Simon Cowell has completely overhauled his lifestyle for the sake of his 10-year-old son Eric, the music mogul revealed on Sunday.
The America's Got Talent judge and former X Factor boss said becoming a dad to Eric, who he raises with long-term partner Lauren Silverman, had changed his perspective on life. "Actually, the first thing (I do) is take off Fridays. Don't work on Fridays, because you don't have to," he told The Sun of his work schedule.
"Eat dinner at five o'clock. Don't take calls after 5.30. Don't read emails after 5.30. Watch a happy movie. And stay outside."
Branding working Fridays "pointless", Simon explained that his new and improved schedule has allowed him to focus on what really matters in life, his family.
Discussing his parenting style, he enthused: "You've got to be absolutely focused because they know when you're faking it, and it's kind of like, 'Okay, what do you want to do today?’ 'I want to drive 25 miles to buy a Pokemon card'.
Simon the doting dad
"I'm like, 'Brilliant! We'll do it.' And you just kind of just got to go there, you know? And it really is worth it."
Simon has taken a slight step back from the limelight in recent years, prioritising his America's Got Talent judging role alongside Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara and Howie Mandel over other ventures.
The music manager, who popped the question to glamorous partner Lauren in Barbados in 2021, has been taking it easy after undergoing a six-hour surgery in August 2020 after he fell from his electric bike on the grounds of his Malibu mansion.
He broke three vertebrae in the fall and had a steel rod inserted in his back, a procedure which, coupled with the pandemic, left him feeling unprepared to get back to "the real world" and resulted in him turning to therapy for help.
"Fortunately I met some friends who had benefited from therapy", he told The Mirror. "And that’s when I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve kind of looked after my body through diet, and exercise, pretty well over the years, but what have I done about my brain and my mind?’."
Simon's decision to prioritise his young son comes hot on the heels of the star fleeing London "because he no longer feels safe", selling his £45 ($56) million dollar home in Holland Park.
The former X Factor judge decided to quietly put his six-bedroom north London mansion on the market after a plot to burgle VIP homes including Simon's was exposed by The Sun.
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The thwarted robbery plan took place eight years after the Syco music mogul suffered a break-in at his property, where he and his family were reportedly sleeping at the time.
A whopping £1 million worth of jewellery was taken from the abode, resulting in Simon reportedly spending £500,000 ($622k) on security measures in the years that followed.
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