Simon Cowell to Undergo Surgery Amid ‘America’s Got Talent’ Live Shows, Celeb Guests to Fill in as Judges
The mogul's procedure will cause him to miss several weeks of the series.
Simon Cowell is set to miss several weeks of America’s Got Talent live shows while he undergoes routine back surgery, according to Billboard. A list of celebrity guests, still in the process of being booked, will step in as judges during his absence. TMZ broke the news, which Billboard confirmed. The season 21 live quarterfinals of AGT started on August 18 and will continue until September 8.
Following that, the semifinals are scheduled for September 15, with results airing the next day, before the live finals on September 22 and the live finale on September 23. Cowell's surgery might be connected to his 2020 e-bike accident, which led to surgery involving a metal rod in his back, as he mentioned on X. He had previously sought advice to read the manual before riding an electric trail bike.
Two years after the 2020 incident, Cowell suffered a less severe injury in another e-bike accident, breaking his arm. Cowell, who is also a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, is set to return to the panel for the show's 20th season, which is expected to premiere in early 2027. The current American iteration of AGT features co-judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofía Vergara.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
