TV personality Simon Cowell has been making headlines again with his new Netflix series, The Next Act, which sees him embark on a journey to find the next big boyband, hoping to replicate the success of his record-breaking group, One Direction, who became the biggest worldwide heartthrobs of the early 2010s.
However, there's one detail from the show that caught my attention, as a writer on HELLO!'s Lifestyle desk who frequently covers celebrity health, and appears to have flown under the radar.
During the show, fans got a glimpse into the 66-year-old's strict diet and health regime, which he appears to have been following since a back injury in 2020 transformed the way he approached his health.
In one scene, he comments on a salad that his fiancée, Lauren Silverman, is eating, which has been prepared by his chef, Geoff. Simon says: "This is how differently we eat," then going on to butter his crumpet.
The music mogul went on to explain: "I have to eat half of this now and the other half for dinner." He reportedly also splits his portions in half when it comes to drinks: he reportedly drinks four 90-calorie beers per day and pours half of the beer out to make a shandy, as per the Daily Mail.
Simon Cowell's focus on his health
Currently, the 66-year-old appears to be in better shape than ever before – and it isn't just because of his changing diet. According to PEOPLE, he has been focusing on his health following his bike accident in 2020. Simon was riding on his electric bike on the grounds of his Miami home when he fell off and sustained an unfortunate injury, breaking his spine in three places.
The publication reported that he has been using the celebrity favourite workout, reformer Pilates, to help strengthen his back during his rehabilitation process, which has also included regular walking and other low-impact exercise.
Celebrity personal trainer, Scott Harrison, who founded The Six Pack Revolution and whose book Eat Your Way to a Six Pack is a Sunday Times Bestseller, spoke to HELLO! about why pilates is so popular, telling us all about the benefits.
"Pilates is an awesome fitness system and focuses heavily on strengthening the core muscles and then from that centre of gravity, extending to the full body," he began. "This helps improve your overall stability and posture and is a great investment in your future."
The fitness expert continued: "Pilates also places a lot of emphasis on keeping the body in alignment, elongating and stretching the muscles.
"This helps prevent injuries and enhances overall mobility from day one to twilight years. As we get older our posture deteriorates as does our core strength and it can be challenging even just to hold ourselves upright."
Given the impact of his accident, pilates makes for the perfect recovery exercise for Simon, and it seems that the focus on recovery from his injury has all-round shifted his approach towards his health.