IS SIMON COWELL A PUSHY DAD?
Poor little Eric Cowell - just five years old and his (well-meaning but pushy) dad has already drawn up an action plan. A route map to personal success without any alternatives. Pop Svengali and workaholic Simon Cowell isn't content with masterminding protegees on his talent shows and recording labels, he's determined to turn his son into a clone, working in dad's business before he's even reached his teens!
Cowell says he can't see the point of secondary school education - it didn't work for him, he hated exams, forged his reports and left as soon as he could.
In Simon's ‘informed' opinion education is pointless after a certain age (unless your child is an academic genius), and he doesn't want Eric to have to deal with bullying and get stressed by homework.
Simon believes in apprenticeships as a way of learning about work and says homework is pointless. sweet Eric has not offered us his opinion (not in public, anyway), but more importantly - will this child even have a say in the matter? In Simon's world, what Simon says is what happens, without any dissent. Cowell is surrounded by yes men and women and a loyal harem of ex-girlfriends. He's a man of habit, wearing the same clothes (tee shirts and trousers from Armani), taking the same holidays in Barbados and St Tropez every year.
That regime is fine for a 58-year-old who has more money than he could ever spend. Is Eric old enough to understand all the options that could be available if he was allowed to study science, languages or engineering rather than recording contracts, sales figures and television ratings? Before he's even in long trousers, Eric has had his choices pruned right down to just one - show business.
He can forget being a fireman, a neurosurgeon or a chef - those commendable options are not on dad's agenda. Cruelly, egomaniacal dad has decided that Eric is expected to follow in his (built up) shoes.