Simon Cowell's Heart Changed at 53 after Only Kid's Scan Yet Feared Son Didn't Like Him till 'It Clicked'

When Simon Cowell lost his parents, he had grief that made him still talk to them. He struggled with bonds until he became a father unexpectedly at an older age, and the best moment of his life was when the boy was born, named after his late father. The first few months of parenting were tricky, but he and his son have since become inseparable.

In Chas Newkey-Burden's book, "Simon Cowell: The Unauthorized Biography," he claimed Simon Cowell's father, Eric Cowell Sr., worked as a successful quantity surveyor and estate agent, while his mother was Josie "Julie" Dalglish.

Simon's father failed to set him on a successful career path, but Eric Sr. did teach him how to focus and have determination. After the television star lost his father, he continued the late estate agent's family tradition of taking them to a hot country for Christmas.

"The X Factor" creator would take his mother on the same trips. According to Newkey-Burden, Simon had adored his father and was touched that Eric Sr. had found him successful in his chosen career.

The former "Pop Idol" star even took a week off from his work engagements after the funeral to mourn his late father. In the book, the television personality revealed how close he was to the late Eric Sr., stating:

"He was my best friend and he gave me so much good advice..."

In April 1999, the Westlife song Simon executive produced, "Swear It Again," went number one; he was the happiest he'd ever been. Sadly the celebration was shortlived because earlier that day, his father passed away from a heart attack, making the day bitter-sweet.

When Eric Sr. died, he, a former executive at EMI, was 81. According to Daily Mail, the heart attack he experienced happened at home while Simon's father was with his beloved mother.

The television show judge confessed, at the time, that the day turned into the worst and most "horrible" one of his life. During a September 2015 "Loose Women" appearance, Simon opened up about another tragedy he experienced over the years - losing his mother at age 89.

He recalled becoming emotional while listening to a contestant's performance because the lyrics in the song evoked emotions about his late mother. The star noted how he realized it would be challenging to sit and judge the contestant but had to acknowledge that the moment was meant to be about the singer, not him.

Simon couldn't speak then and noted how his mother had been a big fan of the talent show, "The X Factor." The star explained that he went back to work after losing Julie because he believed she would've wanted him to.

In July 2018, Daily Mail reported that Simon admitted he still spoke to both his parents daily. The television show personality spent the following years focused on his career and thought he'd never become a parent until his girlfriend surprised him with life-changing news.

Becoming a First-Time Father at Age 53 - Simon's Journey to Fatherhood

In the book, "Simon Cowell - The Man Who Changed the World," Simon allegedly mentioned several times that he believed the window for him to become a parent had passed. The star reportedly said he was happy as he was with no children.

In 2009, the television show judge declared that he couldn't have children. He shared that if he'd had any offspring with him, they would probably be drawing on the walls and driving him crazy before adding more reasons why having children was a no-no for him, saying:

"You've got to be up at a certain time. Got to listen. When all you want to do is sit in a corner thinking."

The star said the problem was that bringing up children required people to devote a lot of time, and he was always dedicated to his work. Aged 52 at the time, Simon speculated that he'd "probably missed the opportunity."

The following year, People magazine revealed some shocking news. Multiple sources had confirmed Simon would be a first-time father, and the star, then 53, and his girlfriend, Lauren Silverman, then 36, were expecting a child together!

However, there was some controversy over that because Lauren was still married to Simon's close friend, Andrew Silverman, a real estate mogul, when the news broke. According to a People insider, the New York socialite and Andrew had filed for divorce.

According to an assistant of Simon's United Kingdom (UK) representative, the issue was sensitive. The person referred the publication and other media inquiries to the star's United States (US) lawyer for more information.

During Simon's May 2021 "The Kelly Clarkson Show" appearance, the show's host and country singer Kelly Clarkson noted how different the star was since welcoming his child! She then took the statement back and said his vulnerable side came out since he became a father.

Since he lost both parents, Simon admitted that he'd never felt the same love for anyone else again. However, that changed when the television personality saw the first pregnancy scan of his future son!

The star also confessed that he used to call the fetus "Tad" because it looked like a tadpole. "The X Factor" judge was besotted, and now he couldn't imagine his life without his son, adding:

"He's the most amazing thing that ever happened to me."

Simon admitted that he adored his boy, who was born in 2014. During an Extra interview that same year, shortly after the boy's birth, the music star, who's signed on boy bands like Westlife and One Direction, confessed that he was born to be a father!

The television show judge revealed how he'd spoken to Lauren at 3 a.m. in London, UK time, and 10 a.m. in New York, the US, where his girlfriend was based, before finding out about her going into labor. He was filming "Britain's Got Talent" at the time and had one more audition day left.

