The couple felt incredibly proud and honored to have helped organize a lunch to raise funds and awareness for the London Music Fund, a trust that assists young musicians from low-income families in accessing their talent.
They first encountered the organization—of which the music mogul is an ambassador and Lauren is an advisor—when Tom Bower, the husband of the charity’s co-founder and chair, Baroness Fleet (Veronica Wadley), was writing a book about Simon.
“One evening, Veronica shared the details with us and asked if we would get involved. We immediately said 100 percent, yes,” said the Britain’s Got Talent judge.
“I really wanted to get involved – not just because it’s something I am passionate about, but it fits in with what Simon does with giving young people opportunities to explore their talents,” she told us. “I feel any creative outlet is such an important thing we can give to our children.”
How Fatherhood Changed Simon
“Twenty years ago, I would have said I didn’t think I was going to have kids because I thought I was too old. So when I got the news I was going to be a dad – and the first time I saw his scan – I was literally obsessed. Something changed and I looked at life in a completely different way. Every decision I make now I am thinking about Eric. Is it the right decision for him?”
American-born Lauren, 46, agrees that Simon, 64, has changed considerably from the days when he first found worldwide fame on The X Factor and American Idol.
“He would stay up until crazy hours and sometimes wake up to two o’clock in the afternoon. But obviously I’m a mom and life doesn’t work that way. I always try to help him to find that balance, because he’s a workaholic. He loves his work, which is fantastic. But he sometimes needs me and Eric to push him to do more normal things and get up at a reasonable hour. And I guess in that sense, we’ve helped him – and he’s definitely got a lot better since we first met, that’s for sure.”
