SIMON COWELL: I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE MYSELF

Back to his old self! Simon Cowell’s face looked less, er, taut at the Kids’ Choice Awards April 9. And the 62-year-old says he’s sworn off Botox and fillers! “There was a stage where I might have gone a bit too far,” the America’s Got Talent judge recently allowed, adding that it got to the point where his 8-year-old son, Eric was frightened by his puffed-up face. (He looked “like something out of a horror film,” Simon finally realized.)

The about-face also comes in the wake of his engagement to Lauren Silverman as well as his horrific e-bike accident. That’s no coincidence, an insider tells Star. “Simon’s mellowed enormously over the last few years. He’s not nearly as hung up as he used to be on his appearance.” That doesn’t mean the Brit — who kept those blinding pearly whites — will let himself go. “A few lines and wrinkles don’t bother him,” adds the pal. “As long as he’s in decent shape.” ★