You may know him as the tough-talking judge from Britain’s Got Talent and The X Factor, but behind the sharp suits and brutal honesty, Simon Cowell has been quietly dealing with struggles of his own—including a stutter that many fans never knew about.
A Personal Connection With Gareth Gates
Looking back on one of the most memorable Pop Idol auditions, Simon shared a surprising truth.
When a 17-year-old Gareth Gates auditioned in 2001, visibly nervous and battling a stammer, Simon wasn’t just impressed—he saw a bit of himself in Gareth.
Speaking on Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, the 65-year-old admitted he too has struggled with a speech impediment, especially during stressful moments.
“I have a bit of a stutter as well and people don’t know that,” Simon confessed.
“Sometimes when I’m stressed, I just can’t get the words out.”
Watching Gareth struggle to speak but then transform into a completely different person once he sang struck a deep chord with Simon.
“He looked like a star, but he couldn’t talk. Then he sang, and it was magical.”
Fame Didn’t Erase His Shyness
You might assume that a man who commands international TV shows would be an extrovert at heart—but Simon says he’s actually quite shy.
He described casual small talk with strangers as “torture” and admitted that fame helped him come out of his shell.
“It breaks the ice,” he explained.
“People already feel like they know you, and you’re instantly talking about something you both enjoy.
That helped with my shyness.”
The Unexpected Side of Wealth
Despite being one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment, Simon revealed that he constantly worries about money.
“People think I’ve made way more than I have,” he said, shutting down rumors that his net worth is close to £500 million.
“Oh God, not even close. I’m being serious.”
He added that he’s made “a bit” of money, but admitted to recently asking friends for help funding a new project because he didn’t have enough cash on hand.
Living With Financial Anxiety
Simon shared how the uncertainty of the world often leaves him feeling uneasy about his finances.
When the COVID pandemic first hit, he sensed something big was coming.
“I remember calling my partner and saying, ‘I don’t like the look of this. I think it’s going to be like Contagion. We need to rush all our shows into production.’ And we did.”
For him, events like pandemics, wars, and global instability have made him question what’s truly secure.
“Is it gold, stocks, cash? I don’t think anything’s safe anymore. Maybe your house.”
Still, he’s trying to take one friend’s advice to heart: “Live in your money”—in other words, enjoy what you’ve got without letting fear take over.
Shifting Gears for Family
These days, Simon is focused more on family than empire-building.
He’s scaled back his entertainment company, SyCo, to spend more time with his partner Lauren Silverman and their 11-year-old son, Eric.
While Britain’s Got Talent continues to pull in around five million viewers per episode, Simon has let go of other big ventures.
He ended The X Factor after 14 seasons, saying it was time to move on as platforms like YouTube had changed the talent discovery game.
He May Still Be Rich, But He’s Also Real
Even with all his concerns, Simon doesn’t deny that he’s financially comfortable.
“I’m definitely rich,” he said. “I’ve got enough now.”
For fans used to his no-nonsense TV persona, these candid insights reveal a very different side of Simon Cowell—one that’s vulnerable, thoughtful, and grounded in real-life worries, just like the rest of us.