Simon Cowell is surprisingly generous.

There’s a lot that can be said for Simon Cowell.  The ubiquitous reality television judge is everywhere on both sides of the Atlantic:  he’s the former lead judge on American Idol and the current host of Britain’s Got Talent and the US version of The X Factor, in addition to dozens of other television shows.  On the shows, he’s known for his straightforward answers and sometimes brutal honesty.  In real life, however, Simon Cowell seems like a nice guy.  Simon Cowell let an employee hitch a ride back to town on his private jet in order to be on time for the birth of his child.

“Lisa wasn’t due for another nine days, so I was shocked to get the call and desperately wanted to get back to Surrey to be with her,” said John Hagenstede, a sound recorder on Britain’s Got Talent.  “We looked up every possible option of getting me home and I was devastated when I realized the only option was waiting and getting a flight in the morning.  I knew I would miss the birth of my first child.  Simon, David (Walliams, an actor and comedian) and Alesha (Dixon, a singer and model/dancer) were so brilliant.  They knew how important it was to me and not only did they let me share their private jet, they also gave me drinks on the flight, relaxed me and were generally lovely and supportive.”

Not only did Cowell lend him the jet, Cowell also arranged for a car to pick Hagenstede up at the airport and whisk him away to the hospital in east Surry where his wife, Lisa Stewart, a makeup artist who he met through work, was giving birth.  Hagenstede made it with about 10 minutes to spare, and was there to welcome son Jude Berkeley Hegenstede into the world.

Tags: John Hagenstede, Simon Cowell, The X Factor, Simon Cowell loans employee a private jet, private jet, generosity, American Idol, Britain’s Got Talent,  Lisa Stewart, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon, pregnancy, simon cowell is a good Samaritan, simon cowell helps employee get back to pregnant partner, unusual stories

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