Simon Cowell is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman.

A close friend of Cowell told  MailOnline  that Lauren, who is technically still married to real estate mogul Andrew Silverman, a close friend of Cowell’s, had revealed that she wants to marry the star just a few weeks ago.

The friend said: ‘Lauren loves Simon, she  says that she wants to marry him. And with the baby, she’s going the right way about it! But I think this could be really good for Simon.’

Father to be: Simon Cowell is expecting a baby with  married New York socialite Lauren Silverman, pictured here together in 2012

Cowell and ex fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy with Lauren  (white hat) and her husband Andrew on the music mogul’s yacht in St Barts in  January

Another friend confirmed the baby news and  said ‘yes, all true’.

Lauren, 36, is said to be ‘around 10 weeks  along’ in the pregnancy, according to Us Weekly  magazine.

Cowell, 53, and Lauren have been seeing each  for at least a year, according to friends. They were even seen viewing houses  together in Los Angeles earlier this year.

X Factor judge Cowell and Lauren have also frequently been seen on holiday together, with the pretty brunette a  regular  fixture during the mogul’s holidays in St Barts forthe past three  years.

In January, the pair were even seen  lounging  together on the deck of the yacht alongside Cowell’s ex-fiancée Mezhgan Hussainy  and Lauren’s husband Andrew.

Keeping quiet: Cowell made no mention of impending  fatherhood during an interview on Chelsea Lately on Tuesday night

Separated: Cowell is close friends with real estate  mogul Andrew Silverman – Lauren’s husband

Their close friend, fashion  designer Rachel  Roy, posted a picture of the couple cuddling up together while on holiday with  them at New Year. While on board a luxury yacht,  she thanked both her ‘hosts’  for inviting her on the trip.

However, Cowell and Lauren’s situation is  made more complicated by the fact while Lauren’s  relationship with Andrew is  over,  she is still technically married.

The source told Usmagazine.com: ‘Lauren and  Andrew have been unhappy in their marriage for some time, and their divorce has  been in the works for a while. As their marriage  deteriorated, she and Simon  became close.’

There is no suggestion Cowell caused the  break-up or got close to Lauren while she was still with her  husband.

Cowell made no reference to impending fatherhood when he opened up to Chelsea Handler during an interview on  her  talk show on Tuesday night, sticking to topics including One  Direction and his  recent health kick.

It remains to be seen just how the news that  he is to be a father will go down with Cowell, who has never made a secret of  the fact that he doesn’t believe he is the right material to become a parent.

In an interview in 2009, Cowell said: ‘God,  no. I couldn’t have children. If I  had them here drawing on the  walls I’d go  nuts.

‘With kids, you’ve got a routine  you can’t  escape from. You’ve got to be up at a certain time. Got to  listen. When all you  want to do is sit in a corner thinking.’

Lauren told friends a few weeks ago that she wanted to  marry the X Factor judge

Theatre date: In March, Cowell and Lauren were seen  leaving the theatre after watching The Mousetrap

Good spirits: Lauren smiled widely and dressed to  impress for the evening out

However, in a more recent interview in April  this year, Cowell appeared to have somewhat changed his mind, saying:  ‘I haven’t ruled it out. If I knew I  could be – how do I put this delicately – faithful, I would.

‘I do like kids, I’m just not sure I’d be any  good for the first six  months. I don’t think I’d adopt because I’d rather have  my own. I’d have to say I’d like a little girl.’

Cowell’s relationship history includes  romances with Sinitta, Terri Seymour and Alicia Douvall.

He is believed to have been engaged twice,  once to Page Three model Louise Payne back in 1995, and more recently to make-up  artist Mezhgan Hussainy.

Cowell and Mezhgan, who met when she was  employed as a make-up artist on American Idol back in 2003, broke off their  engagement last year.

Support: Lauren was seen at a a party celebrating the  launch of Sweet Revenge: The Intimate Life of Simon Cowelll by Tom Bower in  April 2012

Friends first: In December, Lauren (far left) and Cowell  were seen together at a charity fashion show with his exes Mezhgan Hussainy and  SinittaTheir split was later confirmed by mutual  friend Zetta Graff, who said that Mezhgan had become ‘too needy’ for the mogul.

Cowell later described the engagement as  his  ‘big mistake’, adding: ‘I’m attracted to crazy women. I encourage  crazy  behaviour and I make them crazy.

‘I’m attracted to certain  personalities who  are difficult to control. So there are tantrums, tears and fights, which is all  part of the drama. My life is really odd.

