Simon Cowell has the sweetest bond with his mini-me son, Eric.
The Britain's Got Talent judge has opened up about how his partner Lauren Silverman and their seven-year-old son kept his spirits up while he was recovering from his bike accident last August. And it sounds like Eric found a very fitting nickname for his dad.
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Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Simon, 61, said: "I never would've had this kind of time with Eric before. He was amazing, because I was very embarrassed when I got home from the hospital...
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"And he came in, because I've got all these metal rods in my back and screws and he went, 'Dad, you look like Iron Man.' And I went, 'Yeah, I'm like Iron Man, yeah.'"
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Simon spent around two months in recovery after he broke his back in several places; he was riding his new electric bike around the courtyard of his Malibu home when he fell and was rushed to hospital. The America's Got Talent star spent six hours having extensive surgery to correct his back.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSimon welcomed his son with partner Lauren Silverman in 2014
Looking on the bright side though, Simon added: "I'm healthier now than I was a year ago because of this back injury. One of the things you've got do is so much exercise to heal. So I have to walk five, ten miles a day, so I actually feel better than I did a year ago."
The father-of-one appears to have well and truly recovered as he enjoyed a long winter break in Barbados over Christmas. Simon was pictured jet-skiing and enjoying time on the beach with his family and will have even more time to relax now that Britain's Got Talent is no longer going ahead as scheduled.
The ITV show has been postponed for the foreseeable future due to the pandemic.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe pair share a very close bond
Simon's co-star Alesha Dixon opened up about his recovery last month, saying: "Simon's doing really, really well." She added to Steph's Packed Lunch: "The last time I spoke to Lauren, as you know Simon doesn't have a mobile phone anymore, so we tend to have to get updates from Lauren, they've been in Barbados having a gorgeous time, just slightly jealous that they are out there in that lovely sunshine.
"But yes, he's well, and obviously he was looking forward to coming back and starting the auditions in February, but unfortunately that's not going to happen so we'll have to wait a little bit longer until I can see him again."
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