Danny Baker condemned for joking that Ozzy Osbourne’s cocaine use caused his Parkinson’s

Sign up to Roisin O’Connor’s free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Get our Now Hear This email for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Danny Baker has come under fire for joking that Ozzy Osbourne’s past cocaine use caused his Parkinson’s. On Twitter, Baker joked: “Not to be unsympathetic to a genuine hero but when Ozzie Osbourne says his ‘mild Parkinson’s’ is down to a fall he once had I’m thinking it must have been when he fell into a vat full of cocaine in 72 and didn’t get out again for 35 years.” Baker’s joke drew some laughs, but others argued that it was insensitive. “Watch someone you love dying of Parkinson’s then see how funny you find it.” Speaking on Good Morning America this week, Osbourne said his diagnosis has been “terribly challenging,” adding that he had to have neck surgery as a result. It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination, but it does affect certain nerves in your body.” Osbourne has been open about his past cocaine use, but now lives a clean lifestyle.