Fans of the reality television judge and music mogul Simon Cowell are speaking out to say that he was “nearly paralyzed and is lucky to be recovering at all” after his “life changing” electric bike accident that occurred back in August.

A friend of Cowell’s told Daily Mail that the accident was a wakeup call for the television personality, as it showed him that he is not “invincible.”

“He definitely no longer feels invincible and this has been a wake up for him about his health and lifestyle,” the friend said. “He was nearly paralyzed and feels lucky to be recovering at all.”

This comes after it was reported that the accident has changed Cowell’s views on marriage, and that he is now considering proposing to his 43 year-old girlfriend Lauren Silverman.

“The fall was of life-changing seriousness. Some in his circle think it might even make him think again about making a commitment of marriage to Lauren. ‘Never say never,'” another source said.

Unfortunately, sources say that Cowell’s recovery is “taking longer than expected,” with an insider adding that it will be a “long road” to build up strength again. Thankfully, after six weeks of unspeakable pain, the 61 year-old is off high-strength painkillers.

Immediately after the accident, Cowell took to Twitter to show the world that his sense of humor was still very much intact.

“Some good advice… If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,” he wrote. “I have broken part of my back. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages..”

This comes after another insider claimed that Cowell would bedridden for the next six months after the surgery.

“It’s been a rough few weeks,” a source told The Sun. “Simon’s a fighter and fairly gung-ho. Naturally, he thought he’d be out of action for a few weeks and then, if not doing iron man contests, at least be back on the showbiz circuit.”

“Instead, he’s had a setback from surgery to fuse two vertebrae and it has proven more complicated than a standard break,” the insider added.

Cowell has reportedly been undergoing physical therapy at his home in Malibu, California.

“He’s on the mend and trying to be patient which is not something that comes terribly naturally to him,” the source said.