NBC AGT judge Simon Cowell is recovering after a bike accident, from which he broke his back and needed surgery.
Back in August 2020, Simon Cowell fell off his electric bike and suffered a major back injury. He was immediately transported to the hospital, where he underwent a five-hour back surgery.
These days, fortunately, Cowell is feeling much better! In a recent interview with People, he shared, “I’ve got to be honest with you, it wasn’t that bad actually breaking your back,” he said. “I mean it wasn’t great for 3-4 weeks but after that you get through it. I had to do so much exercise now. I actually feel better than I did before the accident.”
Cowell then joked, “if you want to feel healthier, break your back.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Vergara’s Response to Cowell’s Accident
When fellow judge Sofia Vergara spoke to People about Cowell’s accident and him having to leave America’s Got Talent, she shared, “For me I had nightmares, it was heartbreaking to me not to have Simon my first season,” she said. “I thought I needed him to back me up and teach me, to guide me. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I lost like 6 lbs., I cried myself to sleep.”
Cowell then retorted, “I got to hand it to you Sofia, that was great acting.”
Because of Cowell’s back injury, the music mogul was forced to step away from judging America’s Got Talent. He was replaced with guest judges like Kenan Thompson. The rest of the show was led by just three judges.
Cowell ‘Nearly Smashed [His] Spine to Pieces’
In February, Cowell spoke to Today about his back and shared, “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 said that he was aware of the severity of the accident immediately. “I knew I’d broken my back the minute I landed. You’re not supposed to get up, but I made myself kind of get carried into my bedroom, which is right there at the end of the house, and I’m lying there and I’m kind of passing out. I mean, it was just was surreal,” he said.
After the injury, Simon spent time with his partner, Lauren Silverman, and son, Eric, in England, where they helped him with his recovery.
Now, Cowell is gearing up to judge an international season of the TV show, The X Factor. According to Deadline, he will be judging the show in Israel for its fourth season.
Cowell tells Deadline, “Over the years The X Factor format discovered amazing talents from all over the world, I can’t wait to see what Israel has to offer.”
The outlet adds that Cowell has signed a five-year deal with ITV for his other shows, including Britain’s Got Talent. In addition, Cowell is working on the series 50 States to Stardom, which will be a new CBS competition series for the network. He is working with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard on the series.
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