Entertainment mogul Simon Cowell’s mum has lifted the lid on the former’s rebellious childhood.
Talking about her famous son’s younger days, Julie Cowell said that the ‘X Factor’ boss was a ‘difficult child’.
“He was a complete handful Into everything. Once, he shaved his brother's hair off. And he would not take 'no' for an answer. Then again, neither would I. It was a battle of wills,’ the Daily Mail quoted her, as saying.
“He was a more difficult teenager. He was smoking by his mid-teens. At 15 he "borrowed" his parents' car and had a prang.
"Once they started to drive, oh my goodness. It was awful. I worried about them being in an accident. I worried about them having a drink then driving - it wasn't such a no-no then.
"I'd always told my sons that the most important thing was that they did a job that made them happy, and I knew that Simon had ambition,” she said.
However, she also admitted that her son’s remarkable characteristic has always been his honesty.
“His characteristic honesty made an early entrance, too. At four, when he was asked if his mother looked pretty in her new hat he retorted: ‘No, she looks like a poodle,’” she added.
The 80-year-old also said that her son has always had a strong desire for achieving and going for more.
"He started working at EMI, in the post room, I remember him being horrified that there were two men there who had been doing the job for 20 years. He said to me: 'This is just a stepping stone, Mum. I want more,'" she said.