America’s Got Talent has just reached a critical point in its 21st season, as live shows kicked off last week on the 2026 TV schedule. But as contestants like the “bloody fantastic” parkour performer participate in what is likely the biggest moment of their lives to date, there’s going to be one vital person missing from the audience. Simon Cowell is reportedly stepping away from the AGT judges’ table for a couple of weeks.
Simon Cowell is scheduled to have back surgery soon, according to TMZ, which will reportedly force him to miss several tapings of America’s Got Talent’s live shows. While the British TV personality has struggled with back issues since breaking his back in an electric bike accident in 2020, this surgery is allegedly a routine procedure, rather than an indication of further complications.
No official word has come from Simon Cowell or NBC on when his reported hiatus will begin and who (if anyone) will replace him on the judging panel during his absence. We also don’t know exactly how many weeks he’s expected to be out, which makes sense, because I’d imagine that will depend on him and how quickly he recovers.
Simon Cowell’s Back Issues Stem From A 2020 E-Bike Accident
Doctors told Simon Cowell after his accident in 2020 that he might never walk again, as he required an 11-hour surgery to have spinal fusions and a metal rod inserted into his back. While the incident forced him to miss tapings of AGT at the time, he recovered well, and fairly quickly, too — at least until about a year and a half later when he had a second e-bike accident.
This time the former American Idol judge suffered a broken arm and other injuries, and his back issues were exacerbated by the second crash. No wonder his son Eric “went crazy” when he saw his dad try to keep riding afterward!
Simon Cowell has been experiencing ramifications of those electric bike accidents for years, so while we don’t have any information straight from the source, it would make sense if his reported upcoming back surgery is related to that.
Why I Think It’s OK To Lose Simon Cowell At This Point in AGT Season 21
This is quite the blow for AGT Season 21, both for the contestants, who take pride in impressing the not-as-rude-as-he-seems judge, and the audience, who loves to boo any notion of negative feedback from him.
While it won’t be the same to not have Simon Cowell’s reactions and constructive criticism, I think if he has to miss any episodes, this is the portion of the competition for him to miss. The judges — who include Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara and Mel B — have done the biggest part of their job, choosing the performers during the auditions, then using the historic callback twist to decide who will perform for America's vote in the quarterfinals.
With the live shows kicking off, the power is handed over to America to choose who stays and who goes, so Simon Cowell won’t be missing out on any of the decision-making.
It’s not clear when exactly his hiatus will start, but either way, you can tune in to see Night 2 of live quarterfinals at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, August 25, on NBC and streaming the next day with a Peacock subscription. A live results show will air at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday, August 26.
