Gavin Bond/NBC via Getty; Amanda Edwards/Getty Howie Mandel spoke with PEOPLE at the Epic Universe Celestial Carpet and shared that his friend Simon Cowell's son Eric is already following in his dad's footsteps Mandel says Cowell will often think about whether his son would like an act before saying "yes" or "no" on 'America's Got Talent' Cowell shares his son with fiancée Lauren Silverman Simon Cowell'sson might have his future career all worked out. At the Epic Universe Celestial Carpet opening celebration at Universal Orlando Resort on Wednesday, May 21,Howie Mandel, 69, spoke with PEOPLE about working with his friend andAmerica's Got Talentcostar Cowell and shared that his 11-year-old son Eric is already taking steps to follow in his dad's footsteps. "Absolutely. I think Simon now looks to Eric, and you'll hear it in a lot of his judging," Mandel says of Cowell. "He goes, 'I don't know if I get this, but I know this is exactly what my son would love. And because of that, you're getting a yes.'" Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Simon Cowell/Instagram Cowell shares his son withfiancée Lauren Silverman. The proud dad has been open about how much he loves being a father and has often brought his sonalong toAmerica's Got Talenttapings. Speaking to PEOPLE in 2023, Cowell shared how he loves seeing his son get "excited" during the live tapings ofAGT. "He's a great barometer," he said of Eric. "I look over to look at him, 'Is he having a good time?' And he was having a really good time when he's up on his seat, excited. [It] is the best thing, because with kids, it's all unfiltered." Earlier this month, the formerAmerican Idoljudgeshared a glimpse of fatherhoodwith rarephotosof his son Eric on Instagram as he and the near-teenager enjoyed the beautiful weather with their pup. Cowell shared three photos in the post, starting with a solo shot of Eric and the family's dog, which he described in the caption as "Love." In the second slide of the post, Cowell posed with his arms wrapped around his son's shoulders as their dog stood in front of them. "Even more love," was his description for the second shot. In the third photo, Eric and Cowell bent down to pose with their dog, who had its tongue out, as Cowell said in the caption, "It was a long walk." Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Last year, Cowell opened up about how becoming a father changed his life on an episode of theDiary of a CEOpodcast. Recalling the "downward spiral" he was on that only worsened after his mother's death, Cowell said that when Silverman told him she was pregnant, "it changed everything in my life" and "made me happy again." Cowell said that "without question," his son saved him. "I really, really had reached the point where nothing mattered. Even to the point that I almost can't remember everything from that period," he recalled. "It hit me so hard, the hardest thing also was being on television as well … I felt like a clown here because I'm dying inside," he recalled. "The whole time was dark. I can absolutely relate to when people reach the lowest levels you possibly can, where essentially being alive doesn't matter anymore, because you just go, 'Well, what have I got to live for?'" Read the original article onPeople
