Simon Cowell says son Eric, 8, coached him before proposal to Lauren Silverman

Simon Cowell's little munchkin is doing big things for daddy as the X Factor judge revealed that his eight-year-old son Eric had a role in his engagement to Lauren Silverman.

Spilling the beans on the romantic Barbados proposal, the 62-year-old mogul said, "One hundred per cent he had to coach me. And we planned it. He was a big part of it."

Cowell was talking with Entertainment Tonight when he gave credits to the coronavirus pandemic for helping him make his mind to marry Silverman.

"I think after everything all of us had gone through over the past two years, it has changed our lives in so many ways," he expressed. "Family is everything and that is what I kind of took away from it."

The Sun reported that Silverman had no idea that Cowell would pop the question during their getaway.

"She burst into tears - happy tears - and obviously said yes straight away," a source told the outlet. "Lauren has been Simon's rock over these past few years - supporting him when he broke his back, and through thick and thin generally. They make a wonderful couple," it added.