Simon Cowell is stepping away from America’s Got Talent as he undergoes routine back surgery, six years after a serious electric bike accident left him with a broken back, reports Hindustan Times.
Cowell’s representative confirmed that the 66-year-old music executive will miss several weeks of the show while recovering from the procedure.
“Obviously, medical matters are private, but it’s routine, and he will be back in a few weeks,” the representative told Entertainment Weekly.
Cowell’s chair was empty during the 25 August live show, leaving Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Mel B to judge without him. An exact date for his return has not yet been announced.
Kenan Thompson will temporarily join the judging panel. The Saturday Night Live star will serve as a guest judge during the third round of the quarterfinals on 1 September, alongside Mandel, Vergara and Mel B.
This is not Thompson’s first time filling in for Cowell. He previously served as a guest judge on AGT in August 2020, shortly after Cowell’s bike accident.
Cowell suffered a serious back injury in August 2020 after falling from an electric bike at his home in Malibu.
He underwent a five-hour operation that involved multiple spinal fusions and the insertion of a metal rod.
The accident forced him to miss the live shows of America’s Got Talent season 15.
His recovery was complicated by further injuries. In 2022, he broke his arm after falling from an e-bike in London.
Despite his injuries, Cowell has continued to ride electric bikes.
His latest surgery comes as he remains one of the long-running faces of America’s Got Talent, where he has served as a judge for several seasons.
