X Factor’s Simon Cowell has been told how long he has left to live and is pleased about it

Simon Cowell, Lauren and baby Eric on holiday

LOS ANGEL: As one of the world’s most powerful media moguls, Simon Cowell has dominated music and television for the past 15 years.

And TV’s Mr Nasty says he isn’t going anywhere – for another 40.

The X Factor chief has had a hi-tech DNA test that predicts the year of death, and it revealed he is expected to live until 2055 despite his 20-a-day cigarette habit.

He said: “I had the DNA test done in LA which predicts when you’re going to die. They take your blood and DNA, then give you back a sheet of paper which says ‘We think you’re going to be alive until xxxx’.

“Obviously it doesn’t take account of the fact you might get hit by a bus tomorrow, but I got told I’d die aged 95 – which is about as good as you can expect.”

He reckons being a dad to 19-month-old Eric with partner Lauren Silverman, 38, has helped boost his life expectancy.

He said: “I think a lot of it is down to having a family now, and a lack of stress. I’ve learned to deal with stress much better now, things don’t bother me in the way that they once used to.”

In the DNA tests, scientists look at telomeres – protective caps of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that shorten over time.

Simon said: “I’m a great believer in getting checked out because if you know you’re OK, you actually feel better; your mind plays a big part of it.

“I get everything checked out twice a year and so far, considering everything I’ve done, I’ve been lucky and had no scares.

“My heart, my lungs, my blood – they’ve all been checked. I remember one of the doctors almost being disappointed when he showed me the results because he couldn’t wait to tell me what smoking was doing to me. But there was nothing there.”

Simon had his latest health assessment after his beloved mum Julie died aged 89 in July after a long illness. He admits the slightest thing now makes him cry.

“It’s the hardest thing in the world,” he said. “It can be a movie, a song – there are these trigger points. In a random song a lyric suddenly takes on a different meaning.

“I think about her every single day, and first thing when I wake up. I’ll look at the phone and want to make that call to her, or I’ll think about her in the car when I’m driving down to Brighton.”

Renee-Mai Bolter, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dermot O'Leary and Sarah Jane at the Pride of Britain Awards

Renee-Mai Bolter, Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh, Dermot O'Leary and Sarah Jane at the Pride of Britain Awards

His dad Eric died from a heart attack in 1999, aged 81. Simon added: “I lost my dad quite a while ago so part of you is used to it but when it hits you, it hits you.

“One thing I’ve learnt is you should never fight it. They’re natural emotions and when you try and bottle everything up, that’s what can make you depressed. Luckily I have fantastic memories and they really help.”

Guaranteed to make him well up is next week’s Daily Mirror Pride of Britain awards.

Last year – six months after the birth of baby Eric – softy Si was seen wiping away tears as he heard about Child of Courage winner Renee-Mai Bolter, who rescued her family from a violent stalker.

He said: “There are so many awards ceremonies – but this one’s about things that genuinely matter.

“Normally if I go to one of these things I’m in and out in five minutes, but at Pride of Britain I stay to the end. It’s a fantastic show. But it’s incredibly hard on the night when you meet all the kids and hear their stories. They do get to you.

“Lauren was with me last year and is quite emotional anyway – she was in pieces afterwards.As a dad watching another child going through one of these awful things, there’s part of your brain that goes into that mode of ‘What if it was Eric’? It’s definitely one of the reasons I was more emotional.”

Big-hearted Simon – one of the most generous charitable benefactors in showbiz – has stayed in touch with many of the young winners over the course of the awards’ 17 years, regularly inviting them down to watch his shows.He is so keen on the awards that he hopes to launch a Pride of America.

He is also making his first foray into kids’ TV with a show inspired by Eric.

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Simon Cowell hosts end of Summer party, at the Orangery, Kensington Palace, London.

Simon said: “He loves music and a photo I posted of him playing drums to One Direction was the motivation to a new show we’re working on.

“It’s really cool, aimed at kids, and we’re sorting out a deal now. It is based on something Eric would like to watch but that isn’t around at the moment.”

Appropriately, Eric will be involved at meetings at a later date, road-testing the new programme to make sure it is up to scratch (and child-friendly). But right now Simon is busy being a judge on the 12th series of The X Factor.

The show still gets over nine million viewers a week – not bad in the cut-throat world of TV today.

And with a reported annual salary of £60million and worth £300million, Simon’s star is not exactly on the wane.

But things haven’t always been so cosy. Three years ago, exhausted, he turned his phone off for weeks on end.

He said: “It was an accumulation of 12 relentless years. I was so tired, wasn’t having fun any more, and wasn’t sure if I wanted to do this any longer. So I turned my phone off and sorted my head out. It was the opposite of a breakdown really, it was a break-up – I got rid of all the idiots, realised my job was supposed to be fun, and got on with my life.

“I honestly can’t ever imagine retiring because I don’t know what else I would do – even when I’m on holiday, 70% of the time I’m working. I think I’d like to go out on the job so, ideally, ‘And the winner is... Ooooh, and he’s gone!’ ”

But as he now knows, that won’t be for another 40 years...