Simon Cowell breaks his back after falling off his new electric trail bike

Explaining what happened, a source told MailOnline: 'He was testing the new bike pretty slowly just in the turning circle in the courtyard of the house.

'And as he changed gear, the bike flew up in the air in a huge wheelie and he fell off backwards landing on his back.'

It had earlier been reported that Cowell came very close to being paralysed in the fall which happened in the courtyard of his home in the presence of his son Eric, six, and stepson Adam, 14.