'Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon couldn't put each other down during photoshoot'

A constant flow of hilarious anecdotes about everyone from Hollywood idols to rock ‘n’ roll stars trip off Steve Read’s tongue.

But it is the lensman’s images that really do the talking, a gallery of which are on show in his new exhibition - Shooting Stars Pays The Rent.

The original art director of lads’ mag loaded , Steve’s incredible pictures take viewers on a journey through the celebrity world of the late 1990s and early noughties, when he swapped commissioning photographers for taking pictures himself - and rubbing shoulders with La La Land’s glitterati. It comes after The Face magazine celebrated its 45th anniversary.

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He tells The Mirror: “Soon I was on a different planet.”

One of his favourite memories comes from photographing Sharon and the late Ozzy Osbourne.

“This was before she was properly famous, but The Osbournes reality TV show was just about to come out in 2002,” he says. “The shoot was supposed to be all about her, but you couldn’t stop Ozzy getting in the shot and they just couldn’t put each other down.

“Sharon had wanted to do another shot, but the one that worked was them giving me the finger while they were kissing. ‘Pussy’ the cat is in the pic too.”

Now 64, Steve’s picture of the couple can be seen in his exhibition, which opens in Edinburgh at Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel on Monday, 18 August, before touring the UK.

Also a filmmaker, Steve continues: “Ozzy was getting his star on the Hollywood Walkof Fame the next day and he asked me if I wanted to go with him. Robbie Williams had just moved out to L.A. and he was like his new best friend and hanging out as well so I just tagged along. That was the level of intimacy you used to get back then.”

Another priceless anecdote comes from his shoot with Princess Anne’s daughter, the talented equestrian Zara Tindal.

He anticipated some problems, because he wanted her to bring her horse indoors, but he needn’t have worried - recalling how a middle-aged woman in a headscarf even offered to help.

“No, I’m ok love thanks,” he told her, without looking up.

His assistant ran up after she had walked off and told him: “That was Princess Anne you tw*t.” While Steve blushed, Zara laughed.

He says: “Zara is a dream to work with.”

As a photographer, Steve often found celebrities very different to their public persona.

“I bumped into John Lydon in a diner when he was in the States with the reformed Sex Pistols and he was on his own,” he says. “This was when I was working for loaded and he loved the magazine, took my number and said he’d call the next day. I thought no more about it until he actually did. Lovely guy. We had a great couple of days.”

His knack for putting famous people at ease comes from his childhood, according to Steve, as his dad was a Luton Town goalie and he became used to seeing celebrities, likeEric Morecambe- who was a director of the club - coming to his house.

Steve, who also worked with legendary editor Tina Brown on Talk magazine - an iconic celebrity title in America - adds: “Celebrities are like everybody else. “They have good days and bad days.”

Shooting Stars Pays The Rent” exhibition Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh from Monday 18th August.