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Simon Cowell to Miss 'America's Got Talent' for Weeks as He Undergoes Surgery
Cowell is scheduled for a routine back procedure and will sit out the NBC show for several weeks, TMZ reported.
- On Sunday, August 23, 2026, NBC's America's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell announced he will miss several weeks of the show to undergo a routine back procedure, as reported by TMZ.
- Following a serious 2020 electric-bike accident that required six hours of surgery, Cowell has managed recurring back issues and long-term nerve damage over recent years.
- Cowell serves as a judge alongside Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofia Vergara on season 21, which is currently in its live performance phase with episodes airing Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Guest judges will fill Cowell's seat during his recovery, though The Independent has learned his exact return date remains unclear and replacements have not yet been announced.
- Beyond his judging role, Cowell has served as an executive producer since the show's 2006 creation and developed major pop acts including One Direction and Fifth Harmony.
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Simon Cowell will undergo a new back surgery six years after his accident — according to sources
·Montreal, Canada
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Simon Cowell Will Be Absent From America's Got Talent for Weeks Amid Back Surgery
Simon Cowell is on the road to recovery. The America's Got Talent judge will be taking some much-needed time off of work in the coming weeks due to a scheduled surgery on his back, his publicist...
·Universal City, United States
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Total News Sources27
Leaning Left8Leaning Right6Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution42% Center
Bias Distribution
- 42% of the sources are Center
42% Center
L 33%
C 42%
R 25%
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