Simon Cowell has rarely been seen as a figure beyond the villain of reality competition TV. However, one of his more underrated identities is as a loving father.
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He opened up on the latest episode of America’s Got Talent about his relationship with his son, Eric, and how it had been affected by the pandemic.
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In a very family and fatherhood oriented episode opening of the show, host Terry Crews asked him about his son. “Eric is growing up before our eyes. Have you guys had time to spend together on your days off?” he asked.
“If there was one good thing from this, it was that,” Simon responded. “We’re like best buddies.”
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Simon shocked fans last year when he broke his back after falling off an electric bike. He spent a lot of time with his seven-year-old son as he was recovering from his back injury.
© Photo: Getty ImagesSimon is a doting dad to his son Eric
The first act of the episode featured a father-son duo performing a dangerous Shaolin act, which brought up Simon’s fatherhood once again as the act was done performing and the judges gave their comments.
“I sort of got to the point after I broke my back where I’m walking around the garden with him and I think it’s a big deal,” he responded when talking to the duo. “And now I’m looking at that going ‘maybe not so great!’”
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Simon and girlfriend Lauren Silverman welcomed Eric on Valentine's Day in 2014, and the star revealed that his son came up with an incredible nickname for him following his bike accident last summer.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe father and son spent a lot of time bonding during Simon's recovery
Simon explained to Entertainment Tonight that when he arrived home following the incident, he was feeling incredibly "embarrassed".
The surgery left him with metal rods and screws in his back. After he went home to his family, Simon explained, "He went 'Dad, you look like Iron Man.' And I went 'Yeah, I'm like Iron Man, yeah.'"
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