Simon Cowell To Skip ‘America’s Got Talent’ Live Shows While Recovering From Back Surgery

Simon Cowell won’t appear on NBC’s America’s Got Talent‘s first two live shows this season, Tuesday Aug. 11 and Wednesday Aug. 12.

The news comes a day as the AGT judge is recuperating from surgery following an accident at his Malibu home. Cowell fell while testing his new electric bike Saturday afternoon. According to his spokesperson, the AGT creator/executive producer broke his back in multiple places. He underwent surgery Saturday evening.

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The five-hour surgery went well, and he is in the hospital recovering.

This has been a challenging season for America’s Got Talent, which was in the middle of auditions when the coronavirus hit. It initially moved to taping auditions without an audience before shutting down production in March. Filming subsequently resumed with virtual performances.

This season’s first live show is scheduled for this coming Tuesday, Aug. 11. Today, Sofia Vergara posted a photo of her and fellow judges Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum on set during a rehearsal, pointing to Cowell’s empty chair while sending him well wishes.

On Sunday evening, Cowell took to social media for his first public comments after the accident and the complex surgery.

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