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“Extra’s” Terri Seymour sat down for an exclusive interview with Simon Cowell at his Malibu home, where he got candid about his mental health and how therapy helped change his life.
Simon is sharing his journey and leading a campaign to help normalize conversations about mental health and encourage more men to talk to each other and seek professional therapy.
Cowell explained, “This all came about, I think, off the back of COVID… because I was so scared about COVID. We all sat in this house, me, Lauren [Silverman] and Eric alone for about a year, terrified about this thing, you know, which no one knew about.”
He continued, “Everyone was really, really scared. I was. And actually, once I got it, it was like nothing. It was like catching a cold, so the idea is that we’re all just going to happily go back to our normal lives after that… it doesn’t work that way.”
Simon said, “I really did stop reading newspapers, I stopped watching the news. I just, I found everything too overwhelming, if I’m being honest with you.”
Now he’s getting really honest about how therapy got him through it.
“The first time you go in I’m like, ‘Oh, what am I going to talk about?’ And then this guy, he was such a nice person, and it was like having just a conversation. And then I went a second time, third time, and then it became a regular thing every week. And I should have done it years ago.”
Cowell revealed that the therapy has helped in all facets of his life.
Terri said, “Now you’ve discovered this and it made you feel so much better in yourself, work, and has it made your relationship with Lauren even better?”
“It has been good for both of us,” he said, adding, “In fact, we did do this thing where both of us go in… There was one point when we were together and I looked at the two therapists and their faces were like… and when we got out, we both cracked up and said, ‘God, what must they be thinking?’”
Cowell continued, “Then I spoke to my therapist afterward and he said, ‘Honestly, Simon, that was nothing,’ but it is healthy to go somewhere and let it all out.”
Simon and Lauren couldn’t be happier, and their relationship has never been better!
And while Simon got the professional help he needed, he had also battled anxiety and depression for years.
Terri asked, “How many years ago do you wish you did it?”
“If I’m being honest, probably 20, 25 years ago. If you’ve got a family, you’re working, everyone does get stressed, and the idea that you bottle everything up and like I said, after everything we went through with COVID, you’ve really got to look after your mind.”
He decided to go public with his private mental health struggles to help others, launching the “Men in Mind” podcast with Tom Bryant, the mental health charity Mind, and the Mirror Group to encourage more men to seek professional therapy, and also to talk to each other.”
Simon explained, “It is a subject people, particularly men, are uncomfortable talking about, which is mental health and therapy and everything else. And I did it, actually, because I saw the benefits myself. I thought, ‘Well, it helped me, so why not talk about it?’”
Terri also had to ask about a big announcement coming next week about an “America’s Got Talent” spin-off!
“We are doing a spin-off and they’ve been doing a spin-off show and they’ve been talking about it for months. I wouldn’t have done it unless I thought it was a great idea. I think the idea is brilliant… and that’s all I can tell you right now.”
He added with a laugh, “It’s top secret, which means we haven’t quite figured it out yet.”