Simon Cowell has revealed the wild lengths he goes to in an effort to stay young – and it’s definitely not for the faint hearted.
The former X Factor judge, 66, revealed he’s keeping the years off by going to a wellness clinic which takes his blood, washes it, and puts it back into his body. Yes, this is now a thing.
‘I go to this wellness clinic where they actually take your blood, they rinse it, they filter it, they put it back into your body,’ he explained in a recent interview with the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast.
‘I’ve actually aged backwards by eating better, more exercise, less stress.’
Washing your own blood sounds pretty stressful, Simon…
Adding to the music mogul’s list of efforts to live forever, Simon explained that he once seriously contemplated ‘freezing’ himself.
‘I actually was gonna freeze myself once because I thought why not?’ he said, adding: ‘But then I found out you basically come back in 2,000 years as a floating head.’
What is blood cleaning?
In the extreme wellness world a new trend of ‘blood cleaning’ is taking hold, a process – used by the likes of Orlando Bloom – which promises to rid the body of metals, chemicals and microplastics from blood.
In apheresis – said to be a medical procedure a little like dialysis, and not a pampering treatment – two large needles remove blood from the patient’s arm in a process which takes a few hours.
It has been used for decades for serious diseases, but is now becoming popular in the wellness space for those who can afford it.
Blood washing costs vary around the £10,000 mark, but scientists have previously highlighted the lack of evidence around its impact.
By freezing himself, Simon is referring to human cryopreservation, a process which sees recently deceased people being frozen in the hope that one day they could be warmed up and revived if science finds a way to do this (it hasn’t yet, don’t worry…).
Soon after death dry ice is used to keep a body at low temperature before it’s infused with cryoprotectants (like antifreeze) to prevent ice crystal formation, which kills cells.
Bodies are then preserved in liquid nitrogen at nippy temperatures below -130C.
It is reported that worldwide around 600 people have been cryopreserved, with thousands more signed up for the process when they die.
Reflecting on his legacy, Simon – who has an 11-year-old son Eric with partner Lauren Silverman – said: ‘I’d like to be remembered as somebody who’s always worked hard. I do believe that I’ve been nice to everyone I’ve met.
‘I’ve met a lot of people who are nice on camera [but] are absolute monsters off camera. I am the same person on and off camera.’
Elsewhere in the interview, Simon addressed One Direction star Liam Payne’s untimely death in October, 2024.
Payne died after falling from the third floor of his Buenos Aires hotel balcony while under the influence of drugs.
After, some looked for answers and landed on Simon, as a formative part of the star’s younger years when Payne rocketed to fame with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik on The X Factor in 2010 as a teenager.
There has long been controversy over the treatment of young contestants on The X Factor, with former stars of the show alleging it was exploitative.
Having formed One Direction, Simon went on to sign the What Makes You Beautiful hitmakers onto his record label after they were placed third on the show.
Reflecting on Payne’s death, Simon said it really ‘hit’ him, and when asked whether it’s hurtful some people ‘blamed’ him, the Britain’s Got Talent judge said: ‘I don’t read any of this stuff because if I did, you would just torture yourself. The idea that you are essentially responsible for somebody’s life, 10 years after you’ve signed someone? You can’t do that.’
When Payne died, Simon posted a heartbroken statement.
‘You never really know how you feel about someone until a moment like this happens,’ he wrote.
‘Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.
‘This is so difficult to put into words right now. I went outside today, and I thought about so many times we had together. I wanted to let you know what I would always say to the thousands of people who would always ask me. What is Liam like?
‘And I would tell them you were kind, funny, sweet, thoughtful, talented, humble, focused. And how much you loved music. And how much love you genuinely had for the fans.
‘I had to tell you when you were 14 that this wasn’t your time. And we both made a promise that we would meet again. A lot of people would have given up. You didn’t. You came back and within months the whole world knew Liam. And you never forgot the fans. I watched you spending so much time with people who had wanted to meet you. You really cared.
‘You came to see me last year. Not for a meeting. Just to sit and talk. And we reminisced about all of the fun times we had together. And how proud you were to be a Dad. After you left, I was reminded that you were still the sweet, kind boy I had met all of those years ago. I have met your son, Bear. He has your smile and that twinkle in his eye that you have.
‘And he will be so proud of everything you achieved. And how you achieved it.
‘I always thought of the 5 of you in the band as brothers. And regarding their messages today I believe you were.
‘And now Liam, I can see the effect you had on so many people. Because you left us too soon.
‘Rest in peace, my friend. And I am sending my love, thoughts and prayers to your family.’
He concluded: ‘Liam, I am devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty.’
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