London - Simon Cowell has admitted suffering from depression.
The 'X Factor' boss - who has eight-week-old son Eric with girlfriend Lauren Silverman - began going "a bit nuts" last year as his long working hours and life alone began to take its toll on him.
He admitted: "Did a doctor say I was depressed? Yeah. I mean I knew it myself.
"You are always looking for the next high from the show and then actually if you haven't got anyone to share it with per se, or if you haven't got a family around you, you can go a bit nuts."
The 54-year-old media mogul admits he "regrets" embarking on a relationship with Lauren while she was still married to his friend Andrew Silverman but is happy that they have gone on and had a child together.
He said in an interview: "I regret that part. But then of course you have a baby and you look at the baby and you kinda go 'this is what happened from it'.
"In this situation you are not going to come out of this well because of the circumstances.
"It is not something I am proud of or wanted to happen in terms of hurting anyone. It just happened.
"You have to deal with it and man up to it. You have to accept the responsibility and the criticism.
"All I can say is, my advice to you is if it happens to you, you just have to deal with it a day at a time and own up to your responsibilities."
Simon's life has changed in the last year, and he thinks having family responsibilities has also helped his career as he is more "focused" and less "weird".
He added: "My life has changed, but I am probably more focused on what I am doing now than I was a year ago.
"Maybe because it puts things in perspective having two people in my life who I am responsible for.
"There were times last year when I would live in two rooms, y'know kitchen and bedroom in your house.
"It is a weird existence when you live on your own. On the phone all night, blah blah blah.
"Now the house is full of people, it has become a home rather than a house." - Bang Showbiz