Simon Cowell’s older brother Tony reveals how 'AGT' judge supported him during secret cancer battle
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Simon Cowell’s older brother, Tony, recently opened up about how the music mogul supported him as he secretly battled cancer. During a recent interview with The Sun, Tony revealed that Cowell was very “upset” upon learning the news of the former’s diagnosis but eventually turned into “Mr Helpful.”
“I could hear he was extremely upset — I had to calm him down. He then switched and became Mr Helpful,” Tony told The Sun. The 73-year-old author, who wrote Cowell’s autobiography, ‘I Don’t Mean to be Rude, but...’ was diagnosed with stage II bladder cancer. He fought the illness last year but is currently in remission after an NHS op and chemotherapy.
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‘I didn't know what to say’
In his interview, Tony revealed that he first visited a doctor after finding blood in his urine. “I went straight to my GP, who said it was a sign of bladder cancer. I didn’t know what to say to Emma or my son Luke,” he shared. Tony realized it was time to seek professional help after a trip to Greece with his wife Emma, 46, who is also an author.
At the time, Emma was reportedly working on her newly released second novel, ‘The House in the Olive Grove', which has a character who is diagnosed with cancer. Following her husband’s diagnosis, Emma shared, “I was halfway through the novel and I was talking to Tony about it and how the people were affected. It is so deeply ironic then that a week later we were those characters.” Tony further added, “Suddenly fiction looked like it was becoming fact.”
Following Tony’s diagnosis, Cowell offered to sort out his care, the former told The Sun. While Tony tried to prevent Cowell from shouldering the responsibility, the latter insisted to speak to his brother’s consultant about his treatment, the publication noted.
How many siblings does Simon Cowell have?
Cowell has a total of five siblings. He was raised alongside his younger brother, Nicholas Cowell, 61, in Elstree, Hertfordshire, by their mother Julie, a dancer and socialite, as well as their father Eric, a music industry executive, an estate agent and property developer. The ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge has three half-brothers, John, Tony, and Michael Cowell, from his father's first marriage.
Not much is known about John and Michael, Tony has long been associated with the media industry as a journalist, celebrity pundit, and author. Tony serves as the weekly columnist for the Best magazine and contributes to Sky News’ ‘Sunrise’ breakfast show with Eamonn Holmes. He has also contributed to the CBS Radio Network in the US and reported on ‘The X Factor’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ for Heart London and GMG Radio stations in the UK under the ‘Cowell Confidential’ banner. Both Nicholas and Tony were photographed with Cowell when he received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018.
Cowell also has a half-sister named June from his father’s first marriage but the siblings are hardly seen together. June opened up about her relationship with Cowell during a 2009 interview. “He is busy in a way that even very wealthy people with high-flying careers are not. Simon is lovely, very family-orientated and I know he likes nothing better than to go home to his mum for a roast dinner,” she said. “It is hard not to remember him as the cheeky, boisterous, and mischievous little boy he once was. But these days it seems difficult for even family like myself to get to speak to him,” June stated to Daily Mail.