Simon Cowell is stepping away from the America's Got Talent judges' table for several weeks while he undergoes another back procedure, his representative has confirmed.
The surgery is being described as routine, but it is connected to continuing problems from Cowell's serious electric-bike accident in August 2020. That crash led to a lengthy spinal operation and the placement of a metal rod and screws.
The show will continue without him temporarily
Cowell, 66, is expected to miss multiple weeks of filming. No permanent change to the judging panel has been announced, and the current expectation is that he will return after recovering.
The producer and longtime television judge has spoken before about how much worse the 2020 injury was than early public descriptions suggested. He narrowly avoided a catastrophic spinal injury and later dealt with lasting nerve damage. A separate e-bike accident in 2022 left him with a broken arm, because apparently one dramatic bicycle chapter was not enough for the universe.
Cowell has remained involved with cycling despite those accidents, but the upcoming operation is a reminder that the original injury continues to affect him six years later.
What this means for AGT
America's Got Talent continues with host Terry Crews and judges Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara and Mel B. Cowell has been a central figure on the American edition since joining the judging panel in 2016, after years of building his reputation on talent competitions including American Idol and The X Factor.
His team has not described the procedure as a new emergency. For now, this is a medically necessary pause rather than an exit from the franchise.
Sources: Entertainment Weekly and reporting summarized from Cowell's representative.
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