Simon Cowell Branded as ‘Different Person’ After Healthier Look on ‘X-Factor’ Premiere

Simon Cowell has undergone a transformation, and it is so drastic that some fans are shocked. The talent judge appeared on the new season of The X Factor on Saturday night, and he looked markedly different than his last TV appearance. Whether it is his newfound health or his rumored plastic surgery, fans say he is a “different person.”

Cowell has made several remarks about his new health regimen lately, and it is starting to show. The American Idol alum told Ellen DeGeneres that he overhauled his diet while still cutting himself slack on smoking and drinking earlier this month. On Saturday, fans got their first good look at him.

The responses were varied. The X Factor premiered in the U.K. on Saturday night, and viewers talked about Cowell on social media long after the broadcast. Some were concerned that he looked “ill” and “too gaunt.”

“Mate I can’t get over this is how Simon Cowell looks now surely it’s just a whole different person altogether,” one person tweeted with laughing emojis.

“Is Simon Cowell okay? Really doesn’t look well!” remarked another.

“Is Simon Cowell ill? He looks awful – really gaunt, scrawny and unhealthy,” a third person wrote.

Cowell turned 60 earlier this month, and he admitted that the years are catching up with him. In a recent interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he described his new approach to health, saying that it is all in pursuit of being their for his 5-year-old son, Eric.

“I went to see this doctor in London. We did some tests. And then a month later he said, ‘You have the worst diet I’ve ever met from any patient,’” he revealed. “So I went, ‘Okay, out of the smoking, the drinking, and diet, what do I have to drop?’ And he said, ‘The diet.’ So I said, ‘I’m in! It was easier than I thought, and part of the reason I did it was because of Eric. I realized if I didn’t sort myself out physically, I wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.”

However, his motivation is not all practical, as Cowell did admit to having some cosmetic surgery last year. In May of 2018, he told The Sun that he had gotten a facelift, revealing that the procedure “hurt like hell.”

“There’s lots of things you can do now,” he said. “You don’t just have to stuff your face with filler and Botox. It hurts like hell but it gets rid of sun damage and unplugs all the crap.”

Cowell is still judging The X Factor in the U.K., and America’s Got Talent in the States. AGT finished its season last month, so viewers will have to keep an eye on British media to see Cowell’s new look for now.