She has left a Los Angeles hospital after the surgery, which took place on Wednesday, 3 July, a short statement released by the couple's publicist said.

The second series of The Osbournes will air in the US this autumn

The colon cancer had been caught in the "very early stages", and she is expected to make a full recovery, it added.

The filming for the second series of The Osbournes - which reveals all about life with the couple and their children - was expected to start in June.

The first series of the candid fly-on-the-wall show put her in the spotlight alongside her husband, and became a cult hit around the world.

She is known for her forthright and gutsy style, keeping her husband, former star of heavy rock group Black Sabbath, and their children in line.

Credited with masterminding the revival of her husband's career, she has steered negotiations for The Osbournes show and established an annual worldwide touring festival, Ozzfest.

The first two of this year's Ozzfest shows in the United States - in Bristow, Virginia, on 6 July, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the following day - were postponed.

She reportedly exasperated MTV executives in negotiations for a second series of The Osbournes by demanding a new house and a lifetime of free psychotherapy for her dogs.

Binges

The couple married in 1982 after she had taken over as Osbourne's manager from her father, legendary music promoter Don Arden.

She joined her husband in drink and drugs binges, but said she had to give up because they were "turning into Sid and Nancy".

She has also described herself as "a beaten woman" at the hands of her husband, with the most notorious incident in 1989 when Osbourne was arrested for attempted murder after trying to strangle his wife in a haze of drink and drugs.

He spent three months in rehabilitation as a result - after which she said she regained her strength in their relationship.