Simon Cowell To Temporarily Step Away From “America’s Got Talent” To Undergo Surgery
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Simon Cowell Is Temporarily Leaving America’s Got Talent
Simon Cowell is temporarily stepping away from America’s Got Talent as he focuses on his heath.
Cowell is currently in his 11th season as a judge on the show. He first joined the panel in Season 11 in 2016, replacing Howard Stern. After briefly stepping away from his role during Season 15, Cowell returned and has remained a judge ever since.
Cowell also served as an executive producer on AGT and has played a major role in shaping the hit show.
The longtime judge is expected to miss several weeks of the NBC talent competition as he prepares to undergo routine back surgery.
While the 66 year old recovers from the procedure, a rotating group of guest judges are expected to step in for him during the live shows. The AGT team is currently working to schedule the celebrity guests, but no replacements have been announced yet.
This not the first time Cowell has had to undergo surgery. In August 2020, he broke his back in multiple places after falling from an electric bike while testing it at his Malibu, California, home. He underwent a six-hour surgery, which included having a metal rod and screws placed in his back.
Cowell later opened up about the painful recovery during a 2023 appearance on Today, acknowledging how difficult the injury had been.
“It was painful, it wasn’t great,” he said at the time. “However, I was so unfit before the accident. I didn’t know how unfit I was until I had to do all this stuff afterwards. And I’m like, ‘My God.’ Things like that, I believe happened for a reason.”
He later joked about the ordeal on his social media:
Some good advice…
— Simon Cowell (@SimonCowell) August 10, 2020
If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time.
I have broken part of my back.
Thank you to everyone for your kind messages.
