He Fell Flat On His Back ...He Was In A Lot Of Pain

Cowell’s brush with paralysis. His 6-hour op after E-bike fall

- Mark Jefferies

Surgeons used a metal rod to repair Simon Cowell’s broken back in an operation that lasted six hours.

But the X Factor boss was lucky to escape paralysis after falling from an electric bike as the fractures were just a centimetre from his spinal cord.

As Cowell, 60, was last night recovering in hospital a source said: “I spoke to him before the surgery and he was in incredible, ridiculous amounts of pain and also in shock. His back was broke in several places, but he is actually very lucky.

“He fell flat on his back and the doctors say the impact missed his spinal cord by about a centimetre and it could have been a lot, lot more serious.

“He was in surgery for six hours and they had to put a metal rod in his back and fix a number of things. He is recovering in hospital now and we expect him to be there for a few days and then he will take things from there. It is too early to say when he will be back on TV.”