Simon Cowell raced to New York from London to be by the side of Lauren Silverman as she gave birth to their son on Friday evening, who they named after his father, Eric.
Eric Cowell was born at 17:42pm New York time, in Lenox Hill Hospital, the same building where Beyonce gave birth in January 2012. He weighed in at 6lb 7oz.
Lauren is believed to have called Cowell up in the middle of Thursday night to exclaim, “The baby’s on the way.” This was despite the fact that Lauren’s official due date wasn’t until February 28.
Cowell confirmed the news via his Twitter account:
Very happy to say Eric was born at 17.45pm. Healthy and handsome.
— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) February 15, 2014
Lauren in great shape. Thanks for all of your kind messages.
— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) February 15, 2014
Named after my dad
— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) February 15, 2014
A source told the Mirror , “You couldn’t take the smile off Simon’s face. Ever since he walked in the hospital he was beaming from ear-to-ear. Lauren was so happy to see him when he walked in. It is the perfect Valentine’s gift any couple could have.” Meanwhile, the Daily Mail have reported that Lauren’s mother and sister were also present in the delivery room.
Cowell even missed a day of auditions for his talent show, Britain’s Got Talent , to make sure that he arrived in New York to be with Lauren.
Another insider added, “It has been a bit of a race against time to be honest. Normally when a dad-to-be gets a call, there are a few miles down the road, not on the other side of the Atlantic.”
Cowell informed his fellow judges on the show via text message about his absence, declaring, “I’m sorry I can’t be here today. My son has decided to arrive early. You all have a big responsibility to find some great talent today without me.”
Meanwhile, a close friend of Cowell’s remarked that he is a bit worried at the prospect of becoming a father. “Simon is incredibly nervous. He’s a bit old-fashioned when it comes to ‘women’s things’, and the prospect of witnessing a natural childbirth first hand does not exactly fill him with relish,” they noted.
Cowell’s pal added, “Simon likes to think babies magically pop out at the switch of a button. He is trying to prepare himself for the gory, sweaty, very vocal reality. He is under strict instructions to be there when the baby is born though, and Simon is determined to be an exemplary hand-hander and soother.”
[Image via Joe Seer /Shutterstock]