Simon Cowell might be preparing to turn 60 in October, but he's feeling better than he has in years. The America's Got Talent judge surprised fans when he showed up to a live show looking slimmed down this week. Cowell has lost 20 pounds since 2017, when a health scare prompted him to make some serious changes to his diet and lifestyle.

After low blood pressure caused him to faint and fall down the stairs, Cowell knew he had to be more proactive about his own health, especially now that he is a dad. "Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock," he said to The Sun in 2017. "They think I fainted because I had low blood pressure and so I have got to really take good care of myself to sort that out. After all, I am a dad and have more responsibility than ever."

Following his fall, Cowell underwent food allergy testing, a process which he now calls "crazy". These days, he's sticking to "the obvious" when it comes to eating healthily. "The secret is, don't follow one of the fad diets," he told Access this week. "Because there's just too many, and they contradict each other... You just have to cut out the obvious."

For Cowell, that meant going vegan. When it came to ditching dairy, he says he found it easier than he thought; he now takes almond milk in his tea, and eats almond milk yogurt instead of the regular kind. He has also succeeded for the most part in cutting out meat (although he admitted to The Sun to still eating fish), and carb-heavy comfort foods like hamburgers and spaghetti are gone. Although he still misses pizza from time to time.

This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

But while he found the adjustment "hard" at first, Cowell is now feeling the benefits. "Once you get used to it, it's easier," he said. "You feel better, my memory is better. So I didn’t find it difficult. I can still have beer, so I’m happy."

Philip Ellis Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io