Simon Cowell on Baby Scan: 'It Was Surreal'

Simon Cowell has described seeing his baby for the first time as a "surreal" experience.

The 53-year-old media mogul, who is set to become a father when New York socialite Lauren Silverman gives birth to his baby early next year, recently opened up about the prospect of fatherhood.

"I went to see a scan today and it is just surreal," he told The Times.

"You see this thing which is now alive moving around. So I am happy."

He made the comments during his unexpected appearance at the launch of the new series of the X Factor.

Silverman is believed to be around 12 weeks along, with the baby due mid-February. She already has a nine-year-old son with her current husband Andrew.

The 36-year-old brunette allegedly cheated on her husband with Cowell, before leaving the marital home to be with the X Factor impresario.

"Lauren and Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has been in the works for a while," a source told Us Weekly.

"As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became closer," the undisclosed source added.

Meanwhile Cowell is also launching a new musical based on the X Factor, called I Can't Sing.

The musical, written by comic Harry Hill, follows the story of a young woman who lives in a caravan with a talking dog and her grandfather and finds fame on an X-Factor- style show.

"It's not the first ridiculous idea I have ever had but it's the first one where I've been able to persuade other people to do it," Cowell said.