Infamously evasive about his private life, X-Factor judge Simon Cowell is expecting a baby with New York socialite Lauren Silverman, according to US Weekly. This will be 53-year-old Cowell's first child.

Silverman, who is still married to Cowell's "close friend," is said to be about 10 weeks pregnant. An anonymous source told the gossip magazine that Silverman and Cowell began seeing each other after the married couple separated.

"As their marriage deteriorated, she and Simon became close," the source said.

In a 2012 interview with AOL Music, the usually guarded Cowell did say that he would entertain the idea of becoming a father — though he wasn't sure if it was even possible at his age.

"I do really, really like kids, because I can talk to them and listen to them," said Cowell. "The problem has always been how much time you need to devote to bringing up kids. I've always dedicated all my life to work, and at 52, I've probably missed the opportunity."

Well, now he'll have his chance. But that doesn't mean that fatherhood after age 50 isn't without it's risks. People usually associate the "biological clock" with women because they stop producing eggs at a certain age, but men, too, have a biological clock of sorts. Though men never stop producing sperm, their sperm can deteriorate with age.

A 2007 New York Times piece took a look at the male biological clock, specifically looking at how men's age at the time of conception impacts their babies' genetic fiber. What they found may surprise you.

"We have counseled for quite a long time that as paternal age increases, there is an increased frequency in new mutations," said Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson, then president-elect of the American College of Medical Genetics

In fathers 45 and older, gene mutations are four to five times more likely than they are in fathers in their 20s. According to Baby Centre, Down's syndrome, schizophrenia, and dwarfism have all been linked to the age of the dad.

"Both younger and older men develop damaged or unhealthy sperm, but usually a natural process called apoptosis gets rid of them," said the site. "However, apoptosis does not occur as efficiently in older men. This means that a higher percentage of damaged sperm get into the semen of men over 35 than in those of younger men."

Silverman, the soon-to-be mother of Cowell's child, is 36 years old. With proper prenatal care, the couple will likely have a healthy, bouncing baby. Luckily, the feisty Brit has not "missed the opportunity" to be a father.