Why Cowell’s brother won’t be invited to his wedding
SIMON Cowell is personally taking charge of arrangements for his wedding to girlfriend Lauren Silverman — reportedly planned for Cliveden House next month.
Cowell, 62, famously doesn’t like big parties; and even more famously, isn’t a fan of getting married. He said in an interview that he didn’t want the fuss of a wedding planner, so is doing it all himself.
It’s going to be an ‘intimate’ gathering of friends and family. Son Eric, eight, will be centre stage, and Adam — bride Lauren’s son from her first marriage — will be there, too.
Cowell’s half-siblings Michael, Tony and June are all expected to come — June from her home in Majorca.
However, his brother Nick, his only full sibling, looks certain to be absent.
Nick, a successful property developer, was very close to Simon. Sadly, though, the two fell out badly some years ago, for reasons never uncovered.
I can reveal that they were not even on speaking terms until recently.
A confidante of Cowell’s says: ‘There has been a thawing of relations and they are now talking to each other occasionally. There’s been perestroika, after years of no-contact, but it’s early days still. I would definitely not expect him [Nick] at the wedding.’
Another adds: ‘They are only just talking; and we don’t expect that Nick or his family will put in an appearance.’
Simon famously made vicious speeches at his brother’s wedding before Nick got his own back at Simon’s lavish 50th. ‘One of my best lines was how he met his girlfriend Terri online, through an internet dating thing,’ Nick said. ‘How for months and months they were writing to each other. And when he met her, he was surprised that Terri could be a girl’s name, as well as a boy’s name.
‘The other one I quite liked was: his favourite song when he was growing up was a song called Two Little Boys. And how he still likes Two Little Boys to this day.’ He added: ‘It’s just an easy thing. He’s completely slaughtered me in the past. I was just trying to get my own back. People found it funny. I was very pleased with myself.’
Both Cowells attended Radlett Prep and then boarded at Dover College — which they detested. Their late father, Eric, a property manager for EMI, got them both jobs as tea boys in estate agents’ offices. Simon hated his; and Eric then found him a position in the post room at EMI. From here, he worked his way up to global stardom as a TV show judge and format creator. Nick and Simon used to holiday together, and biographer Tom Bower revealed that Nick, who is younger than Simon by 17 months, actually dated singer Sinitta before his brother. In the 1980s, the two men would go clubbing together. And Nick (a multi-millionaire in his own right) was on hand when Simon became globally famous. Friends expected to be invited to the wedding include Simon’s former girlfriend Terri Seymour and her boyfriend Clark Mallon, pop star Robbie Williams and wife Ayda Field, swimwear designer Melissa Odabash and interior designer Kelly Hoppen. Ditto agent Jonathan Shalit, Cowell’s mentor Pete Waterman, and Sinitta, of whom Cowell remains fond. Both Simon and Nick Cowell declined to comment this week. In an earlier interview, Nick said: ‘I wouldn’t compare my success with his. Not for one second. He is very successful. I’m OK.’