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Simon Cowell has embarked on new business venture after investing in a major US alcohol brand.
The music mogul, 63, has had a change in direction after quitting fame, selling his £45million Holland Park mansion and downsizing his record label, Syco.
He is now the new co-owner of Harry Blu, a Miami-based distillery founded by Harry Blustein.
Sharing the news to Twitter on Friday, Simon announced: ‘Harry Blu are an incredibly dedicated small team with great taste and passion that has built their business.
‘I am excited to be apart of the next phase of their growth.’
In press release from the brand, Simon added: ‘I was thrilled when I was asked if I would like to join the Harry Blu brand. The sheer number of awards they have won is a testament to the quality of their product.
‘They are an incredibly dedicated small team with great taste and passion that has built their business. I am excited to be part of the next phase of their growth.’
Co-owner Harry said: ‘We couldn’t be prouder to have Simon on board as a partner. To say he has ‘discerning tastes’ is putting it lightly.
‘To get his stamp of approval and have him join the HARRY BLU’S family means the world to us and with his help, we’re ready to introduce our fine spirits to a wider audience.
‘With Simon’s larger-than-life personality and international profile, I’m hopeful we can bring HARRY BLU’S to the multitudes. We’re blessed to have met Simon and have his support and are excited about what the future holds.’
While he is still a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, Simon has no other television commitments and wants to spend more time with his nine-year-old son Eric who he ‘totally dotes on.’
He is also said to have reflected on life after falling off an e-bike at his California home in 2020 – an accident he said he was lucky to survive. He broke his back and underwent six hours of surgery.
One source told MailOnline: ‘It’s like Simon has totally changed his direction of travel. He was once so keen to be in the papers that he could barely go for a walk without it being on the front of the tabloids. Now he has slunk off into obscurity – he won’t even tell anyone where he lives.’
They added: ‘He wanted to be talked about and written about, but all of a sudden he doesn’t want to be in the limelight any more. He just wants to be at home with Eric while Lauren runs what is left of his business.
‘The harem of women has gone, as has Louis Walsh. Now it’s just Amanda. He will sometimes see others, such as Alan Carr and Alesha Dixon, through her. Nobody can work out what has happened here – he went from being so in need of fame to hating it.’
In January last year, Cowell decided to downsize Syco and get rid of the majority of his staff. Those close to the star, who launched the company as a record label in 2004, said at the time that he planned to concentrate solely on being a television personality.
However, his ITV talent show Walk The Line was axed after one series, and sources at the network say the relationship between ITV and Cowell has dwindled.
They add that some years ago the broadcasting company moved towards ‘kinder’ reality shows such as The Masked Singer, and away from Cowell’s programmes.
His shows have recently been dogged by controversy. His former Britain’s Got Talent co-star David Walliams was heard calling an auditioning pensioner a ‘c***’, and making a sexually explicit remark about a female contestant during filming. The comments were leaked last year.
Simon is also said to be upset by the accounts of a raft of X Factor stars who have spoken about their time on the show.
Singer Lucy Spraggan revealed earlier this month that she was raped at a hotel while taking part in the programme in 2012, and was unimpressed by the lack of aftercare offered by the show following her rapist’s trial.
Misha B, a contestant from the 2011 series, said she was left feeling suicidal and suffering from PTSD after experiencing racist treatment on the show.
Katie Waissel, a 2010 contestant, claims she was sexually assaulted by a member of Cowell’s staff in Los Angeles years after appearing on The X Factor.
A source close to Cowell said: ‘Simon thought that he was giving people great opportunities on The X Factor. He had no idea that some of these allegations would come out so many years later.’
Currently, the only other known deal he has is an advertising one for a mobile puzzle game called Royal Match. He filmed an advert for it earlier this month, which will be aired in the autumn.
One source said: ‘It does seem as though Simon’s life in music and television is very much coming to an end.’
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