I’m a nutter, says Cowell af ter he breaks his arm in new e-bike crash
IT has been only 18 months since he came a cropper and broke his back on an electric bike.
But the accident has not made Simon Cowell steer clear of e-bikes and yesterday he was pictured with a broken arm after another tumble.
The 62-year-old X Factor guru was reportedly sent flying over the handlebars at around 20mph.
It is not known exactly what he was riding, but he has frequently been pictured on a Das Spitzing Evolution bike.
It is understood the Britain’s Got Talent judge was not wearing a helmet, but yesterday he vowed this would change.
Recently engaged Cowell had his arm protected by a yellow cast as he stepped out alongside fiancee Lauren Silverman.
The multi-millionaire, who wore sunglasses and a black puffer jacket, smiled and gave a thumbs-up outside his west London home.
He admitted he was ‘a bit of a nutter’, but reassured fans: ‘I’m OK. I’m feeling much better. Thank you.’
He told MailOnline: ‘I’m a bit of a nutter. I’ll definitely wear a helmet next time.’
A source close to the music mogul said he was ‘lucky to be alive’ after the accident near his home. He was helped by passersby, with onlookers stopping traffic before paramedics arrived at the scene. He was taken to hospital with a broken arm, suspected concussion and cuts before being released later the same day.
It was reported that his son Eric, aged seven, chose the colour of the cast before drawing their two dogs, Squiddly and Diddly, on it.
A source told The Sun: ‘Simon is lucky to be alive. He was pedalling along with his electric motor on when the wheels suddenly went from under him after hitting a wet patch. He slipped and went flying over the handlebars into the middle of the road.
‘Stupidly, Simon wasn’t wearing a helmet and blood was pouring from his face. He looked like somea thing from Phantom of the Opera.’ The insider added: ‘Despite this being his second great escape, Simon insists he’s not ditching the bike – but he will start wearing helmet.’ The accident comes after Cowell suffered a broken back when he lost control of a £10,000 e-bike in his garden in Malibu, California, in 2020.
He underwent six hours of surgery which involved having a metal rod inserted. Speaking afterwards he said: ‘Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock.’
He has told how he tries to cycle ten miles a day.
Cowell explained: ‘My most creative time is now when I cycle.’
He said even though he rides an e-bike ‘I’ve still got to pedal and I do about ten miles a day.’
He said his US ride was ‘more an electric motorbike – these are called pedal-assist bikes and they’re brilliant.’ The star overhauled his lifestyle after breaking his back and now has regular sleep and exercise routines, and he has lost more than 20lb.
He suffered complications from surgery to fuse vertebrae, which required him to stay mostly in bed for six months. Despite Cowell indicating he will keep cycling after his latest accident, friends claim he is ready to quit. A source told MailOnline: ‘Simon has vowed not to go on a bike again. It was a horror show but fortunately it looked worse than it actually is.’
Cowell is in London to film Britain’s Got Talent alongside Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams. The series starts in April, but he will now have to film clips with his arm in a cast as it usually stays on for between six and eight weeks.