As dawn was breaking last Sunday, Kelly Osbourne was seen sharing laughter with a friend in a secluded nook of the opulent Broadwick Hotel in Soho. Nestled among the plush sofas, the duo seemed to be in high spirits.

The occasion was an exclusive after-party celebrating Lily Allen’s performances at the London Palladium. As the evening unfolded and the drinks circulated, murmurs began to surface about the intriguing dynamic between Osbourne and her companion.

“They were inseparable the whole night, making no attempt to conceal their closeness. They kept taking selfies using Kelly’s large tripod, which was equipped with an exceptionally bright backlight,” a fellow attendee revealed to the Daily Mail.

What wasn’t apparent at that time was that the 41-year-old reality TV star had recently parted ways with her fiancé, Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson. Their relationship spanned four years, crowned by a long-standing friendship of 27 years, and they share a child together.

An insider elaborated, “It was evident that Kelly and her friend shared a deep bond. They even sported matching crochet beanies, clearly not making any secret of their camaraderie as they mingled and chatted with Lily.”

“Kelly seemed to lean on her friend for support, as they hardly left her side. And if they did, Kelly was quick to follow,” the source added, noting the strong connection between Osbourne and her confidant.

And the Daily Mail can reveal the new friend in question is a non-binary hairdresser named Kiinicki, 37, who it is said has become a ‘shoulder to cry on’ since the shocking death of Kelly’s rock-legend dad Ozzy in July.

Using the pronouns they/them, Kiinicki – whose original name has not been revealed – is based in Los Angeles and flew to Britain to support Kelly and her three-year-old son, Sidney Jr.

Representatives of the reality star have declined to comment.

Earlier on Saturday, the pair spent the day together in their matching hats, strolling through London before sitting next to each other at the Palladium for the Smile singer’s show.

Kelly Osbourne and Kiinicki at the after-party for Lily Allen’s London shows

The following day, Kelly posted a picture to her 4.4million Instagram followers of the two of them in bed together with her toddler, all wearing nappies on their heads

The next day, Kelly posted a sweet picture to her 4.4million Instagram followers of herself and Kiinicki in bed together with her toddler, all wearing nappies on their heads.

She captioned the post: ‘Little man has conjunctivitis, so we are entertaining him, thank the lord he is feeling better.’

On their hands can be seen a set of matching tattoos – a crescent half moon with a tooth – which they got in the US, the same month the reality star, 41, was last seen with her ex-fiance publicly on the red carpet at the Grammys.

It was a very different scene from seven months ago when she stood backstage in the dressing room at her father’s final Black Sabbath show hosted in the family’s hometown of Birmingham.

Ozzy was sitting in a chair with Kelly’s mother Sharon next to him. Kelly’s beloved younger brother Jack was behind them, and their friends gathered around.

Suddenly, her then-boyfriend, Sidney Wilson, hushed the room as he grabbed her hand and declared: ‘Nothing would make me happier than to spend the rest of my life with you. And so in front of your family and our friends, Kelly, will you marry me?’

In true Ozzy Osbourne style, the then-weakening rock legend shouted: ‘You’re not f***ing marrying my daughter!’

It was, of course, a joke, as the pair had been friends for years, having met when Sid’s band, Slipknot, toured with her parents at Ozzfest as far back as 1999.

Kelly and Kiinicki got matching crescent moon and tooth tattoos on their hands

Kelly and Sidney Jr backstage with guitarists Andrew Watt and Ronnie Wood at her dad Ozzy’s final gig with Black Sabbath at Villa Park in Birmingham in July last year

The room erupted in uproarious laughter as a shocked Kelly grabbed her now-fiancé in a passionate and loving embrace – he had executed the moment perfectly.

Yet just 17 days later, Kelly’s life changed for ever when Ozzy died from a heart attack, leaving his family reeling from the shock.

The Slipknot DJ was by Kelly’s side to support and acted as pallbearer for Ozzy’s coffin as the devastated family processed through the streets of Birmingham, lined with thousands of grieving fans, at the funeral in late July.

But Sid was not to remain part of the Osbourne family for much longer – it was revealed yesterday that the once-loving couple had split seven months after the 76-year-old’s death.

Sources told the Daily Mail: ‘Kelly has been struggling following the loss of her father. The grieving process has been incredibly difficult, and she’s been doing everything she can to cope.

‘In truth, she and Sid have been facing challenges in their relationship for some time, and things were not as they appeared.

‘They tried to make it work, particularly for the sake of their child, but ultimately decided that separating is the best path forward.

‘Kelly has endured a great deal over the past year. Despite everything, she remains sober and is now focusing on herself and her role as a mother.’

The mother-of-one has previously spoken about her sexuality in 2017, before she was with her ex-fiance, and declared, ‘I’m open to loving anybody.’

Speaking to the LGBT publication, PrideSource, she said: ‘It’s about the person. I don’t think it’s about sexuality at all.

‘It’s not like I’m trying to be forward-thinking or progressive – it’s just that sexuality is a word I try not to even define the way the world defines it.

‘It’s the person who you are sexually attracted to. My whole rule is, never say never. I’ve never been in a relationship with a woman, but I don’t know that it’s not a possibility.’

This will be Kelly’s third broken engagement, having previously been due to tie the knot with chef Matthew Mosshard, whom she met at Kate Moss’s wedding in 2011, but she called it off in 2014.

Before then, she was engaged to the model, Luke Worrall, but they broke up in 2010 after two years, after she publicly accused him of cheating.

As for friends of Kelly, who have recently watched her struggle publicly with the loss of her father, one summed up their feelings by saying: ‘It’s just great to see a smile back on her face.’