Simon Cowell has confessed that dealing with grief is the "hardest thing" one can experience, and it left him fearing he would never "feel that love again".
The Britain's Got Talent judge also opened up about how his relationship with partner Lauren Silverman pulled him out of a "dark" period in his life.
In a recent episode of The Diary of a CEO podcast, Simon spoke about the pain of losing his parents. His father, Eric, died in 1999, and his mother, Julie, died in 2015.
Hello! Magazine reported that the 64-year-old record executive said: "I think you have to open up about grief. For all of us, it's the hardest thing you ever go through.
"I worried I was never going to feel that love again, but when you have a kid, it's even more emotions, though it's different."
Simon found light in the darkness when he met Lauren, who is now his fiancee and the mother of his son Eric. He said: "When it got quite dark, everything opened up for me."
He added: "I hoped something good would happen because when I was working flat-out, even though everything was going fine, I was miserable because I was physically and mentally exhausted."
Lauren revealed that before they had Eric, Simon's life was "great" and filled with "so much success", but there was "definitely a void", and something was "missing".
Once the music mogul became a father, he had an epiphany about life's true value and realised that success only means something when you have loved ones to share it with.
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Simon also opened up about seeking therapy to manage his worries, explaining how it serves as a method for him to "relax" because he can "sit there" without feeling "judged".
He initially felt "embarrassed" to seek help, but now relishes the opportunity to discuss "anything that's bothering" him.
In a candid chat with Steven Bartlett on the podcast, Simon reflected on his father's death from a heart attack, questioning what was left for him in life.
At the time of his father's death, Simon called his mother to celebrate Westlife's chart-topping success, unaware that she was grappling with the heartbreaking task of sharing the news with him.
Simon also conceded that he would "probably drop dead" before considering retirement, as long as he feels there's a "need or a purpose" and he's excelling at his work.
This relentless drive, he admits, is inspired by his father, who was forced into early retirement from a large company, leaving Simon with the advice to be his own boss.
Now striving for a calmer lifestyle, Simon has set boundaries: "I have a rule, which is that past 6pm, there are no emails, no phone calls, nothing work-related."
"I go down to the countryside every weekend - I think it's the most beautiful place in the world."
