Simon Cowell has opened up about his “dark” obsession with work, revealing that becoming a dad saved him.
The record label executive, 63, said he was consumed by the popularity ratings of the shows he created, such as Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, which in turn churned out musical superstars, including One Direction and Little Mix.
His entertainment empire also saw him managing artists’ careers, as well as being a producer and talent scout.
READ MORE:X Factor stars say Simon Cowell ‘terrified’ everyone on cast of ‘intense’ ITV show
However, in an interview with The Sun, Simon admitted that in creating his hugely successful brands, he became obsessively competitive, revealing: “If Eric hadn’t come along, God knows what would have happened.”
Simon revealed how he had turned his life around in the last few years, after he became a dad to eight-year-old Eric with fiancée, Lauren Silverman, 45.
The change came after he had become overly focused on The X Factor’s rating battle with rival show, Strictly Come Dancing, which had an adverse effect on his mental health, with him suffering crippling lows when the show began to slump.
It ran for the final time in 2018.
Simon admitted that his partner and son were instrumental in getting him out of the toxic cycle of misery he was trapped in.
He said: “I was really unhappy. But now Eric is around, I don’t work through the night anymore.
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“I’m not a wall puncher but I’d tear my hair out, then be sitting there at 4am saying, ‘What am I going to do?’ — coming up with ridiculous ideas like the six-chair challenge. It’s sad now to think of me at my age, still working till 4am, obsessed with the TV ratings.”
He spoke about how becoming a parent made him want to change, to become a good role model for Eric.
He continued: “It almost hurts how much you love them. Then you start thinking, ‘When he grows up, what’s his dad going to have done?’ I think about that a lot.
“I’m more down the path of helping people.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
