Simon Cowell is half the man he used to be after incredible weight-loss transformation

Trim and taut – that about sums up Simon Cowell’s new look. The America’s Got Talent judge is looking healthier than ever after losing 10kg. Simon (61) has been following a strict diet since he broke his back while testing a new electric bike at his home last year. The star was advised to cut red meat, dairy, sugar, bread and gluten from his diet.

But the real reason behind his weight loss is his son. Proud dad Simon says seven-year-old Eric’s food choices have helped him on his journey to recovery. “I'm on the Eric Cowell diet,” he quips. “Apart from ice cream, he actually likes water and eats all his raw vegetables.”

Simon was advised by a dietician to cut red meat, dairy, sugar, bread, and gluten from his diet. (Photo: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)

Simon was forced to slow down after his near-fatal crash last year. Following a six-hour back surgery, the music mogul changed his lifestyle, started eating healthily and stopped working on his TV shows for the rest of the year to focus on his recovery. The crash was a huge wake-up call, he says. “Sometimes we get a reminder we're not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock.”

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Simon, who was on crutches following surgery, says he felt helpless during his recovery. His biggest fear was explaining his appearance to his only child, Eric. Luckily, his life partner, Lauren Silverman, helped them adapt to the changes.

“I was so embarrassed about coming home looking about 100 years old because I couldn't walk, and I have these metal rods in my back and these screws,” Simon says. “I said, 'Lauren, I just don't know how to explain it to Eric’. She obviously said something to him because he came in when I was lying in bed and said, 'Daddy, you're like Iron Man’.

“I thought that was the sweetest thing.”

Simon is now well on the road to recovery. Though he plans to return to America’s Got Talent before the new season is filmed, he’s taking things slow.

Simon and his wife Lauren Silverman at the 2015 ITV Gala before his weight loss. (Photo: GALLO IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES)

Instead of being on the phone until the early hours of the morning, insiders say he sets up early morning meetings and finishes work at a decent hour so he can fit in daily walks.

“Simon says he hasn't worn trainers as much as this in 20 years,” a source says. “He feels fitter than ever.”

Sources: Hello, The Sun, Daily Mail, People