Sharon Osbourne has slammed John Legend over his reworking of ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’.
The ‘All of Me’ hitmaker has been working on a new version of the festive song – which was written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and tells the tale of a man trying to persuade a reluctant woman to stay at his house – with Kelly Clarkson but the ‘Talk’ panelist thinks the track is a "piece of art" that should be left alone.
She argued: "What would John Legend do, if in 40 years, if somebody wanted to… re-record one of his songs, and there was some group that found it offensive, and somebody just went, ‘Oh, I can change the lyrics on that.’
"It’s, to me, like a master painting. It’s a piece of art."
Sharon seemingly singled out a line from the new version in which Kelly sings, "What will my friends think? If I have one more drink?" and John replies, "It’s your body, and your choice."
Branding the changes "not right", she said on ‘The Talk: "To change an innocent lyric, to what is it, ‘Your mind and your body?’ What the hell are you on? That’s ridiculous.
"I have to tell you, I love John Legend. I love John Legend’s wife, his family. He’s an amazing artist that I really respect. Why do you do this? That’s not right."
The outspoken star thinks the pair should have just left the song alone.
She added: "The thing is, if you don’t like the song, don’t record it."
Sharon’s comments come after Deana Martin – whose late father Dean Martin recorded one of the most famous versions of the song in 1959 – branded John and co-writer Natasha Rothwell’s changes "absolutely absurd".
She said: "He’s stealing the thunder from Frank Loesser’s song and from my dad. He should write his own song if he doesn’t like this one, but don’t change the lyrics. It’s a classic, perfect song.
"He’s made it more sexual with those words that he has just said."
Sharon Osbourne slams John Legend
