Sharon Osbourne has denied claims she was paid to keep quiet about her 'X Factor' departure.
Sharon Osbourne
The 65-year-old star confirmed this week she would be quitting the ITV talent competition - where she was due to join the judging panel for the live shows - as she said it "felt odd" to appear at such a late stage of the programme.
Her exit followed an explosive rant she had given in regards to the show during an appearance on 'The Howard Stern Show' last month, and earlier this week the show's titular host claimed that Sharon had been "paid-off" to keep her departure statement civil in the wake of the earlier outburst.
But now, Sharon has insisted that isn't the case, as she says she's "earned the right" to say whatever she wants, and won't be "quiet for anyone".
She said: "I'm not going to be quiet for anyone. I'm at the age where I have earned the right to say what I want.
"I'm not running for Parliament and if I offend people, fine, then don't listen, don't read.
"They say there's three sides to every story - their side, your side and the truth. Well, here's my side. I have nothing to hide."
The television personality also revealed the real reason she left the show, blaming it on problems that had been evolving over the past year as she grew tired of being unsure of her future on the judging panel.
Sharon was initially supposed to join the panel full time as she had done for several series prior, before being put down to part-time, then later completely sacked before being rehired in a part time role once again.
She added: "Look, it was getting ridiculous, enough is enough. I'm out and that's it. I'm not angry with anyone and I don't regret anything. My life will go on and so will 'The X Factor'. It's doing great.
"It's not personal, it's business. It's Simon's show and he can do whatever he wants with it."
In her rant last month, Sharon claimed show creator Simon Cowell would do anything to get his "fat face" on television, before claiming she wanted to "drown" him and branded the show a "f***ing karaoke."
And although she now says her comments were "stupid", she doesn't regret her words.
Speaking to The Sun newspaper's bizarre TV column, Sharon said: "I'm a big girl. I said what I said. I own it. I'm not blaming anybody. I joined in and had a good old laugh at other people's expense, but it wasn't meant to be vicious, it was just stupid.
"Did I mean it all literally? No. Am I going to tie a brick around Simon's neck? I don't think so! Are the contestants little s**ts? Of course not. I was just being a precocious child.
"Howard's show is very irreverent and everyone in America knows that you're going to get bad language and hear outrageous things. Simon knows it too.
"You can't take it literally. It's like a dinner party where everybody is talking crap and you just join in for a laugh. I was just messing around, not wanting to hurt anyone."
Tagged in Howard Stern Sharon Osbourne Simon Cowell