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Simon Cowell Out of 'America's Got Talent' for Weeks Over Routine Surgery
Simon Cowell will take a short hiatus from 'America's Got Talent' for a routine back procedure related to a 2020 injury. Sources say there is no new health crisis, and it's unclear who will fill in. The show is airing its 21st season on NBC.
Simon Cowell, known for his blunt judging style, is set to take a short break from "America's Got Talent" due to a routine surgery related to his back. The 66-year-old British music mogul, who has served as a judge on the show since 2016 and also serves as its executive producer, will miss the next couple of weeks of the hit NBC show.
TMZ first reported the news, citing sources with direct knowledge. According to the report, Cowell is scheduled to undergo back surgery soon, and the procedure will sideline him for several weeks. The insider also reassured that the procedure is routine and stressed that this is not a new major health crisis. Cowell's back issues stem from a serious electric-bike accident in August 2020 at his Malibu home, which nearly broke his backbone. At the time, he underwent surgery to fuse vertebrae and insert a metal rod and screws into his back, leading to a break from his judging duties and public appearances to recover.
Upcoming Absence
"America's Got Talent" is currently airing its 21st season on NBC. It remains unclear who will fill in for Cowell during his absence, and no return date has been announced. The network has not yet made an official statement regarding his temporary replacement.
The absence comes as Cowell recently weighed in on Tom Sandoval and his band, with TMZ reporting that Cowell didn't see them as major record sellers but thought they could make money playing weddings and parties. He also revealed he is considering putting together another boy or girl group.
How each outlet told it
Fox News — World
Framing: The headline states the fact that Cowell will miss filming for a 'back procedure' without characterizing it as routine. It does not mention the duration or the reason for the procedure. — Informative and slightly dramatic, using descriptive quotes from Cowell about the severity of his past accident, but balances with reassurance that it's routine.
Facts Included:
Simon Cowell is stepping away from the judges' table.
He will miss weeks of filming as he prepares for a medical procedure related to lingering back issues.
Fox News Digital learned that the show is scheduling guest judges to fill in.
TMZ reported the procedure is routine and tied to longstanding back problems.
Cowell has struggled with back issues since his electric-bike accident in 2020.
He told Extra six months after the accident: 'It could have been a lot worse. When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn’t (have) been able to walk.'
He admitted he knew he had broken his back immediately after falling.
He described the aftermath: 'You’re not supposed to get up, but I made myself kind of get carried into my bedroom... I’m lying there and I’m kind of passing out. It was just surreal.'
Cowell was injured in another e-bike incident in 2022. A source told Fox News Digital he 'crashed to the ground' and 'broke his arm.'
His breakthrough came in 2001 on Britain's 'Pop Idol.'
He joined 'American Idol' in 2002 as an original judge alongside Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson.
He built a TV empire, creating 'The X Factor' and developing the 'Got Talent' franchise, helping launch One Direction, Fifth Harmony, and Il Divo.
Framing: The headline asks 'Why Simon Cowell isn’t on 'America’s Got Talent'' without revealing the reason, creating curiosity. It focuses on his absence from the show. — Informative and slightly sympathetic; the tone is neutral but includes positive quotes from Cowell about his passion for the show, balancing the medical news.
Facts Included:
Cowell is temporarily stepping away from his judge position on AGT.
He will miss a few weeks of filming as he undergoes back surgery, as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
A representative for Cowell told Entertainment Weekly: 'Obviously medical matters are private but it’s routine and he will be back in a few weeks.'
The surgery comes as AGT is in the middle of the live quarterfinal shows.
Guest judges are expected to fill Cowell’s place, though the lineup is not yet shared, per USA Today.
Cowell has been an AGT judge for a decade.
In 2020, he fell off an electric bike and broke his back, missing some live shows.
He underwent a roughly five-hour surgery with several fusions and a metal rod put into his back.
Cowell shared advice on X: 'Some good advice... If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time.'
At the Season 21 premiere, he hit his golden buzzer for 14-year-old Lai Noelle.
He praised Noelle's audition in a virtual press conference, comparing her to early 'Idol' singers.
He spoke about the 'purpose' of AGT, saying it puts performers on the ladder and gives him a buzz.
Framing: Uses 'unexpected' break in the headline, implying surprise, and asks 'Here's why' to generate curiosity. Emphasizes the break is due to routine surgery. — Reassuring and factual, with phrases like 'reassured about Simon's health' and 'routine procedure' to minimize concern.
Facts Included:
Simon Cowell is taking a short hiatus from AGT due to routine surgery.
He has been a judge on the show since 2016.
The procedure is related to a back injury dating back to 2020.
A source told TMZ that Cowell is scheduled to have back surgery soon and will sit out several weeks.
The insider reassured that it is a routine procedure with no indication of a new major health crisis.
AGT is airing its 21st season on NBC.
It hasn't been announced who will fill in for Cowell.
Cowell survived a serious accident in August 2020 falling off an electric bike at his Malibu home, which nearly broke his backbone.
He underwent surgery on August 8, involving fusing vertebrae and inserting a metal rod and screws.
He took a break from judging and public appearances to recover.
Framing: Emphasizes that Cowell is out of 'AGT' for weeks due to routine surgery, using 'routine' to suggest low severity. Does not mention the nature of the surgery or his history. — Informative and somewhat casual, using phrases like 'hit NBC show' and 'we're told' to convey a matter-of-fact tone. Example: 'we're told this is a routine procedure and there is no indication of a new major health crisis.'
Facts Included:
Simon Cowell will miss 'America's Got Talent' for several weeks due to routine back surgery.
The procedure is routine with no indication of a new major health crisis.
Cowell has a history of back issues following a 2020 electric-bike accident that required surgery.
It's unclear who will fill in for Cowell or when he will return.
Cowell is 66 years old, known for his brutally honest judging style on 'American Idol,' 'The X Factor,' and 'America's Got Talent.'
He helped create and develop One Direction and Fifth Harmony.
In March, Cowell commented on Tom Sandoval's band, saying they could make money playing weddings and parties.
Cowell is considering putting together another boy or girl group.
TMZ reached out to Cowell's reps for comment; no word back.
Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.
Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimSimon Cowell will miss several weeks of 'America's Got Talent' due to routine back surgery.
ClaimA representative for Cowell told Entertainment Weekly: 'Obviously medical matters are private but it’s routine and he will be back in a few weeks.'
ClaimCowell told Extra six months after his 2020 accident: 'It could have been a lot worse. When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn’t (have) been able to walk.'
ClaimCowell described the aftermath of the accident: 'You’re not supposed to get up, but I made myself kind of get carried into my bedroom... I’m lying there and I’m kind of passing out. It was just surreal.'