Simon Cowell and his wife Lauren have always seemed like one of the most socially active couples in celeb-world, but in a new interview with nutritionist Gabriela Peacock, Lauren revealed they "don't really go out anymore," adding: "I stopped drinking alcohol not too long ago, about a year and a half ago. It's been the single most significant change in my entire life, I feel so much better for it," she continued.
On her incentive to quit drinking, Lauren cites perimenopause. "In perimenopause and menopause, you have so many symptoms in your body, your emotions, and your hormones. Everything is changing, and with alcohol in the mix it causes a lot of havoc."
Musing on if she struggled to give it up, Lauren says her and Simon's quieter social life helped ease her into sobriety. "I didn't find it difficult to give up alcohol; once I decide to do something, I'm very disciplined. We socialised a lot less since Covid so that helped, but when I first stopped drinking, I avoided going to really social gatherings for the first few weeks. It was easier with friends who know what I was doing, but not drinking was trickier at big social events."
Lauren said she set herself weekly goals to stay sober for one week, then two, making it a game and a challenge, gradually building it up.
She also admitted drinking alcohol wasn't the only habit she's kicked recently, revealing she was a smoker, too.
"I actually also used to smoke; people never know that about me because I was a closet smoker, but it was always hand in hand with alcohol. I gave up smoking and drinking on the same day, cold turkey."
On whether she dabbles in non-alcoholic drinks, Lauren said that they're "horrible." "I loved drinking wine, but when you compare non-alcoholic wine, it tastes cheap, like grape juice."
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With her new healthy living lifestyle taking centre stage, Lauren said she'd describe her life with Simon as peaceful and fulfilling, with her only complaint about living in the Cotswolds being the lack of a beach. "I'd like to move Miami's beach to the Cotswolds and it'd be perfect."
If anyone could arrange that, it'd be Simon…
Shifting lifestyles in the Cowell household
On their new homebody life, Lauren said: "I prefer a home-cooked meal to eating out," before admitting: "I'm not saying I’m the one cooking, but we are like homebodies; we don’t really go out anymore."
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While we might imagine the couple eating out at swanky food hotspots, their new homebody life certainly suits Simon better, with the music mogul admitting a few years back: "I'm not a big eater. I don't enjoy it that much. I'd rather have a beer than eat, any day of the week. Sometimes when we are going out for dinner because I know I'm going to hate the food, I have baked beans on toast before I go, then eat nothing."
When one of the wealthiest men in showbiz prefers beans on toast to swanky meals out, you know their life has changed...