holy cowell
Simon Cowell tells of horror moment he ‘smashed his spine to pieces’ and feared paralysis – but is now fitter than ever
SIMON Cowell has told of the horror moment he "smashed his spine to pieces" and feared he'd never walk again.
The X Factor boss, 61, passed out from the pain of breaking his back when he fell from his electric scooter last August.
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Simon - who lost four stone on a vegan diet in 2019 - says he's now fitter and healthier than he's ever been.
Speaking to ex-girlfriend Terri Seymour on , Simon said: "I've never been in this situation in my life where you literally can't move.
"The pain was off the charts… But you've got to stay positive…
"I made a promise to myself I'd be fitter than I was before I had the accident. Sure enough, that's what happened."
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He added: "I knew I'd broken my back the minute I landed. It was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt.
"It could have been a lot worse. When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn't have been able to walk."
Despite his horrific injuries that left him out of action for up to six months after back surgery complications, Simon's main thought was about his seven-year-old son Eric, who he shares with girlfriend Lauren Silverman.
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He said: "The hardest thing was, and I said this to Lauren when I came out of the hospital… I was so embarrassed about coming home looking about 100 because I couldn't walk, and I have these metal rods in my back and these screws…
"I said, 'Lauren, I just don't know how to explain it to Eric.'
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"She obviously said something to him because he came in… and I was lying in bed and he said, 'Daddy, you're like Ironman,' and I thought that was the sweetest thing and it meant a lot.
"She was amazing.
'Both her and Eric, they were like my support. I couldn't have gotten through it without them, so we got closer."
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