Simon Cowell has experienced some health issues, especially following two bike accidents in the span of two years that left him injured.
Speaking on an episode of the Today Show with his fellow Americaās Got Talent judges Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, and Heidi Klum, plus host Terry Crews, he reflected on how those incidents changed his life.
In 2020, this TV star fell off his e-bike while in Malibu, suffering a similar fate on his bike in London in early 2022.
While promoting the competition showās 18th season, he was asked about how the accidents impacted his outlook on life.
āIt was painful, it wasnāt great,ā he said, adding: āHowever, I was so unfit before the accident. And I didnāt know how unfit I was until I had to do all the stuff afterwards.
āAnd Iām like āMy god!ā Things like that I believe happen for a reason,ā Simon continued, although maintained that he wouldnāt be giving up his biking anytime soon.
āIām still going to stay on my bike, Iām obsessed with these things,ā he said to the amusement of his co-stars.
The 2020 crash led to a broken back and the following crash, while less severe, still caused Simon to be taken to the hospital with a suspected concussion and a broken arm, and he was spotted wearing a wrist brace for weeks after.
The accidents encouraged Simon to also develop a generally healthier lifestyle, thanks to fiancƩ Lauren Silverman, and primarily for the sake of their nine-year-old son Eric.
Speaking with The Sun about the impact his e-bike injuries had, he said: āI considered therapy for the first time when I broke my back because I was very, very, very, low.
āI felt very depressed because I didnāt know how to explain it to Eric. I couldnāt do all the things I wanted to with him. I wasnāt sure if I was going to be able to walk again, to ever play football with him.ā
On Valentineās Day in 2014, Simon and Lauren welcomed Eric, and the star revealed that his son came up with an incredible nickname for him following his bike accident last summer.
The Britainās Got Talent judge explained to Entertainment Tonight that when he arrived home following the incident, he was feeling incredibly āembarrassed.ā
The surgery left him with metal rods and screws in his back. After he went home to his family, Simon explained, āHe went āDad, you look like Iron Man.ā And I went āYeah, Iām like Iron Man, yeah.’ā
Simon has since been able to poke fun at his accidents as well, making a reference to his first more serious one while on AGT in June 2021.
In a family-oriented audition episode, after seeing a father-son duo perform a dangerous Shaolin Kung Fu act, Terry asked Simon whether he ever saw himself doing that with Eric.
āI sort of got to the point after I broke my back where Iām walking around the garden with him and I think itās a big deal,ā Simon joked when talking to the duo. āAnd now Iām looking at that going āmaybe not so great!’ā