Simon Cowell Says His 9-Year-Old Son Is ‘Serious’ About Wanting to Audition for ‘Britain’s Got Talent’

Simon Cowell‘s 9-year-old son Eric has caught the performance bug. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight after the America’s Got Talent season 18 qualifying rounds on Tuesday (Aug. 29), the judge revealed that his son has a passion for music and wants a shot at making it big on a talent contest.

“[He’s] decided he’s going to audition for Britain’s Got Talent … I think he wants to be in a rock band. He loves Green Day,” Cowell told the outlet.

Unfortunately, Cowell is not exactly not thrilled by his son’s career of choice. “That’s going to be total torture,” the former X Factor judge continued. “I mean, of all the things I’ve ever done, this will probably be the hardest, because he does play drums. [He’s] going to drum and sing! I went, ‘Oh God, no.'”

As for Eric’s Britain’s Got Talent aspirations, his father added that “he’s really serious about it. I don’t know what it is. Maybe because all these kids are auditioning and now he wants to be up there with his friends … I think, hopefully, he’ll be sitting there in 10 or less years time.”

Eric has a mentor in his father. Cowell has previously signed artists including Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, One Direction, Fifth Harmony, Labrinth and more to his now-defunct Syco Music label. In the meantime, Cowell says Eric is “a great barometer” for helping his dad find talent on AGT.

“Well, it’s brilliant because he’s to my left, so I always look over, and, you know the really crazy act tonight, who was, like, swallowing swords?” Cowell said. “[Well] he’s jumping up and down in his seat literally and he’s making me laugh so much.”