Simon Cowell has revealed that he fell into depression amid fears he would never walk again after he broke his back following an E-bike accident.
The TV judge, 62, fell from an electric bike he was testing at his house in Malibu, California, in August 2020.
He underwent six hours of surgery – which involved having a metal rod put in his back.
Recalling the horrifying accident, The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent judge says that he considered therapy as depression hit during his recovery.
The music mogul’s son Eric was filming him when he toppled off the two-wheeler.
Speaking to The Sun, Mr Cowell said: “I considered therapy for the first time when I broke my back because I was very, very, very, low.
“I felt very depressed because I didn’t know how to explain it to Eric.
“I couldn’t do all the things I wanted to with him. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to walk again, to ever play football with him.
“That was a low point. I was on a lot of painkillers but I got off them really quickly. I didn’t want to go down that road.
“But in the end, I decided against therapy as I had great doctors, Lauren was amazing, and Eric was incredible.
“I’m still wearing a back brace which I have to wear when I go out on my bike, and there are pretty big screws in my back, and that’s for life.
“But I’m here, I’m alive. And I’m grateful.”
Mr Cowell had a second bike accident close to his west London home earlier this year. He was reportedly flung over his handlebars at 20mph — leaving him bloody, bruised and with a broken arm.
He recently proposed to long-term girlfriend Lauren Silverman, with whom he has eight-year-old son Eric.
Mr Cowell is set to appear on TV screens once more as Britain’s Got Talent returns for a new season on ITV on Saturday, April 16.
The music mogul, who created the show, missed some of the auditions in February due to testing positive for coronavirus.
The ITV show typically airs from around April until July, with the semi-final and final stages broadcast live.
Difficulties in filming amid the pandemic were compounded because acts travel from all over the UK and sometimes abroad to take part in the show.
