When it comes to reality television, Simon Cowell is the unofficial and undisputed king of judges. That’s what makes NBC’s America’s Got Talent work. Unfortunately, Cowell’s bike accident and resulting back injury led to the television personality being absent from the show, but the AGT judge looks back on it with a more upbeat perspective. The returning AGT judge even believes that he's actually "lucky" following the accident.
Watching Simon Cowell on America’s Got Talent harkens back to his early days of American Idol, and he's still a fan favorite among viewers. So Cowell’s absence left an incredible void during the competition series’ previous season and, during a very honest moment, the reality television impresario said this about his life-changing injury:
If you saw the scan, I mean, I was like a millimeter away from just completely cutting my back in half. So, I consider myself lucky. It could've been a lot worse… Weirdly it was a good thing that it happened. I didn't get COVID because I wasn't able to travel, and I probably would've done my fair share last year.
Given the seriousness of his injury, it’s commendable that the AGT judge found the positive side of things. While the back injury cut his season short, Simon Cowell was allowed to heal properly because of the pandemic. Knowing how much of a workaholic Cowell is, the unfortunate injury likely served as a blessing, as it allowed him to slow down and take time to reassess some things.
During his interview with Entertainment Tonight, Simon Cowell revealed more on how the serious injury affected his health and admitted that doing physical therapy changed his approach to fitness. Cowell said about his current physical condition:
That whole therapy thing you really, really have to exercise more. So, I feel better than I did a year ago.
While the injury sidelined the AGT judge for months, it allowed him to get his physical fitness together. Simon Cowell also showed his softer side by admitting he missed being around his fellow judges, saying that Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara always make him laugh. After such a scary injury, it seems Cowell is even more grateful to be a part of the NBC competition series.
In addition to Simon Cowell’s back injury, AGT experienced another shake-up as Klum suffered a COVID scare, leading to her missing a few episodes. Thankfully, SNL alum Kenan Thompson and Voice coach Kelly Clarkson were able to step in for them. While Thompson and Clarkson were a breath of fresh air for the NBC series, audiences missed Cowell and Klum. Now, fans will get the chance to see the two together again.
Having a year off to heal from his back injury allowed Simon Cowell to gain some perspective when it comes to life and work. And now that Simon Cowell is up and ready to go, fans can look forward to seeing him when America’s Got Talent returns to NBC on June 1 at 8 pm EST.
