X Factor alum Lucy Spraggan says Simon Cowell will walk her down the aisle: 'Simon really cares'

Simon Cowell will be walking down the aisle twice in the near future.

The British TV personality is not only preparing for his own upcoming nuptials to fiancée Lauren Silverman — he's also agreed to walk former X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan down the aisle. The English singer-songwriter revealed in a new interview with The Sun that she and Cowell have become close since meeting on the show's ninth season in 2012, which is why she asked him to play a pivotal role in her wedding to Emilia Smith.

"We'd been staying at Simon and Lauren's house for a few days," Spraggan recalled. "One morning, Simon was about to get in the sea and I said, 'Will you give me away?' He replied: 'Yeah!' He went off for a swim and when he came back, he said, 'I'd absolutely love to. It would be an honor.'"

Spraggan, 32, added that she thinks of Cowell, 64, and Silverman as "like surrogate parents."

"We're all great friends," she said. "I care about them, they care about me, and Simon really cares about my life, my wellness, and my music… They’re always looking out for me."

Cowell created and served as a judge on both the original U.K. and the U.S. versions of The X Factor. Spraggan auditioned for season 9 in the U.K. and ultimately finished in ninth place and second in her category after dropping out due to being ill.

However, Spraggan later revealed that she left the show because she had been raped by a hotel worker during production, and was too sick to continue filming after she began taking PEP (a medication that prevents HIV) after the attack and suffered severe side effects. The hotel worker was discovered due to using a traceable key card to enter her room, and was arrested, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Spraggan shared details about her experience in a memoir, Process: Finding My Way Through.

Cowell has described what happened to Spraggan as "horrific and heartbreaking."

"When I was given the opportunity to speak to Lucy, I was able to personally tell her how sorry I was about everything she has been through," he told the Guardian last year. "Although we met under tragic circumstances, a genuine friendship and a mutual respect has developed between us. Lucy is one of the most authentic, talented, and brave people I have ever met. I have always supported her wish to tell her story as well as her efforts to bring about positive change."

Related content:

• New X Factor footage shows how One Direction were really formed — with Liam Payne expected to be 'the leader'
• One Direction star Louis returns to The X Factor UK in new promo
• Simon Cowell's back: British X Factor to air on U.S. channel