Madeleine McCann was three-years-old when she disappeared from her bed in a holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007.
Maddy’s parents, Kate and Gerry, had left the little girl and her two-year-old twin siblings sleeping in their holiday home as they dined with friends at a restaurant 50 metres away.
They checked on the children throughout the evening, at roughly half-hour intervals, until Madeleine's mother discovered she was missing at 22:00.
Since then, they have campaigned tirelessly for information as to their daughter’s whereabouts.
However they have come under criticism from members of the public, who assert that Kate and Gerry should never have left their children alone.
And now, speaking on her US chat show The Talk, Sharon Osbourne has also implied that she believes the McCanns are “insane” for leaving Madeleine alone and without supervision.
“I will tell you a very quick story,” she said.
“There was a husband and wife on holiday in Portugal. They left their baby in the room sleeping, sleeping while they went to dinner in the restaurant.
“While they were in the resort their baby was taken.
“And it is like, ‘Oh but we can see everything that is going on’ and it is, like, insane.”
Her comments sparked a Twitter storm, dividing the online community firmly down the middle.
However, while some supported Sharon’s comments, others pointed out that she was potentially damaging the investigation into Maddie’s disappearance.
And a family friend of the McCanns has slammed Sharon for her “ignorant” comments.
They told The Mirror: “It’s very disappointing when someone with such a high profile makes this sort of ignorant, ill-informed comment.
“She should think about the effect it could have on Madeleine’s brother and sister, as well as the wider family.
“Kate and Gerry have never forgiven themselves and this should not have been aired in a random way, as it apparently was.”
It has been nine years since Madeleine McCann disappeared - and she would now be 13-years-old.
On 3rd May 2016, the anniversary of Madeleine’s disappearance, her parents shared a message on their Find Madeleine website.
It read: “As yet another anniversary comes around, we’d like to thank all our supporters for your continued help and commitment in the search for Madeleine, and the hope for her safe return.
“It has been a very long time but the investigation continues, information is still forthcoming and our hope and resolve continue. Until we have answers, until there is news, there will always be hope and we will continue to do everything we can to help find Madeleine.
“The charity Missing People is releasing the single I Hope on May 20 ahead of International Missing Children’s Day. Please support the charity to help all missing children and their families by downloading the song.”
Tragically, the couple are still no closer to finding out where Madeleine is - or what happened that fateful night in Praia Da Luz.
However, in a new interview, police officers have revealed that there is a chance that Maddy could be found alive - nine years after her disappearance.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Duthie, the head of Scotland Yard’s homicide squad told the Evening Standard: “There is ongoing work. There is always a possibility that we will find Madeleine and we hope that we will find her alive.
“That’s what we want and that’s what the family and the public want and that is why the Home Office continue to fund it.”
He added: “There is work that needs to be done still.”
It was recently revealed that Scotland Yard had been given more money to help with the Find Maddy investigation - but the funds came with a time frame.
They now look set to close the investigation in five months, whether or not they manage to track down the little girl.
Operation Grange will now continue until early October, until the extra £94,592 runs out.
Once the money is gone, Scotland Yard will have to end the five-year inquiry, which has cost £12 million already.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Following a request from the Metropolitan Police Service, we have agreed to provide nearly £95,000 of further funding for Operation Grange.”
A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “The inquiry has not reached a conclusion. There are still focused lines of investigation to be pursued.
“There are no immediate plans to reduce office numbers further at this time.”
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