Sharon Osbourne: Angelina Jolie's Surgery Has 'Empowered Millions Of Women'

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Angelina Jolie said she came forward about her preventative double mastectomy to empower other women to get educated about their own health – and she's not the only celebrity who has faced the potentially deadly health crisis.

Sharon Osbourne of CBS' "The Talk," spoke with CBS 2's Dana Tyler on Tuesday about her journey.

A woman who is nothing but full of life, Osbourne brings her boundless energy to viewers every day.

On Tuesday, as Osbourne and her co-hosts gathered at their table at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street, they tackled the announcement of Jolie's surgery.

The issue has a deeply personal impact to Osbourne. She, too, found she had a gene that dramatically raised her risk of breast cancer.

Osbourne had a double mastectomy early last year, and she said she admires Jolie for being so outspoken.

"She will have empowered millions of women all over the world," Osbourne said.

In an interview after the show, Osbourne told Tyler that prior to the surgery, she would fear the worst.

"I would have to go very regularly for check-ups, and every time they felt something a lump or an ache, anything, I would think, 'This is what it is,' and your imagination would take over," she said.

Osbourne said the surgery helped give her peace of mind.

"You feel younger," she said. "You feel like, Yes, I can deal with whatever life throws at me."

Osbourne said celebrities and others sharing the stories of their battles with cancer gives a vital boost to those just beginning the fight.

"To know that you're not on your own, you know," she said. "Nobody is really on their own because you have to tell, and then you realize how many people are going through that journey with you, and it's not a death sentence anymore."

Osbourne said she believes that Jolie's frankness about her battle gives hope to her fans as well.

"Somebody, especially in her position -- millions of people all over the world would have been biting their fingernails – 'Is she going to be OK?'" Osbourne said. "They would have been heart broken."

But survivors' stories alone are not enough to help women conquer cancer. Osbourne said education is key.

"Early detection is the key to everything, and also knowledge," she said. "You have to be aware of your body. Listen to your body. Because us women, when we're tired or we have an ache – 'Oh, I work so hard. I slept wrong last night -- that's why my back hurts or my something hurts.' No. Your body's telling you something."

And as for her own health? Osbourne said it was "fabulous… amazing."

Osbourne had her preventative double mastectomy at age 59. Jolie had her surgery at 37.

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