The TV personality admits how darkly obsessed he was with work, that the majority of his life was unhealthily spent on it, until his son arrived and he found a balance in life.
Simon Cowell opened up about how fatherhood transformed his outlook on work for the better.
In a new interview with The Sun, the 63-year-old entrepreneur and record executive shared about his career, his plans moving forward, and the "X-factor of his own life," - his 8-year-old son Eric.
"If Eric hadn't come along, God knows what would have happened. Before Eric, my life was 99 percent work. I was obsessed with it," the father expressed.
Switching things around for his son
Cowell shares his son with fiancée Lauren Silverman, who gave birth to him in 2014.
Named after Cowell's late father, with whom he was really close with before he was gone, the America's Got Talent judge said that he never thought he could feel the kind of love he felt for his parents until his son came into his life. He said that how much he loves his son almost hurts. Thus, it led him to thinking, when he grows up, what could have he done?
Cowell revealed that before his son came along, his work schedule was until 4 to 8 in the morning regularly. He was at the height of his career, yes, yet he admitted he was really "burned out, miserable and unhappy," consumed with the ratings of his show and its competitions, People reported.
He narrated that when Eric was 2 years old, he asked his daddy why he was still in bed when it's already 2 in the afternoon. At that moment he realized he needed to switch things around or he would miss out on his son's life.
Right now, he does not work through the night anymore, crediting this to his son and realizing he would not be able to deal with the worst if he hasn't changed at all, Cowell shared emotionally .
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'He's the best barometer'
Cowell learned that it was essential to keep up with his son's boundless energy as children never, ever get tired, he noted.
Moreover, The American Idol alum expressed that he is seeing the world through his son's eyes now, and it is giving him new perspectives with his work.
Sometimes, when he makes notes on his shows, Eric would join him, and those that sparks interest in him definitely make it in the show. The father said that his son is his "best barometer."
The mogul's latest project was launched Wednesday, and it is called StemDrop.
The said project, led by Swedish record producer Max Martin and backed by Cowell and Syco Entertainment along with Universal Music Group, provides TikTok creators worldwide to have access to exclusive music "stems", allowing them to create their own versions of brand-new songs written by hitmakers.
Universal chairman and chief executive Sir Lucian Grainge describes it as "a new evolution of musical collaboration, curation and artist discovery."
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