EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Is Simon Cowell’s £18m home lacking the X Factor?

What should Simon Cowell think of the estate agents who must sell the seven-bedroom Wimbledon house he bought for £15 million in 2019, known for his scathing comments from TV talent show contestants?

I can reveal that despite it being on the market late last year, the agents have failed to find a buyer, forcing The X Factor supremo to rent it out instead.

Cowell, 63, has never actually lived in the property, which was put up for sale for £18million with estate agent Fuller Gilbert after extensive renovations.

He planned to live there with fiancé Lauren Silverman, 45, their son Eric, eight, and her son Adam, 16, from her previous marriage to businessman Andrew Silverman.

The Britain’s Got Talent judge is thought to have sent Eric to £24,255 a year at King’s College School, but a ‘dummy run’ of the 14-mile journey would have taken two hours on one occasion and this is believed to be one of the most important factors in his decision to stay at his current Holland Park residence instead.

“Simon spent around £1million customizing it to suit his and his family’s needs, so he certainly intended to make it his base in the UK,” said a source close to Cowell.

“However, realizing that London traffic could make the relatively short journey so arduous, he decided this wasn’t the place for him and launched it.

“The fact that the nearby Hammersmith Bridge, which was closed in 2020 due to safety concerns, still hasn’t reopened to cars certainly doesn’t help the already congested surrounding roads.”

While details of how much it will cost to rent Cowell’s South London home are kept private, similar properties can easily go for five-figure monthly fees. One example is a six bedroom detached house on nearby Murray Road, priced at £13,500 per month.

The house of music magnate Holland Park was broken into in 2015 when 1 million pounds worth of jewelry was stolen. It was also where he injured himself when he fell down the stairs in October 2017. Cowell also owns an £18 million mansion in Malibu and previously owned a £19 million home in Los Angeles.

Birthday Manolos for Toffolo

Going barefoot at the end of a night out is usually the sign of an eventful evening – with a lot of dancing.

And it looks like I’m A Celebrity winner Georgia Toffolo had quite the birthday party over the weekend with friends, family – and dog Monty – in Devon.

She shared a photo of herself in a slinky silver dress with a pair of fuchsia colored Manolo Blahnik Hangisi pumps costing £795, alongside a chocolate cake.

“28 and thriving,” she announced.

The former Made In Chelsea star may soon have to give up this comfort – rumor has it that she’s going to South Africa for the All Stars spin-off series of I’m A Celebrity…

When Gary Lineker wanted condolences after bad weather delayed his flight to Spain, he was disappointed. He was due in Catalonia for his old team Barcelona’s match against Athletic Bilbao.

The BBC’s biggest earner at £1.36 million, the host of Match Of The Day continues to take on other lucrative roles including presenting on the Spanish channel La Liga TV where he regularly flies to Spain.

“Don’t think I’ll get the kickoff… or even the final whistle,” moaned the 61-year-old self-proclaimed eco-warrior, who previously announced he was “done with the tiresome, misinformed climate deniers.”

Unfortunately, instead of worrying about his plight, people piled up to wonder how someone so committed to the environment can turn a blind eye to their own gargantuan carbon footprint.

• Theresa May continues to cash in on her former prime minister status on the lucrative after-dinner speech circuit. According to the Register of Members’ Interests, the 66-year-old made nearly £900,000 for just 63 hours of work this year, which works out to an average of around £14,000 an hour. And it seems the US is the most in demand, with an impressive £113,000 payday from the Analytical, Life Science & Diagnostics Association, as well as a further £404,800 for a series of six speaking engagements across the pond.

• Budding Bake-Off contestants beware – you’d better get your timings right when you’re making something with apples. That’s because host Matt Lucas is so allergic to raw apples that he could potentially meet his maker if he accidentally eats something that has them hidden in it. “I’m allergic to raw apples,” says the 48-year-old comedian. “I’m anaphylactic with raw apples, but I’m fine with cooked apples. So I ate a lot of apple pies.’

• Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes has criticized EastEnders writers for making it so full of confrontation. “I tried EastEnders for a few years, but I found them all so rude to each other,” says the 73-year-old. “It’s like all the characters are saying, ‘What do you want?’ I wouldn’t live like that. My experiences in East End are not like that. I don’t know why they do it. This is absolute nonsense.’ The Oscar winner exclaims to producers of the show, which is set in the fictional Walford neighborhood, “Your job is to create a believable world.”

Sporty’s surprise!

You might imagine that performing on cruise ships is a perfect way to enjoy a free vacation while getting paid.

Not so for Mel C who has to hide in her cabin until it’s time for her performance, as she is announced as a secret guest artist.

“When people book me for events, if it’s like corporate events, I’m always a surprise,” Sporty Spice, 48, laments.

“It’s like, ‘Stay in your dressing room, because you’re a surprise.’ Why am I always a surprise? It means I can’t go and look around. I’m on a cruise ship, I have to stay in my cabin.’

Fergie is the Wizard of Oz

She’s poised to reveal intimate details of her eventful life on an all-encompassing tour of Australia in a few months, but the Duchess of York isn’t worried.

“I always feel a weight lifted off my shoulders when I get to Down Under,” she says. “It’s a place where I can be myself.”

The 63-year-old will share ‘untold’ stories about her life, including her marriage to Prince Andrew.

“We are separated from each other, not from each other,” she said. Each their own…