We can see you! Simon was seen leaving London’s River  Cafe on 25th June with a woman on his lap believed to be Lauren

 

Hiding her face: The woman attempted to conceal herself  as she was driven away in the car, with Paul McKenna in the front seat

‘Every girl wants to be number one  and  they’re very territorial. I like the fight, because otherwise I’d  have a dull  group of girlfriends.’

Cowell’s most recent relationship was with  fellow X Factor USA judge Carmen Electra, with whom he was seen on several dates  in 2012.

 

However, in February this year, Cowell  confirmed he was single, saying: ‘We  spent time together and she is so much fun. But I’d like to find a  girlfriend.’

Setting up home: Lauren and Cowell were even seen  house-hunting together in Los Angeles earlier this year. Here they are pictured  in New York last May

But while Cowell has spoken in recent  months  about his desire to settle down, he then called relationships  ‘boring’ in an  interview last month.

He said: ‘When no matter how  big your house  is, you are going to end up on the same sofa, in the same bed or in the same  room as a person. It’s a boring routine.

‘Being on my own in the best thing in the  world. It’s  like breathing in oxygen – I can really switch off  then.’

Cowell and Lauren’s mutual friend Rachel Roy tweeted a  picture of herself and Lauren on holiday at New Year. Simon is also believed to  have been on the trip

SIMON COWELL: A RELATIONSHIP HISTORY

Paula Hamilton, 1976

Paula claims she  lost her virginity to Cowell when she was 16, and they remained childhood  sweethearts when she was growing up in Hertfordshire.

Former loves: Paula Hamilton (left) and Jackie St  Clair

Model Louise Payne, to whom Cowell was reportedly  engaged

Jackie St Clair, 1970s

Cowell and Jackie dated  on and off during the 1970s. Like Cowell and many of his exes, they have  remained friends and are often seen out on the town together.

Louise Payne, 1995 – 1998

Simon is said to been  engaged to former Page Three model Louise. The pair met in 1995 shortly after  she split from Right Said Fred Drummer Fred Fairbrass.

Sinitta, 1985 to 2000 (on and off)

Sinitta and  Simon engaged an on-off relationship for nearly twenty years before she had an  affair with David Essex.

Alicia Douvall, 2001

Alicia and Simon dated  for six months in 2001 .In an interview last year, Alicia claimed he had been an  insatiable lover and they had once had sex eleven times in one night.

Georgina Law, 2000 – 2001

Simon and lap dancer  Georgina dated for a year after he met her during a night out at Spearmint Rhino  gentleman’s club.

Still the best of friends: Ex Sinitta is still counted  as one of Cowell’s closest confidantes

 

Blonde phase: Alicia Douvall (left) and Georgina  Law

Terri Seymour, 2002 – 2006

Terri and Simon dated  for four years before their split in 2006. Following their break-up, Terri  continued living in one of his Los Angeles homes for a further three  years.

Jasmine Lennard, 2006

While Simon and Jasmine  only had a short-lived six month affair, she has since called him the ‘love of  her life’. During her  appearance on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012, she insisted she and Simon still  care about each other ‘very much’.

Long-term: Simon and Terri Seymour dated for four years  from 2002 to 2006

 

‘Love of my life’: Jasmine Lennard only had a brief  fling with Simon but later spoke of her love for him

Dannii Minogue, 2007

Simon and Dannii’s fling  during their time together on the X Factor panel in 2007 was revealed in Tom  Bower’s tell-all book last year.

Mezhgan Hussainy, 2009 – 2011

Simon met make-up artist  Mezhgan on the set of American Idol back in 2003. They began a relationship and  got engaged in 2010. Their split  was confirmed in February 2012 by a mutual friend Zeta Graff, who said Mezhgan  had been ‘too needy’ for Cowell.

Tell all: Simon’s fling with Dannii Minogue back in 2007  was revealed in Tom Bower’s tell-all book

 

Set to wed: Simon was engaged to make-up artist Mezhgan  Hussainy, but the pair split in 2011

 

Carmen Electra, 2012 – 2013

Simon and his X Factor  USA fellow judge Carmen Electra were first romantically linked in late 2012,  when they were seen out on several dates together. They called things off in  early 2013.

Lauren Silverman, 2013

On 31st July, 2013, it  was revealed that Simon is expecting a baby with New York socialiate Lauren  Silverman, who is still married to real estate mogul Andrew.

Short-lived: Cowell’s most recent romance was with  fellow X Factor USA judge Carmen Electra

 

Baby mama: Simon is said to have been with socialite  Lauren for a year before the pair revealed the baby  news

Read more: DailyMail