SIMON’S TV EXPLOSION
SIMON Cowell claims his son Eric is more of a romeo than he ever was – with five girlfriends on the go.
TV’s “Mr Nasty” was once linked to a string of beauties including Dannii Minogue, Sinitta and Terri Seymour.
Yet three-year-old “mini me” Eric – his son with socialite Lauren Silverman, 39 – is clearly catching his dad up and already has an eye for the girls.
Cowell, 57, said: “I think he has my charm with the ladies.
“I asked him the other day how many girlfriends he’s got and I think he’s got five currently, so he’s doing OK.
“Eric is absolutely incredible and so funny. It’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Right now, Cowell is focusing on another “baby’’ as Britain’s Got Talent’s 11th series begins on Saturday night.
It has been four months since he was last on our screens. In Ê that time, headlines have been filled with doom and gloom.
Cowell reckons BGT will bring a smile back to people’s faces.
He said: “It feels like the perfect timing right now. It’s a fun show to be on because you can shut your mind off from all the stuff that’s happening and it’s a nice place to be.
“You’ve people coming from all over the world with different backgrounds and you have all got one common thing – they want to be successful and you want them to be successful.
“It’s so simple and everyone gets on great. Maybe this whole world should be like BGT.” It will also be his first appearance back in the UK since Darren February, 33 – who carried out a £1 million robbery on the TV mogul’s London home in 2015 as he and Lauren slept – was sentenced to eight years. Cowell told the court the raid “left him in constant fear”. Now he admits to increasing security at his home. But he added: “You have to. I mean the stuff that’s happened at my home whether you got burgled or I had a girl smash through the bathroom window, you can’t make this stuff up. “At the same time you don’t want to live like you’re becoming a recluse so I think it’s just being more sensible about it. Some of the stuff that you think couldn’t happen may happen, but that applies to all of us, really.”
And after stage invasions on The Voice last month and during Honey G’s routine on X Factor last year, there will be added security for live BGT shows.
He said: “Bloody right. 100%. It is unfortunately a sign of the times – you’ve just got to be more and more careful.
Godfather
“It’s not just myself I am concerned about, it’s the audience members, it’s the contestants.
“In any public situation now it’s just the way of the world you’ve just got to be careful.”
Last month former X Factor judge Cheryl and One Direction’s Liam Payne became parents to a baby boy. As pals to both, he has yet to see the baby or be asked to be godfather.
But he joked: “I haven’t had the call yet but I would be godfather. She can come down to the show with the baby and they can make friends with Eric.
“Cheryl is in a good place. This is going to be the making of her. She’ll be really happy.”
But he doesn’t expect her to stop working and said: “I think at some point we’ll probably end up working together again soon. I have one or two ideas.
“Obviously the baby is going to be the priority in her life now but once she’s settled she’s going to want to be working again and I enjoy working with Cheryl. She is good.”
When ITV bought The Voice, some feared it may rival X Factor but it flopped. Cowell “didn’t watch it and I don’t care”.
And he cannot wait to mention fellow judge David Walliams’ disastrous stint launching ITV’s The Nightly Show when the BGT live shows begin. He said: “I’ll probably tease him!” ¬ Britain’s Got Talent starts on Saturday, ITV at 8pm peter.dyke@dailystar.co.uk