May 17th 2024.
Tabby O'Callaghan, a former contestant on the first season of the X Factor, recently opened up about his experience being mentored by Sharon Osbourne. He revealed that their last conversation together, which took place during auditions for the second season of the show, made him realize that their working relationship had come to an end.
Tabby, who was 43 at the time of the interview, had placed third on the show and was being mentored by Sharon, who was 71 and also known for her role on Celebrity Big Brother. After the show ended, Tabby had high hopes for his music career, as Sharon had promised to take him to the next level and even break into the American music scene. However, those promises never came to fruition and he lost contact with Sharon just one year later.
"I felt like she had a plan. But as time went on, I started to question whether she had a plan," Tabby recalled. "It went from 'we're going to America' to nothing, and it did kind of traumatize me at the time."
Their final conversation about his career took place during auditions in Belfast. Tabby had traveled there to learn about his next move, as he had returned to his hometown of Sligo, Ireland after his showbusiness work had stalled. "I had a lot of heat on my career at that point so I wanted to make a move and do something," he explained. "So I went to meet Sharon to say, 'What's happening or do you intend on doing anything with me?'"
Tabby described the moment when Sharon got into an elevator and the doors closed, signaling the end of their conversation. "I just had a feeling that would be the last time we would have a proper conversation. And it was," he said. During that conversation, Sharon had agreed to release Tabby's single "Number One" in England before ultimately deciding to only release it in Ireland.
Despite the disappointment, Tabby looks back on his time with Sharon and The X Factor fondly. He even lived with the Osbourne family for several months, both during and after the show. "I used to love sitting with Ozzy," he shared. "Me and him used to sit and watch the Discovery Channel together – just chatting about life and art and music."
During his time on the show, Tabby also had the opportunity to meet a host of stars, including Liz Hurley, David Walliams, The Pet Shop Boys, and Sir Elton John at a party in honor of jeweler Theo Fennell. He described Sir Elton as "lovely" and even asked him what Queen legend Freddy Mercury was like. Sir Elton replied, "He was crazy like me, darling."
In a more raucous incident, Tabby got drunk with Oasis star Liam Gallagher and the late Motorhead founder Lemmy in the first-class cabin bar on a flight. "Liam and I got into a bit of an argument during the flight as we were going along. I mean, it ended all right," Tabby shared. "But he was criticizing me for doing the show. He was like, 'You're a real musician. What are you doing a show like that for?'"
Despite the taste of fame and celebrity, Tabby said he has no desire to become a global superstar. "I'm not sure I'd like to be a celebrity in today's celebrity world," he admitted. "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."
Today, Tabby is a full-time musician, session musician, and producer, playing in several bands and performing gigs every week. He even has plans to release 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," he said. "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."
Despite not achieving global fame through The X Factor, Tabby has no regrets about his experience. "I got to do amazing things. I got to meet all my heroes, and I got to record with Ozzy, I traveled all over the world off the back of it, and it gave me my career," he said. The Agency reached out to Sharon's representative for comment.
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