Osbourne said. "I'd come back from hospital, my entire room would be covered in flowers."

Ozzy's fans have shown their affection, too.

"I'd go on the road and I started to see one or two banners in the audience: 'F--- cancer, we love you, Sharon,'" Sharon said. "And the audience would go, "Yeaaaah!" you know."

"That means such a lot to me," Ozzy said.

‘You Were a Nobody’

Sharon said The Osbournes had pulled her out of relative obscurity.

"Nine months ago America didn't even know who I was," she said. "And it's like, for the ordinary people in the street to take the time out to write to me? I'm a nobody; I mean, I'm not a celebrity, I'm not a star, I'm a nobody."

But her husband quickly corrected her.

"You were a nobody," he said.

Now when she goes out on the street people come up to her and tell her that they love her family and her dogs.

"I would go into like, you know, ladies' clothing stores and the assistants say, 'Oh, your husband's so cute,' or 'Oh, and I love your dog,'" Sharon said.

The second season of the show, which starts Nov. 26, will deal a little bit with Sharon's illness, but it won't become like ER, she said.

Despite gaining fame herself, Sharon says she is excited to spot celebrities like Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston, who she called "the cutest, most gorgeous couple ever."

She has kissed Pitt on the cheek twice, Sharon says.

Robin Williams Stops By

But perhaps her biggest star sighting was a few months ago, when Ozzy asked actor Robin Williams to stop by after she got home from the hospital. Sharon said she was laying in bed, and had been taking drugs for the pain.

"There was a knock at the door," Sharon said. "Then Robin climbed on the bed with me, cuddled me for two hours. He's got the biggest heart in the world."

Ozzy is grateful, too.

"Forever and a day, I will love that man," he said.

For Thanksgiving, he is thankful that one of America's most-watched families will be together.

"I'm thankful to have my family intact," he said. "I'm thankful for, obviously, the most loving support from the American people and the people in the world."