"The power of family changes the entire trajectory of your life. Even when you're aimless, it's important to have your loved ones keep you grounded in dark times. Simon Cowell attests to this.
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Steven Bartlett, host of the Diary of a CEO podcast, interviews the America's Got Talent host on a recent episode. Eventually, things get heavy and Simon reveals how the birth of his son gave him light amidst the tragic passing of his parents. ""I think particularly when I lost my mum, I was on a downward spiral at that point," he says candidly. "I lost everyone, you know, I've lost my parents. It's finality now. What I said about the material things I've got, everything just meant nothing at that point."
Moreover, he reveals the tireless routine and lifestyle he lived, how it sunk him. "I was desperately unhappy, I wasn't particularly enjoying my work and I just thought you know what I'm just going to become a vampire then, and I would work through until 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning," Cowell details. "It was almost like because of the loss I'd had, I've got to find something else to fill it. And it was I'm just going to be a ridiculous workaholic, and I was very successful but I wasn't happy."
How Simon Cowell's Son "Saved Him" in His Darkest Moments
The birth of Simon's son, Eric, sets him on the right path. He vividly recalls the conversation he has with his fiancé Lauren Silverman when she reveals she's pregnant. "When I got the call from Lauren, which starts, any call that starts with, 'Are you sitting down?' You know what's coming next," he jokes. "It was like, 'Are you sitting down?' 'Yes,' 'Well,' and she told me. And yes it did absolutely change, it changed everything in my life. It made me happy again."
He goes on like a proud father, retelling all of the little moments he has with his son that makes him a happier man. "I remember the first time I watched Jungle Book [with him] and I'm looking over and seeing the joy he had watching that movie," Cowell adds. "It was like, oh my God I remember how I felt when I saw The Jungle Book."
Ultimately, Bartlett asks bluntly if he felt like Eric "saved him." Simon responds with a resounding 'without question.' "I really, really had reached the point where nothing mattered. Even to the point that I almost can't remember everything from that period," he says.
It's beautiful to know how much an impact his family has on his work and life today.
