Simon Cowell Shows Off Toned Physique At The Malibu Chili Cook-Off

This post has been updated since it was originally published to include recent facts

Simon Cowell’s fans have been talking about his appearance a *lot* lately; but it isn’t his seemingly endless alleged plastic surgery treatments that is getting the most attention right now – it’s his ever-shrinking frame! On Monday, September 4th, the 63-year-old music mogul showed off his super-trim figure at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off in California (check out some pics here) wearing a casual and weather-appropriate outfit consisting of white knee-length shorts, a black three-quarter sleeve top, and comfortable black sneakers, as well as his trademark shades.

The outing came just a few days after he appeared on the Mirror‘s Men in Mind podcast and confessed to seeing a therapist for his depression, which he said was worse than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic. After initially being reluctant to seek help, Cowell said that therapy changed his life for the better! On the podcast, he said: “Fortunately I met some friends who had benefited from therapy, and that’s when I thought, ‘You know what? I’ve kind of looked after my body through diet and exercise pretty well over the years, but what have I done about my brain and my mind?'”

“I wish I had done this 10 or 20 years ago,” he confessed, adding, “It’s like a weight has lifted off my shoulders.” He also said: “If you’d said to me, ‘Simon, we’re going to be sitting down in your garden, talking about mental health,’ I’d be going, ‘Have I lost my mind or something?’ I’m not a doctor, I’m not an expert, but in my own way, I’ve started to understand it more and done things myself for my mental health in a positive way.”

Simon Cowell Sparked Concern From Fans At 'AGT' Auditions

Back in April 2023, Cowell was looking thinner than ever for the America’s Got Talent auditions, showing off what The Express called a "staggering" weight loss transformation! (We couldn’t agree more!) As well as the America's Got Talent red carpet picture above, pap pictures of Cowell in California around the time of the auditions continued to highlight just how much weight he had lost. One picture, for example, showed Cowell posing with a fan, wearing a skin-tight black T-shirt which highlighted his slim and toned physique, teamed with black pants, black sneakers, and a black bag, as well as his signature black aviator shades. More pap pictures of him in a similar ensemble (although he did trade his black pants for blue jeans) from a few days prior were also doing the rounds online and sparking just as much concern from fans on social media and in comments sections.

"Is Simon Cowell transitioning or what is happening here in this picture?" one Twitter user asked, adding the hashtags #simonschanging and #fadingaway. The comments section to The Express's article featuring pictures from the same day were also filled with concerned remarks, with one fan hinting that his stance made him look like he was wearing a "girdle."

"He looks like a constipated duck," one user wrote, adding, "Getting the fat sucked out of you is a very good way of losing weight." "What a strange shape he now has on the top part of his torso, not a good look," said another. "You would think with all his money he would buy some trousers that fit! Far too thin and doesn’t look well!" exclaimed another.

"He looks rather ill – it's awfully sad what humans are doing to themselves. None of any of this is about happiness or contentment. God knows why the article says he's looking great – he looks deformed," another wrote. "Simon Cowell's plastic surgeon doesn't have talent," quipped another, while someone else said he was "virtually unrecognizable with glasses off." Another commenter said he "looks [expletive] awful," and then begged him to "eat a cheeseburger."

Simon Cowell's Slender Appearance At Manchester 'BGT' Auditions

Fans also showed concern for Cowell's appearance at the Britain’s Got Talent auditions at The Lowry in Salford Quays in Greater Manchester on Wednesday, February 8th (as well as the auditions that were held in London the month before!)

The talent show judge has lost an estimated 60 lbs, which certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed; but fans think he might have taken things a little too far, as the jeans he was wearing alongside his skin-tight long-sleeved black sweater and signature aviator shades seemed to be *so* big they were practically falling off him. (And we don’t think he was *intentionally* rocking the Hailey Bieber-approved baggy jeans trend!)

The dad-of-one did appear to be all smiles as he was photographed at the auditions, alongside fellow judges Bruno Tonioli, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden, but that didn’t stop fans from taking to Twitter to voice their opinions about his appearance – in particular, his outfit!

"Somebody have a word with Simon! His jeans," one Twitter user wrote, followed by a crying laughing emoji. "Is @SimonCowell going to treat himself to a new wardrobe of clothes as those clothes are hanging on him?" asked another, while someone else said: "Simon. Smarten yourself up mate."

Simon Cowell Opened Up About Cutting Out Sugar And His 'Re-Evaluated' Diet

In April 2022, Cowell opened up about his weight loss to The Sun, noting that it wasn’t through a gastric band, but rather, through a re-evaluated diet, including reduced meat intake and cutting out sugar. He also stressed he avoids red meat, but still treats himself to a light beer from time to time. He also said that removing dairy or gluten from his daily intake impacted his weight loss. "Cutting all that out is what has made a difference, genuinely," he told the outlet.

The X Factor creator also dished to the publication that while he "used to binge on sausage rolls, hamburgers and his favorite jam tarts made by his personal chefs," he now has been able to "drop four waist sizes" by removing these foods from his intake. Speaking to The Sun, Cowell said, "The most dramatic period was the first month where most of the weight comes off and you look at yourself and think 'wow.'"