Simon Cowell is celebrating his 63rd birthday today (October 7).
The America's Got Talent presenter has been an influential figure in the music industry for decades now.
Starting out as a record producer in the 1980s, Simon began rising to fame when he entered into the career of TV talent competition judging.
While he first acted as a judge on Pop Idol in the early 2000s, it was Simon's role on The X Factor judging panel that saw him become one of the biggest TV celebrities in the country, renowned for his tough-to-please attitude and scathing remarks.
But the celebrity judge certainly hasn't had it easy the past few years, with a series of serious accidents that have caused him to reconsider his health.
Here's how he changed his diet and whether he's managed to kick his infamous smoking habit.
Is Simon Cowell vegan?
Simon switched to a vegan diet back in 2017 following a health scare.
The celebrity judge collapsed and fell down the stairs in his London home and was rushed to hospital, fearing that he'd broken his neck.
Luckily, he made a full recovery but the fall, which was reported to have happened due to very low blood pressure, was a wake-up call for Simon, who had previously admitted that he didn't lead a very healthy lifestyle.
After seeking advice from a specialist he decided to make the switch to a plant-based diet and quickly made headlines as he showcased a jaw-dropping transformation that saw him lose over four stone.
He revealed to Terri Seymour on Extra: "I think I have dropped, since I started this diet a year ago, 60 pounds."
However, in 2020 it was reported that Simon had ditched his vegan diet to aid his recovery after he was involved in a horrific electric bicycle accident that saw him break his back and undergo intensive surgery.
His long-term friend Sinitta told The Sun : "He's gained a bit of weight and is looking healthier. He said he had to start eating protein, calcium and break his vegan diet to rebuild his strength."
Does Simon Cowell still smoke?
Another unhealthy habit that Simon has struggled with is his excessive chain smoking, once admitting to smoking 80 cigarettes a day.
However, in 2013 Simon turned to vaping in an attempt to cut down on the habit, telling his Twitter followers: "I have cut down smoking. A lot. Using electric cigarettes to help. Are they bad for you?"
In the same year, he revealed that he would try to quit smoking ahead of the birth of his son, Eric, who was born in 2014.
However, he failed to kick the habit completely and it was reported in 2015 that Simon had been smoking inside during the X Factor ad breaks, and that he was paying a £100 fine for each time he did it.
A source told the Daily Star : "People say smoking is a very expensive habit – but Simon has taken that to new heights. Over the course of a series we’re talking about literally thousands of pounds."
But Simon's health scare in 2017 didn't see him just switch to a vegan diet; he also decided to make another attempt to cut down on his smoking, telling Now magazine: "I've cut down smoking to two [cigarettes] a day. That's it!"
And while he does appear to have cut down significantly, it seems like Simon hasn't quit smoking completely just yet as he was spotted in April back on his electric bicycle while smoking a cigarette.
Simon Cowell's 2022 health woes
While he eventually made a full recovery from the horror bike accident back in 2022, Simon's had a series of injuries and illnesses this year.
In February he got into his second e-bike crash, which saw him break his wrist after he slipped and flew over the handle bars.
Then, in a string of bad luck in the same week, the music mogul contracted Covid-19 and lost a tooth.
He told Extra : “In one week, I broke my wrist, tooth fell out because I was eating peanut brittle, [and then] a day after that, I tested positive for Covid."
Luckily, Simon's year since then has been improving and he's even gotten back on his bike, telling the Daily Mail : "I’ve always been very accident prone! Luckily it wasn’t too bad so you learn something from it. But you won’t get me off the bike."
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