We all know Simon Cowell has an excellent relationship with his exes - and probably his most famous amicable ex is Sinitta. The former pop star and the X Factor music mogul dated in the eighties, but since then, they've been thick as thieves. From working together, partying together and holidaying together, the pair are the ultimate BFFs. If you're wondering whether the secret to their friendship is Sinitta showering him with compliments, think again, she tells Simon things he might not want to hear - like that he needs to lose weight.
In a video posted on ITV's Lorraine, the former pop star set the record straight about how the conversation happened, she said: "We had just finished filming X Factor - the last year with Ryan Seacrest, Paula Abdul and Dianne Warren - everybody was there. And as we were leaving, I was kissing him goodbye and saying thank you, and as I said goodbye I whispered in his ear: 'Babe, I'm really sorry to say this but I love you so much, and I've got to do this. You're too handsome, you're too fabulous, to let yourself go like this.' And I kind of put my arms around him - I had my arms around him because we were hugging - but I just kind of grabbed him a little bit around the love handles of his waist, and his little cheeks. And I just said 'I want you to be healthy, I want you to look good, I want you to feel good. This is not you and I think we need to address this.'
MORE: Simon Cowell's son Eric looks so grown up in new photo
If you think that's brutal, Sinitta assured her followers that it's the kind of frank conversation she would have with Simon, saying: "He's used to me being on to him about these things… about health. On holiday, I would always make sure we have power plates, exercise bikes, everything, because we once found that we put on ten pounds in two weeks on a yacht on holiday, because you just sit and eat, and talk and laugh and drink, so yeah, he's used to that from me."
Did Simon take the discussion well? Apparently so! The 55-year-old continued: "He was really sweet because he received it really well. He was like, 'y'know what, I promise you, the next time you see me, you won't recognise me'. And then I'd get little updates, 'I've gone vegan' and 'I've gone vegetarian', 'I've stopped eating sugar', 'I've stopped eating wheat.' And, true to his word, he's gotten his act together and he's looking and feeling fantastic. And it's really good because he's feeling fantastic, he has energy, he can think clearer, he's sleeping better, so it's not just the aesthetics and not just what he looks like … very proud."
MORE: 11 Vegan Celebrities: All the stars who lead a plant-based diet
Simon has lost twenty pounds since that chat - and a health scare prompted him to make some serious changes to his diet and lifestyle.
Talking about the time he fell down the stairs because of low blood pressure, he told The Sun in 2017: "Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock. They think I fainted because I had low blood pressure and so I have got to really take good care of myself to sort that out. After all, I am a dad and have more responsibility than ever."
He told Access that he went vegan instead of going on a fad diet, saying: "The secret is, don't follow one of the fad diets, because there's just too many, and they contradict each other... You just have to cut out the obvious."
