Simon Cowell’s spot on the “America’s Got Talent” judging panel will be vacant for the next few weeks as he undergoes back surgery.
“Obviously medical matters are private but it’s routine and he will be back in a few weeks,” the 66-year-old music executive’s representative said in a statement to Entertainment Weekly.
Cowell’s rep did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for additional comment.
Cowell sits on the judging panel with Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara and Mel B. The quartet are currently deciding which contestants will advance from the quarterfinals stage. The rep did not confirm when the toughest judge is expected to return to Season 21, which premiered in June.
It’s not yet confirmed if a guest will fill in for Cowell at the judge’s table.
News of Cowell’s surgery was first reported by TMZ. Sources with direct knowledge told the publication that he is undergoing a routine procedure related to his back and that there is no indication of a new major health crisis.
The television personality has had to undergo an operation to treat his back problems before.
In August 2020, he had a six-hour surgery after breaking his back in multiple places, his rep told TODAY.com at the time. The operation involved many procedures and fusions, and required a metal rod to be placed in Cowell’s back.
A spokesperson said that Cowell injured his back after falling from his electric bike at his home in Malibu.
A year later, he opened up about the severity of the situation while appearing on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
“I was like a millimeter away from breaking my spine, which would have been a disaster,” he revealed. “So in a weird way it was kind of meant to happen because I was really pushing my luck.”
Dowel recalled that his son Eric was with him when he was “thrown about 8 feet in the air” and landed on the ground.
“This is at the front of my house and the only thing I thought was, ‘I can’t lie here.’ And you’re not supposed to move. I knew I’d broken my back in that second, somehow managed to get back into my bedroom,” he added.
He said in addition to a large scar, he was left with a titanium rod and screws in his back following the surgery.
Cowell also addressed the accident during an interview with TODAY’s Jason Kennedy in May 2023.
