Ozzy returns for second series

The new series of the highly successful reality TV show will be twice as long as the first, after Osbourne and his family agreed a new deal with MTV.

It follows the home life of the rocker and his family and has given music station MTV its biggest ratings in both the US and UK.

The show has been a massive success thanks to the eccentric antics of the Osbournes, and has resurrected Ozzy's career.

There had already been talk of a second series but rumours of seven-figure demands looked like spelling the end.

But a second series will start filming soon, with 20 episodes going out in the US in the autumn.

Only the first two episodes have been screened in the UK so far but viewers will be able to see the follow-up shortly after it airs in America.

It will once again follow the day-to-day lives of Osbourne, his wife and manager Sharon, and children Jack and Kelly.

The MTV crew and its 55 cameras will follow the Osbournes around 24 hours a day as they relax at home or hit the road on tour.

The increasing popularity will ensure Osbourne will be busy over the coming months, promising more of his erratic behaviour.

As well as the family there is a whole host of other "characters" including pets, assistants, roadies and the neighbours.

"We are truly overwhelmed by the incredible response to the show. We never expected that by inviting MTV into our home, we'd get such a positive reaction from fans young and old," said Sharon Osbourne.

The show regularly reached an audience of six million viewers in the US and 500,000 in the UK - an impressive number for the cable channel.

Osbourne, the former frontman for Black Sabbath, recently returned to his British roots as he appeared at his Ozzfest festival at Donington Park in Leicestershire.

Channel 4, ITV and Channel 5 are all understood to be keen to show the programme to a mass audience after its exposure to cable and satellite viewers.