Cinema VinesSimon Cowell has announced a temporary departure from America’s Got Talent to undergo routine back surgery, following a serious bike accident that left him with a broken back six years ago. The judge’s decision was revealed on August 2026, when he posted a brief update on Instagram and confirmed that he would be absent from season 21’s live shows for a few weeks. A representative told Entertainment Weekly that the procedure was routine and that Cowell would return once he had fully recovered.
During the August 25 live broadcast, Cowell’s chair sat empty while the remaining judges—Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B—stepped in to keep the show running. Although the exact date of his return has not been disclosed, the network has already arranged for a temporary replacement. Kenan Thompson, the longtime Saturday Night Live cast member, will serve as a guest judge for the third round of the quarterfinals on September 1, sitting alongside Mandel, Vergara, and Mel B.
Thompson is no stranger to stepping in for Cowell. He previously filled the judge’s seat in August 2020 after Cowell’s accident, sharing the panel with Mandel, Vergara, and then‑judge Heidi Klum. Thompson’s experience on the show has made him a familiar face to AGT fans, and his presence is expected to keep the judging panel balanced while Cowell recovers.
Cowell’s 2020 bike mishap occurred while he was testing a new electric bike at his Malibu home. He fell, broke his back, and required a five‑hour operation that involved multiple spinal fusions and the insertion of a metal rod. The accident happened during AGT season 15, forcing him to miss several live shows. He has since continued to ride e‑bikes, even after a second injury in February 2022 when he broke his arm falling off an e‑bike in London.
In interviews, Cowell has spoken openly about his injuries. On The Kelly Clarkson Show in June 2021, he described the fall: “I was thrown about eight feet in the air, landed on my back, and I knew I’d broken my back in that second.” He added that he managed to get back into his bedroom and awaited an ambulance, all while covered in blood. Despite the setbacks, Cowell remains passionate about biking, stating in a 2023 Today interview that he is “obsessed with these things.”
