The untold story of Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife
Ozzy Osbourne's first wife, Thelma Riley, is a former English teacher. She rose to fame following her marriage to the renowned British singer. Ozzy and Thelma were married for over a decade before divorcing in 1982. Riley has maintained a relatively private life away from the spotlight since her divorce from Osbourne.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Thelma is a retired English teacher.
- Ozzy and Thelma were married for 11 years, from 1971 to 1982.
- Thelma Riley has three children, Jessica Starshine, Louis, and Elliot Kingsley.
- She lives a relatively private life away from the spotlight.
Profile summary
| Full name | Thelma Mayfair Riley |
| Other name | Thelma Osbourne |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | 17 May 1954 |
| Age | 71 years old (as of 2025) |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England |
| Current residence | Birmingham, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Hair colour | Dark brown |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Height in feet | 5'6" |
| Height in centimetres | 167 |
| Weight in pounds | 136 |
| Weight in kilograms | 62 |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Ex-husband | Ozzy Osbourne |
| Children | Three |
| Profession | Teacher |
Thelma Riley's biography
Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife was born Thelma Mayfair Riley in Birmingham, England. Thelma Riley's age is 71 years old as of 2025. She was born on 17 May 1954, and her zodiac sign is Taurus.
The former English teacher is a British national and is of white ethnicity.
Source: Original
How did Ozzy Osbourne meet his first wife?
Thelma Riley and Ozzy Osbourne met in 1971 at Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham, where she worked as a waitress. Ozzy was 22 years old then, and his music career was starting to flourish. She and Ozzy had a romantic relationship for months and were married in July of the same year.
How long was Ozzy married to Thelma?
The British singer and Thelma were married for eleven years before their divorce and had two children. Ozzy’s lifestyle and substance abuse issues eventually caused them to divorce in 1982. The singer married his second wife, Sharon Arden, the same year.
Was Ozzy married to Thelma Riley when he met Sharon?
No, he married Thelma in 1971, though he had met Sharon a year before. Sharon was 18 years old then. Her father, Don Arden, was Black Sabbath's manager. She worked as a receptionist for her father and met Ozzy.
Source: Facebook
Their relationship started in 1979 after he was kicked out of his band. Sharon later became Ozzy's manager. Ozzy dated her while married to Thelma. After his divorce, they married on 4 July 1982.
Did Ozzy have kids with Thelma Riley?
Ozzy and Thelma share two biological children. Their firstborn is Jessica Starshine. She was born on 20 January 1972, while her younger brother Louis was born in 1975.
Jessica works as a costume designer in Hollywood, while Louis works as a theatre artist in Los Angeles. The singer also adopted Elliot Kingsley, Thelma's son, from a previous relationship. She had him in 1966 with an unknown man. Elliot was five years old when his mother married Ozzy.
Ozzy has three more kids with Sharon, his second wife. They are Aimee (born on 2 September 1983), Kelly (born on 27 October 1984), and Jack (born on 8 November 1985). Jack and Kelly have appeared in the family reality show, The Osbournes.
Source: Facebook
What happened to Thelma Riley?
The educator filed for divorce after complaining that her ex-husband was addicted to illegal substances. This was the same reason why he was sacked from Black Sabbath in 1979. She also accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her, and not being a good father to his children. Moreover, she called him a womaniser.
The popular singer acknowledged the accusations by stating he once cheated on his wife with three women at a hotel. According to Distractify, Ozzy referred to his marriage to Thelma as “a terrible mistake, in his 2009 autobiography, I Am Ozzy.
Osbourne stated that his substance and alcohol addiction affected his family life. Things became worse because he was often away from home on tour with his group, Black Sabbath.
Ozzy admitted in a 2011 documentary film, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, that he could not recall his children's birthdays. The documentary was produced by Ozzy's son Jack. His children complained of him being physically and emotionally absent in their childhood.
Where is Thelma Riley in 2025?
Thelma currently lives in Leicestershire, England. She often takes children on educational tours in the country. Riley stepped out of the spotlight after her divorce and now goes by Thelma Maryflair.
FAQs
- Who is Thelma Riley? Thelma is a former English teacher, popularly known for being Ozzy Osbourne's first wife.
- Who is Ozzy Osbourne? Ozzy is an English singer and media personality. He became prominent as the lead singer of Black Sabbath.
- What is Thelma Riley's date of birth? Thelma was born on 17 May 1954. She is 71 years old as of 2025.
- Who are Ozzy Osbourne's children? Ozzy Osbourne is a father of six; three kids with Thelma and three with his second wife, Sharon.
- Who is Ozzy Osbourne's first child? Her first child is Jessica Starshine. She was born in January 1972.
- Does Thelma Riley have grandchildren? Thelma Riley is a grandmother to five children. Her grandchildren are Elijah and Maia from her son Louis, and Harry, Isabelle, and Kitty from her daughter Jessica.
- Is Thelma Riley still alive? Yes, Riley is still alive. She has been out of the limelight for years, especially after parting ways with Ozzy.
- How tall is Thelma Riley? Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife is 5 feet 6 inches or 167 centimetres tall. She weighs about 136 pounds or 62 kilograms.
Thelma Riley came to the spotlight due to her marriage to Ozzy Osbourne, the vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. The ex-couple were married in 1971 and divorced in 1982. Riley is raising her three kids as a single mother after her divorce.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
Favour Adeaga (Lifestyle writer) Favour is an author, speaker, and coach. He graduated with a degree in Mass Communication from The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Nigeria, in 2011. He had his internship programme at The Nation Newspaper and taught diploma students in Newspaper and Magazine course at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi. He curates the facts and life hacks category since 2018. Favour is the author of two books available on Amazon. He currently lives in Nigeria. favouradeaga@gmail.com
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