Simon Cowell is a lot softer since becoming a father.

The 66-year-old star has revealed that he decided to tone down his acerbic TV judging style after welcoming son Eric, 11, with his partner Lauren Silverman.

Cowell told Us Weekly: "From the minute I saw Eric's scan, I was a different person.

"I was obsessed, literally obsessed. I still am, by the way. He just changed my life. I know it sounds corny, but it gave me meaning for what I do. What happened was I started to see kids on stage, and I was thinking, 'That could be Eric'. It definitely changed something inside me."

Simon has been in a relationship with Lauren since 2012 and explained that he and his fiancee - who appears in his new Netflix series The Next Act - have "a very close bond".

The music mogul explained: "She was a bit reluctant (to be on camera) in the beginning, and then she get more used to it.

"The funny thing about her is that she is identical on the show as she is in real life. When I was watching the show back, I was absolutely cracking up at some of the scenes.

"We have a very, very close bond. I adore her. We are a very happy family, genuinely. When we decide to (wed), it will be private, but obviously the fact that she talks about changing her name, it's quite obvious where all this is leading to."

Simon helped put the boy band One Direction together on the British version of The X Factor in 2010 and compared the sadness he felt at the death of band member Liam Payne - who tragically fell from a hotel balcony in Argentina - last year to the grief he went through following the loss of his parents.

He said: "It's difficult to put into words how I felt. It was not far from how I felt when I lost my mum and dad.

"I've lost friends before, but Liam hit me hard because I really had a close bond with him. He came on my show when he was very young.

"I'd seen him a year before he passed, and we'd spent an afternoon together. We just had the best conversation and talked about being dads. He didn't leave with me going, 'I'm worried about him'. If anything, I thought he looked amazing. He seemed happier in himself."