Simon Cowell Was Convinced He Didn’t Want a Family Until His Son Came Into His Life

For many years Simon Cowell poured his heart into his work and didn’t even think about marriage. But with the birth of his son, the life of the television star completely changed. He suddenly realized that his happiness lies in his family and that career success is not so important.

Simon Cowell had already resigned himself to not having children

By the time he was 50 years old, Simon Cowell had accomplished a lot in the world of show business. He had several incredibly successful projects under his belt, he was world-famous, and in addition to that, he was the founder and owner of the entertainment company Syco. But Cowell’s personal life wasn’t going well: his romances usually ended quickly, and his relationships never went beyond an engagement. Simon was sure that he had missed his chance to create a family and become a father.

He thought that a child would only distract him from his work

However, Cowell was not too upset about his situation; he was sure he wouldn’t do a very good job as a father. A child, he thought, would scribble all over the walls and only add chaos to his life, and it would be annoying and distracting for him. Besides, parents need to adjust their schedules to their little ones’ needs and listen to them carefully, and he just wasn’t ready for that.

At 55, the TV star became a father for the first time

In 2013, Simon Cowell started dating Lauren Silverman, and the news soon surfaced that the couple were expecting a child. In order to support his beloved, who was to give Cowell his firstborn, the presenter even cancelled the shooting of his hit show and urgently flew to the United States. According to him, the baby boy’s birth turned out to be the most magical moment of his life. The new father was so happy that he even decided to gift the medical team, who delivered the baby, with a trip to Barbados.

The birth of his son helped him come to terms with the loss of his father

The parents decided to name the baby Eric, after Simon’s father. Cowell was very close to his father and called him almost every day to tell him about the latest news, to brag about his achievements, or just to share a joyful event. When his father passed away, Simon felt incredibly lonely. He had lost his closest loved one, and he thought he would never be able to experience a love that strong again. But Eric’s birth changed that. Cowell later said that without his son, his life was meaningless.

In the first few months he had to learn many new things

All his previous life experience had not prepared Simon to step into the role of a father. He had to start with the basics, learning how to properly hold his baby. It’s true that the TV star coped with this task perfectly, but he never mastered changing diapers. Cowell never gets tired of thanking the wonderful nannies who helped him and Lauren.

The first few months of parenthood weren’t easy for Simon because he wanted to be able to play and talk with the baby as soon as possible. When Eric was old enough to listen and respond to his daddy, Cowell found it much easier to take care of his son.

The boy was able to change his father’s judgemental ways

Before his son was born, Simon was famous for his scathing comments and harsh judging on talent shows. Eric, however, was able to make his father softer. The TV host said he always wished his contestants the best, just that sometimes he got frustrated when people didn’t do too well. But now Cowell doesn’t criticize contestants as harshly. He understands that somewhere out there, the contestant’s parents are worried and cheering their children on. Being a father has taught him empathy.

Simon dreams of Eric inheriting his business

Cowell hopes his son will one day inherit his business. From an early age, he began raising the boy to be his successor, and when Eric was four years old, Simon told him that he would run America’s Got Talent. The son himself became interested in his father’s work and asked if he could work on the program in the future.

Simon’s father had taught him the ins and outs of the business, so the presenter decided to follow in his footsteps and pass all his experience on to his child. If Eric continues to take an interest in the world of show business and decides to work in the industry, Cowell will only be thrilled.

But Cowell doesn’t plan to leave him a million-dollar fortune

But Simon doesn’t intend to give his multimillion-dollar inheritance to Eric. He plans to bequeath all the money to charitable foundations. Cowell has not yet decided where exactly his fortune will go, but most likely it will be an organization for the protection of children and animals. The star wants to help others succeed, not save the money for his heirs. Simon said: “Your legacy has to be that hopefully you gave enough people an opportunity so that they could do well, and you gave them your time, taught them what you know.”

Simon won’t interfere with his child’s important decisions

Despite the fact that Cowell has certain plans for his son’s future, there are some things he is not going to insist on. For example, if at some point the boy doesn’t want to finish his education, Simon won’t force him to do so.

Cowell himself dropped out of school at 16, because the educational process seemed tedious and monotonous. And he was only in college for a year before his father hired him. Simon doesn’t want the boy to feel any pressure from him or to think of himself as a failure simply because he hasn’t achieved something specific by a certain age.

Eric inspires his father to do new things

It was thanks to his son that Cowell began leading a healthier lifestyle. According to Simon, except for ice cream, Eric doesn’t eat any sweets and in general he likes raw vegetables. So when the doctor suggested Cowell follow a strict diet that excluded sugar, gluten, and dairy products, he had no particular difficulty with it.

Recently, Simon and Eric started writing a series of children’s books together. The idea came from their favorite game. Together, they would invent the most incredible animals that would make great pets. Eric mostly enjoyed coming up with names for these unusual creatures. It was this activity that gave Cowell the idea that children’s thoughts can be more interesting than adults’ ideas, which means that a child’s imagination should be encouraged.

The son helped the dad propose to his mom

Simon always thought that marriage was not for him, and that he was unlikely to be able to get along with another person under the same roof. However, taking care of Eric together changed the relationship between Cowell and Lauren Silverman, which encouraged the presenter to propose to his beloved.

Eric helped his dad prepare for the big moment, as well as to plan everything. As a result, Lauren immediately said “yes,” even though she didn’t expect anything like that from her partner. Simon has come to believe that there is nothing more important than family.

It was because of his son that Cowell was able to find a good balance between work and his personal life

Before Eric was born, Simon’s whole life revolved around work. It was as if he was in an endless rat race, striving to conquer new heights and outdo his competitors in everything. As a result, this led to depression and frustration. Cowell strove to be the best, but success in show business didn’t bring him satisfaction. At the same time, Simon had no way to stop.

That all changed when Cowell injured his back after a fall from his bicycle. He had to undergo a long course of treatment, during which his son constantly supported him. To cheer his dad up, Eric compared Simon to Iron Man. This helped Cowell overcome his depression. After his recovery, he decided to devote more time to his family. “Now Eric is around, I don’t work through the night anymore. If he hadn’t come along, God knows what would have happened,” said Simon.

How has being around children changed your life?