Simon Cowell turns 66: from music mogul to family man

Simon was born in Brighton in 1959 to Julie Cowell, a socialite and former ballet dancer, and Eric Cowell, a property developer and executive at EMI Music Publishing. He was close with his parents, and eventually got a job in the mailroom at EMI with a little help from his dad. The star slowly worked his way up in the company and began to scout new artists before leaving to start his own record company, Fanfare Records. The business folded after four years, and he went on to land a job as an artist and repertoire consultant at BMG Records.

Simon cemented himself as an ideas man in 2001 when he created the UK TV show Pop Idol. The series was then sold to a network in the US and renamed American Idol, a show which is still running all these years later. He didn't stop there, though; his The X Factor idea came next in 2004, as did America's Got Talent in 2006, which spawned Britain's Got Talent in 2007. 

Simon became infamous for his blunt, often harsh criticism of the performances of talent show hopefuls, a reputation which he is still known for. Over the years, he signed countless A-list artists and groups to his record label, Syco Music, including One Direction, Little Mix, Leona Lewis, Fifth Harmony, Westlife and Susan Boyle.

The 66-year-old has enjoyed a string of romances over the years, notably with English presenter Terri Seymour from 2002 to 2008 and makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy from 2009 to 2011. His personal life became front-page news in 2013 when it was revealed that Lauren Silverman was pregnant with his child, around the same time that her husband, Andrew Silverman, filed for divorce.  

"There are a lot of things I will eventually clear up when the time is right, but I really have to be sensitive because there's a lot of people's feelings involved here," he said in a statement, before confirming that Lauren was, in fact, pregnant. They welcomed their son, Eric, on Valentine's Day in 2014.

Simon and Lauren have been together ever since, and the TV personality popped the question to his longtime love on Christmas Eve in 2021. The pair are yet to walk down the aisle, but Simon has hinted that planning is underway for their wedding. He is a proud stepdad to Lauren's teenage son, Adam, whom she shares with Andrew.

Simon has taken to fatherhood like a duck to water, despite believing he was not well-suited to it. "After I lost my parents, I genuinely felt…I would never feel that kind of love for anyone ever again," he said on The Kelly Clarkson Show. "I thought that was it…until I saw the scan of him for the first time. From that moment I saw the scan, I was like 'That is it, I'm besotted.' Now I just cannot imagine my life without him."

Eric is a budding musician and enjoys visiting his dad at work while filming America's Got Talent. "He's a great barometer," Simon told People. "I look over to look at him [and wonder], 'Is he having a good time?' And he was having a really good time when he's up on his seat, excited. [It] is the best thing, because with kids, it's all unfiltered."

Simon, who seems to always be in motion, was forced to slow down in 2020 when he broke his back while riding an electric bike in the backyard of his Malibu home. A spokesperson shared at the time that he had fallen from the bike and had been taken to the hospital. "He's doing fine, he's under observation and is in the best possible hands. Simon has broken his back and will be having surgery this evening," his rep explained.

Simon ended up breaking his arm and three vertebrae in the accident, which meant that he had a steel rod inserted in his back. "It could have been a lot worse," he told Extra in 2021. "When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn't have been able to walk. There were some people nearby, thank God, so they stopped the traffic. I was in a bit of a daze. I got back on my bike and drove one-armed back to the house. That's how nutty I was."