Simon Cowell has said the tumble down stairs which forced him to miss this weekend’s X Factor was a “huge shock”, with the TV judge now vowing to take better care of himself.
The judge, who sat out Saturday and Sunday night’s first live programmes after fainting at his London home on Friday, said doctors believe low blood pressure was the cause of the accident.
In an interview with The Sun, Cowell said he would be taking steps to tackle the condition, especially for the sake of his son, three-year-old Eric.
He told the paper: “Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock.
“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.”
On Sunday, X Factor host Dermot O’Leary said that Cowell, who is mentoring the groups this year, was still not well enough to join the ITV show, with Britain’s Got Talent judge Alesha Dixon taking his place.
Cowell recalled he had gone to get some some hot milk but felt “really dizzy” on his way back upstairs.
He added: “Next thing I know someone was putting a neck brace on me and I had a terrible headache, which must have been from me hitting the stairs.”
He said he was initially worried he may have done some “real damage”, but admitted he was “very lucky” it was not more serious and said he was “on the mend”.
He was photographed flashing a thumbs-up when he returned home from the hospital hours later.