Simon Cowell appears to have jetted off to his idyllic Barbados holiday home for a scorching hot Caribbean Christmas, as he posted an update demonstrating he'd avoided the British chill. The Britain's Got Talent judge and music mogul regularly spends festive seasons at a private villa at One Sandy Lane, a resort co-owned by one of his close friends. Today, he and his son Eric were soaking up the sunshine by the pool, but the camera speeded past the little boy so fast that he could scarcely be seen as Simon introduced his dogs instead.

He announced: "My dogs are going to say Happy Christmas in dog language!" before turning to the canines, who yapped away excitedly in reply. Simon's partner Lauren Silverman wasn't on camera either, so it's unclear whether she is joining the rest of the family at the resort, which comprises of eight luxurious properties and is reportedly "run like a seven-star hotel". There are 34 staff on hand to make every holiday special, including butlers, gardeners and security personnel.

A few days earlier, Simon had kicked off his seasonal trip by posting a video of himself and his son enjoying a competitive swimming session and "SeaBob Championship", which delighted fans. One praised: "Your son has changed you in all the best possible ways!" after witnessing the footage. Simon has spoken numerous times of how becoming a dad had persuaded him to shake off the notorious "Mr Nasty" persona he gained a reputation for while judging on X Factor and to develop .