Is Simon Cowell leaving showbiz?

Simon Cowell might leave showbiz as he wants to give time to his son.

During The X Factor's heyday, when the show was watched by more than 14 million viewers Mr Saturday Night dined with celebrity pals at some of Mayfair's finest restaurants, where there would always be paparazzi waiting to snap him on his way out.

So keen was he to be in the spotlight, he would invite editors to his west London mansion for a curry or a spin in his Maserati.

But after selling the £45 million Holland Park home this month, in favour of life in the Oxfordshire countryside, Cowell is edging towards retiring from showbiz. 

The Mail on Sunday can also reveal that his fiancee, Lauren Silverman, has taken over the reins of his once hugely successful entertainment company, Syco, running it with very little input from him.

Those who know Cowell, 63, also say that he rarely sees his famous friends, with the exception of Amanda Holden, whose husband Chris Hughes signed him with the YMU talent agency last year. It was Ms Silverman, 46, who orchestrated that deal.

While he is still a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, alongside Ms Holden, Cowell has no other television commitments and wants to spend more time with his nine-year-old son Eric who he 'totally dotes on.' 

He is also said to have reflected on life after falling off an e-bike at his California home in 2020 – an accident he said he was lucky to survive. He broke his back and underwent six hours of surgery.