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Simon Cowell has disclosed that a private struggle with migraines has prompted him to modify his appearance on this year’s Britain’s Got Talent.
During the season premiere, viewers observed the 64-year-old music mogul sporting a pair of red lens glasses alongside fellow judges Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon, and Bruno Tonioli.
However, Cowell clarified that his new eyewear isn’t a fashion statement, but rather a measure to alleviate the impact of the show’s “laser-like” lights on his health.
“The red glasses are because I have lights in my eyes all day long and it’s like a laser and I get migraines and that’s like a filter,” he told The Standard. “They actually do work.”
One in seven adults – or 10 million people – in the UK are thought to be affected by migraines, with around 190,000 attacks experienced every day.
As well as throbbing head pain, many people suffer other symptoms such as feeling sick, being sick and increased sensitivity to light or sound.
Aside from medications, studies indicate that individuals with photophobia, or sensitivity to light, may find relief with migraine glasses, ones like Cowell sported.
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Research published in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience said that “lenses outfitted with a thin-film optical notch filter may be useful in treating chronic migraine”.
Not only has his eyewear attracted notice, but Cowell’s decision to opt for a variety of long-sleeved thermal tops in the latest season has also sparked discussion.
The former X Factor judge clarified that he chose to swap his signature grey and black T-shirts for thermal base layers to combat the chilly temperatures in the auditoriums.
“It’s basically underwear, they are like if you go skiing, it’s like thermals,” he shared. “It’s so cold in the theatre I thought, ‘y’know what I’m just going to wear thermals this year’.
“I didn’t plan to. I just turned up and it was so cold and someone said, ‘oh that looks good’ so I thought, ‘OK I’ll be fine, I’ll wear it’.”
When asked if he may spur on a new trend, he quipped: “I don’t think anyone has ever copied my fashion, but you never know”.
