Simon Cowell almost paralysed after breaking his back in three places

X-Factor judge Simon Cowell was dangerously close to being paralysed after he fell and broke his back in three places.

X-Factor judge Simon Cowell is lucky not to be paralysed after breaking his back in three places in a fall from his electric bike.

Cowell, 60, who needed six hours of surgery, missed injuring his spinal cord by a centimetre.

“He could have been looking at a life in a wheelchair,” a source told The Sun.

The UK celebrity fell and broke his back after trying out a powerful new electric bike – and accidentally pulling a wheelie.

Simon Cowell broke his back while testing an electric bicycle at his home in Malibu on Saturday, according to reports.

His son Eric, six, and his partner Lauren Silverman’s teenage son Adam watched in horror as Cowell, 60, fell backwards and smashed down onto a concrete floor at his Los Angeles home.

“He was testing out his new bike with Eric and Adam and the power of it surprised him a bit,” a source said.

“He fell back directly onto his back and immediately knew he was in trouble. He was in a bad way.”

Cowell needed almost six hours of surgery to insert a metal rod in his spine after breaking three vertebrae.

He now faces a long stay in hospital – scuppering his plans to star in tomorrow night’s live launch of the new America’s Got Talent series.

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Cowell, pictured at the Britain's Got Talent auditions in 2016, needed almost six hours of surgery. Picture: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images

Doctors told the TV mogul he was “very lucky” not to have suffered paralysing injuries.

Cowell is thought to have missed damaging his spinal cord – part of the body’s central nervous system – by a centimetre.

The source said: “It was a really, really bad fall – but he’s very lucky to have escaped with the injuries he has.

“Had he damaged the spinal cord he could have been looking at life in a wheelchair, but thanks to the doctors he is hopeful of making a full recovery.”

Hollywood’s Christopher Reeve spent the final decade of his life in a wheelchair after damaging his spinal cord in a fall from a horse.

FIVE-HOUR OPERATION

Cowell was taken to Providence Saint John’s hospital in Santa Monica, a short drive from his £18 million ($A32 million) beachside property in Malibu.

Lauren, 43, joined him at the medical centre on Saturday afternoon. He was later taken into theatre for an operation by some of California’s best surgeons.

He was in theatre for more than five hours, under general anaesthetic, as doctors inserted a series of screws and a metal rod to stabilise his spine.

Cowell was awake today talking to medical staff and members of his team by phone.

He now faces an anxious wait to learn the extent of the damage – and almost certainly faces a lengthy stay in hospital.

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Cowell was ‘very lucky’ not to have suffered paralysing injuries. Picture: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Those close to him hope he will suffer no lasting effects but say it could take “several weeks” before they know for sure.

“He’s only just out of surgery and feeling very groggy but is awake and upbeat,” a source added.

“Everyone hopes he will make a full recovery but they don’t want to count their chickens just yet. Ultimately he has had a very, very serious accident.

“He’s lucky to be even in the state he is in with a metal rod in his back and multiple breaks.

“It’ll be several weeks for the bruising and swelling to go down and then we’ll know how serious the lasting effects could be.”

A spokesman for The X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent boss said: “Simon has broken his back in a number of places in a fall from his bike while testing a new electric bike in the courtyard of his home in Malibu with his family.

“He was taken to hospital where they operated overnight. He’s under observation and is doing fine.”

Cowell, a workaholic who was discussing business from his hospital bed after coming around from the anaesthetic, is now likely to miss a string of TV commitments – not least AGT.

Insiders say he optimistically hopes to be well enough to return for the end of the new AGT series, in late September.

The America’s Got Talent final is scheduled for September 23 with Cowell planning to fly home the next day so he can also be at the final Britain’s Got Talent.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission