Sharon Osbourne, wife of rocker Ozzy, has adopted the teenage son of a woman who recently died from colon cancer.

Mrs Osbourne, 50, who is herself battling the disease, is to take Robert Marcato into the family and pay for his college education, she told the New York Post.

Robert will take part in the second series of The Osbournes, the MTV reality TV show which sees the rocker's family living their lives in front of the cameras.

Robert Marcato, whose mother Regan died last week at the age of 36, has been a friend of Mrs Osbourne's daughters, Kelly and Aimee, for six years.

Robert Marcato is a friend of Kelly (right)

Mrs Osbourne paid for Regan Marcato's treatment during her last weeks.

She said she wanted to make Robert Marcato "secure".

"Robert will be part of the show as 'Baby Osbourne' - even though he's 18," she said.

"We're moving him in as part of the family. Then we're going to take our time to pick the best college for him."

The Osbourne family has recently achieved international fame thanks to the MTV fly-on-the-wall show - the highest-rating show in the cable TV channel's history.

Treatment

But in July Sharon Osbourne underwent surgery for colon cancer and is now on a three-month course of chemotherapy.

She said she was feeling fine despite the treatment. "I can kick anyone's ass right now."

Sharon and Ozzy have shot to international stardom

The second series of The Osbournes, which will feature Sharon's cancer treatment, is to be broadcast in the US this autumn.

Meanwhile, daughter Kelly Osbourne told UK music weekly NME she had never seen a single episode of the show.

And she said she doubted that other planned fly-on-the-wall looks at celebrity households would be as successful as The Osbournes.

"I don't think they'll work, because people have so many expectations now.

"Ours worked because we didn't have anything to live up to."