Simon Cowell hospitalised for surgery on broken back after falling off his electric bike in Malibu
* The 60-year-old was rushed to hospital on Saturday when he fell from his new electric bicycle whilst taking it for a test
drive at his house in Malibu
* 'Simon has broken his back and will be having surgery this evening,' his representative revealed
* 'He hurt his back and was taken to the hospital. He's doing fine, he's under observation and is in the best possible
hands'
* The music mogul's girlfriend Lauren Silverman, 43 - with whom he shares son Eric, 6 - was spotted riding her own
bike on Sunday
* The father-of-one is due to return to America's Got Talent next week, with the first live show set to air on Tuesday
August 11
* Simon's other hit show Britain's Got Talent is due to film in the autumn, with the mogul scheduled to be in the UK for
the live final in October
* He was previously hospitalized in October 2017 after falling down the stairs at his London home - prompting him to
embark on a healthier lifetstyle
Simon Cowell has been hospitalized after falling off his bike.
The 60-year-old entertainment mogul was rushed to hospital on Saturday after falling from his new electric bicycle whilst taking it for a test drive at his house in Malibu, California.
'Simon has broken his back and will be having surgery this evening,' his representative has confirmed.
The rep explained: 'Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon whilst testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his house in Malibu with his family.
'He hurt his back and was taken to the hospital. He's doing fine, he's under observation and is in the best possible hands.'
It is not currently clear exactly what kind of back injury Cowell has, but a 'broken back' often refers to a fracture in a part of the spine.
This involves a break in at least one of the vertebrae that make up the back bone and protect your spinal cord.
Fractures in the back can often cause severe pain and can severely restrict movement, with some patients needing a back brace while they recover.
If the spinal cord is also damaged the injuries can have more severe long term consequences. The higher up the spinal cord the more movement will be restricted.
MailOnline has contacted Simon Cowell's representatives for further comment.
It's unclear whether or not he will now be able to participate in either the upcoming series of Britain's Got Talent or its US equivalent show.
Simon is due to return to America's Got Talent next week, with the first live show set to air on Tuesday August 11.
Last week it emerged that his commitment to the upcoming shows would be compromised due to a timetable clash.
The talent show maestro was already set to miss out on the BGT semi-finals this year for the first time as production takes place at the same time as America's Got Talent due to COVID-19 delays.
Prior to his fall, a source told The Sun: 'Simon is gutted to not be physically there for the semi- finals, but he'll be there virtually, casting an eye over the talent and imparting his views in every show.
'Normally, schedules mean Simon can do both but AGT's dates haven't moved while BGT's have due to coronavirus.'
Simon is regularly seen on bike rides with his family around his Malibu home.
The star has embarked on a healthier regime in recent years, leading to a 60 lbs weight loss.
His new health regime has seen him committed to a diet of white meat, fruit, and vegetables as well as regular exercise.
The mogul decided to improve his health after he injured himself in a fall down the stairs at his London home in October 2017.
The star was taken to hospital in an ambulance, later explaining that he had fainted due to 'low blood pressure'.
The star blamed his injuries on his unhealthy lifestyle where he 'lived like a vampire', staying awake until 8am every day and vowed to take better care of himself.
He told The Sun at the time that the horrific fall had reminded him he was not 'invincible', and that he has a 'responsibility' to take control of his health as a father.
'Sometimes we get a reminder that we're not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock,' he said.
Revealing the incident had been down to an underlying health problem, he continued: 'They think I fainted because I had low blood pressure and so I have got to really take good care of myself to sort that out.'
Before adding of his son Eric: 'After all I am a dad and have more responsibility than ever.'
The star was forced to pull out of the live Britain's Got Talent show the day after his fall, leaving Alesha Dixon to take his place on the panel for that week.
Simon began his diet last year, and told The Sun in May he can't believe the results he's been getting, saying: 'I started this diet a year ago and I've lost 60 pounds.'
He has been sticking to his diet whilst in lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, but says he is always tempted to slip into old habits when his six-year-old son Eric - whom he has with Lauren - has a pizza for dinner.
He added: 'I'm doing a bit of cooking. I'm exercising. Funny enough, more during this time as well, sticking to the diet. The only difficult thing is when Eric orders a pizza...that's the number one thing I miss.'
Meanwhile, the America's Got Talent creator previously said he can't believe how good he looks since losing weight, as he managed to shave several inches from his waistline.
He shared with The Sun: 'The most dramatic period was the first month where most of the weight comes off and you look at yourself and think 'wow.' I used to be 36 inch waist and now I've lost four inches. I'm really happy now.'
Referring to Corona Premium Lite he said: 'You can drink this light beer but you've got to be sensible about quantities. I have loads more energy and feel great.
'All I do is avoid just red meat - white meat is fine - and I eat loads of vegetables, salads and drink this great beer,' Simon said.
'I'm on a diet but it doesn't feel like it now because the food I eat is really healthy and I don't find it tedious. If it's boring you won't stick to it.'
Simon became a household name when he appeared as a judge on the talent show, Pop Idols, which aired in 2001.
From there he created his own music show franchise known as the X Factor which launched in 2004 and showcased some of the country's best emerging talent including Little Mix, One Direction, and Leona Lewis.
Simon has become a staple on TV screens across Britain and a constant presence on his other show Britain's Got Talent which originally aired in 2007.
The semi-finals for the upcoming season will take place on Saturday nights during autumn in 2020.
What is a 'broken back'?
The 60-year-old music mogul has broken his back after falling from an electric bicycle while at his home in Malibu, California.
It is not currently clear exactly what kind of back injury Cowell has, but a 'broken back' often refers to a fracture in a part of the spine.
This involves a break in at least one of the vertebrae that make up the back bone and protect your spinal cord.
The spinal cord sends transmits signals from the brain to the rest of the body, and any damage to it can cause paralysis.
A number of medical conditions such as osteoporosis or spinal tumours can naturally weaken the back.
There are different types of fractures you can suffer such as a Chance fracture which involves the pulling of the bones in the vertebrae.
This is a common back injury for people who have been in car accident where the upper body is moved forward rapidly but the lower body stays in place.
Patients who suffer from bone weakness associated with osteoporosis can often get what is known as a compression fracture in which the vertebrae collapse.
Fractures in the back can often cause severe pain and can severely restrict movement, with some patients needing a back brace while they recover.
If the spinal cord is also damaged the injuries can have more severe long term consequences.
The higher up the spinal cord the more movement will be restricted.
Damage to the spinal cord in the back will result in paraplegia in your legs and potentially your stomach muscles.
And damage in the spinal cord in the neck will result in tetraplegia which can impact upon all of your limbs.
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Topic: Simon Cowell hospitalised for surgery on broken back after falling off his elect (Read 286 times)
May 11, 2011, 08:58:31 am