At 5:30 a.m., Lauren called to inform him that she was about to give birth, and he quickly took a flight from the UK to the US and arrived with two hours to spare! Simon admitted to crying and becoming emotional during the birth.

The new father got to hold his son within the first five minutes of his arrival. Before the birth, the star had asked his then-girlfriend what if he'd like the dogs more than the baby because he'd never had one.

Lauren told him he would be fine, and Simon got it within seconds of his son's birth! The star and his girlfriend named the child Eric Philip Jr., after the boy's late grandfather, because of the bond Eric Sr. once had with Simon.

The television star's longtime friend and publicist, Max Clifford, told People how close the music mogul was to Eric Sr. Clifford said Simon was striving to "build the same relationship [with his son] over the years."

The publicist shared how it was a family thing because his friend had gotten a lot of comfort from his relationships with his late parents. Clifford confessed that the trio had been very close but that becoming a father had been quite impactful to Simon, and he planned on following in Eric Sr.'s footsteps, adding:

"He wants to recreate the father-son relationship that he got when he was a little one from his dad."

The star's friend revealed that he knew how upset Simon was when he lost his father. Clifford shared that the television personality also missed Eric Sr. very much, but sadly for Simon, things between him and Eric Jr. didn't initially go as smoothly as he'd anticipated.

The father-son duo struggled to form a bond for a few months, but they were inseparable when they finally hit it off! When little Eric Jr. was old enough, he could now do one specific activity with his loving father.

The Bond Simon Struggled to Build with Eric Jr.

According to a 2016 Billboard interview, it took six months for Simon to bond with his son. He told the publication how he continuously told Lauren that he didn't think his only child and son liked him, stating:

"I wasn't getting a reaction. Then one day, it clicked."

In an Entertainment Tonight interview, Simon said it took eight to nine months before he became close with his son. He shared how little Eric Jr. reminded of himself when he was younger because the boy knew how to get away with things and try his luck!

The star revealed that he once asked the boy what he thought he did for work, and Eric Jr. said Simon "pressed buttons!" In 2017 when the boy was three, the "America's Got Talent" judge discussed their traveling together with Extra.

The television personality noted then how the little boy was old enough to be his "buddy." The pair had bonded so much that they now spoke to each other all the time, and Simon described them as friends and that his son was "fun to be around."

Besides finding his footing with Eric Jr., the "American Idols" judge also made great strides with his girlfriend. After being in a relationship for years, Simon, who usually played the villainous judge on his shows, sought to make an honest woman out of Lauren!

Taking the Next Step with Lauren and Celebrating His Birthday with His Family

According to The Sun, during a couple's getaway to Barbados during 2021's festive season, Simon got on one knee! He allegedly proposed to Lauren in front of then-seven-year-old Eric Jr. and his stepson, Adam Silverman.

Simon's stepson was Lauren's child from her first marriage to Andrew. A Sun source claimed the newlyweds were "ridiculously, nauseatingly in love" and that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown had brought them closer than ever!

The socialite was allegedly "stunned" as she'd never anticipated the television show judge would propose! The insider claimed Lauren burst into happy tears and said "yes" without hesitation!

The source alleged that it had been necessary for Simon for the two children to be present for the special moment. The star reportedly adored the two boys and the family unit they'd since formed.

Simon [Cowell] shared with his interviewer [Terri Seymour] that he grew up with a brother for a sibling, and that experience had made him believe it was "cool" to have two children.

The New York socialite was described as the music mogul's "rock" for the past couple of years. She allegedly supported Simon when he accidentally broke his back and had to take some time off work to recover.

Lauren was also around during other trying times while the informant revealed that the duo made a "wonderful couple." The insider also claimed the star had never considered himself the marrying type.

However, he realized it was for him when he finally met the "woman of his dreams," and the pair couldn't be happier! It seemed to have Lauren in his life had made the English television star open to things that were initially deemed out of his reach.

Another milestone the record executive, reached in recent years was celebrating his birthday. On October 7, 2022, Simon turned 63 and honored the day with his son and fiancée, and maybe one day, he'll be celebrating with more children by his side.

During his 2014 Extra interview, the television show judge and creator confessed that he wasn't ruling out having more children! The star hilariously explained that he believed in having both "squiggly and diddly."

He said he couldn't imagine just having either "squiggly" or "diddly." Simon shared with his interviewer that he grew up with a brother for a sibling, and that experience had made him believe it was "cool" to have two children.

Before the YouTube interview clip cut out, the television personality left the Extra correspondent, Terri Seymour, shocked when he revealed that he was open to having more than two children! With a mischievous glint in Simon's eye, he wavered between the number "two" and "three!"