Simon Cowell is stepping away from America’s Got Talent for a few weeks while he undergoes back surgery.
The famous judge, 66, will be absent from the panel on NBC’s reality competition as he’s scheduled for a routine procedure, as first reported by TMZ.
The Independent has learned that guest judges will fill in for Cowell during his time away, although the judges have not yet been announced.
It is unclear when Cowell will return to the show. The Independent has reached out to Cowell for further comment.
The British music mogul has had a series of operations in recent years after he broke his back in an electric bike accident in 2020 that required him to undergo six hours of surgery.
Cowell’s injuries stopped him from appearing in the 2020 season of Britain’s Got Talent. He was temporarily replaced by the show’s previous winner Ashley Banjo.
After he recovered, Cowell said he was “lucky to survive” the ordeal. He told OK! magazine in 2022: “I didn’t talk about it too much at the time. I kept a lot back. It was a lot worse than people thought. I had a lot of long-term nerve damage as well.”
He admitted: “If there was one good thing about lockdown, it was that it gave me the time to heal because I wasn’t working on a TV show. I was able to walk a lot and strengthen my legs.”
In 2022, the TV personality had another e-bike crash that saw him hospitalized with a broken arm, badly bruised cheek and possible concussion. However, the injuries were not as serious as his first accident and he was released from the hospital that same day.
Cowell is known for his brutally honest judging style on reality competitions like AGT, The X Factor and American Idol. He is also hailed as a successful talent scout, having put together massive acts like One Direction and Fifth Harmony.
AGT’s current season 21 marks Cowell’s eleventh season as a judge on the show, although he has been an executive producer since the show’s creation in 2006.
Hosted by Terry Crews, the show features Cowell alongside fellow judges Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B.
Season 21 is currently in its phase of live shows, with new performance episodes airing live each Tuesday and Wednesday. The quarterfinals kicked off August 18 and will run through September 8 before the semifinals on September 15 and 16.
The final competition and the finale episode will air September 22 and 23.
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