Simon Cowell says he could have 'smashed spine to pieces' in bike fall

Watch: Simon Cowell feels better than after after back injury

Simon Cowell has told how he could have smashed his spine “to pieces” in his terrifying fall from an electric bike.

The TV mogul, 61, broke his back when he took a tumble while trying a new bike at his Malibu home in August.

Opening up about the accident, he told Extra it could have been a lot worse.

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“When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn’t have been able to walk,” he said.

Cowell said he knew what had happened as soon as he took the spill.

“I knew I’d broken my back the minute I landed,” he said.

“It was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt.”

The star underwent five hours of surgery and had to take time off from work commitments, including Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent, while he recovered.

The star said the pain was “off the charts” and that he struggled with feeling helpless during his recovery.

He also worried about how his seven-year-old son Eric would react when he came home from the hospital, unable to walk and with metal rods in his back.

However, his partner Lauren Silverman spoke to their son and afterwards Eric delightedly announced that his dad was “like Ironman”.

The X Factor star also said in a separate interview with People that he is doing great now, six months later.

“I actually feel better than I did before the accident," he said.

Read more: Simon Cowell has 'taken some steps' after breaking his back

“I mean it wasn't great for three, four weeks but after that you get through it,” he added.

Cowell is due to return to America's Got Talent this year but the UK version of the talent show will not take place in 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

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