Simon Cowell had back surgery. He will skip live episodes of America's Got Talent for a few weeks while he gets better after the routine operation. Reports surfaced on Monday, August 24, 2026. USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Yahoo News Canada all published the news. He remains absent. The break is focused on live broadcasts.
TMZ, TV Insider, and talentrecap.com also shared updates about his recovery process. Cowell needs time. He takes a period of a few weeks off to heal up. Recovery should take several weeks.