A visibly-shaken Ozzy Osbourne admitted today that he probably should not have tackled a burglar who broke into his Buckinghamshire mansion and stole some of his wife's favourite jewels and watches.

"At the time, when I had a go at the assailant, as I said, I acted on impulse," Osbourne told a press conference to announce a £100,000 reward for information on the £2 million burglary.

"It could have been much worse. I could have been like George Harrison - I could have been badly injured or anything. It could have got really ugly. I just thank God that no one got injured." Harrison, the late Beatle, was stabbed by a psychotic intruder in 1999 on his estate at Henley-on-Thames.

But asked if he would tackle a burglar again, Osbourne replied: "Is the Pope a Catholic?"

The thief broke into the Osbournes' £5-million mansion in Chalfont St Peter in the early hours of yesterday morning, using a ladder to gain access to a first-floor bedroom window.

Sharon Osbourne called police to say there was a burglar in the house while Ozzy tackled the heavy-built man, who escaped his grasp and jumped out of a window, 30ft from the ground, before escaping in a van with his accomplice. The pieces he took will not necessarily be covered by insurance since they were not being kept in a safe.

Photographs of the burglar's haul were displayed at today's press conference given by the couple in a hotel near their mansion and included two rare Franck Muller watches, a "daisy chain" diamond necklace and a South Sea pearl necklace with a large diamond clasp.

Also stolen were a huge "rose ring" of pave diamonds bought as an investment for her children and a flawless and very rare 24-carat sapphire dubbed 'the swimming pool'.

The X-Factor judge also lost her two wedding bands - given to her to replace the old "H. Samuel" wedding ring she was bought when the couple married in 1982. The rings were taken from her bedside table as she slept.

Sharon also lost a ten-carat diamond ring bought to celebrate the success of the reality television show The Osbournes - which brought the couple and their two children worldwide fame - and her victory over colon cancer last year.

"He always said I was a perfect ten and he always said when he had the money he would buy me a ten-carat diamond ring," Mrs Osbourne said. "And he did."

Ozzy Ozbourne added: "It's enormous, the sentiment of the ring I bought for Sharon. She beat cancer. People will probalby say they can afford it, but that's not the point. It's sentiment - you can't buy sentiment."

The couple, and Lloyd's underbrokers, have offered a reward of up to £100,000 for information leading to the arrest of the burglar.

Ironically, Osbourne, 55, started off life not as a rock musician but as a petty criminal, serving six weeks at Birmingham's Winson Green prison while still in his teens after burgling a house wearing fingerless gloves. It was then that he tattooed the word Ozzy on his knuckles and a smiling face on each knee to cheer himself up.

He became lead singer of the band Black Sabbath in 1969, earning fame not just for the hard-metal music but for wild living and biting off the head of a bat while on stage. He left the band in 1979 and, with Sharon as his manager, built a successful solo career.

Sharon said today: "I’m sure a lot of people will look at us and say ’Well, they have got more, they can buy it again, there’s more serious things happening in the world, who really gives a damn?’

"But the thing is, we worked for everything. I came from Brixton, Ozzy came from not a very nice part of Birmingham and everything we have got we have worked our arses off for.

"If I choose to make an investment for my kids in whatever way I choose to make it, that’s my business. I worked for every goddam penny and when somebody comes who hasn’t worked and wants to take what’s yours, you know it pisses me off big time."

Explore UK News

• Crime News

• Education News

• Health News

• Science News

• Scotland News

Times Recommends

• An officer and a gentle woman
• Dame Helen Mirren is worthy of the Epidaurus
• Foods that can help to prevent swine flu