Simon Cowell will be absent from America's Got Talent for several weeks after undergoing back surgery, his publicist has confirmed.
"Obviously medical matters are private," Cowell's representative told Entertainment Weekly in an Aug. 24 statement, "but it's routine and he will be back in a few weeks."
The 66-year-old will miss part of the NBC reality competition's season 21 while fellow judges Sofía Vergara, Mel B and Howie Mandel hold down the panel. E! News reached out to a rep for Cowell but did not receive an immediate response.
Cowell's surgery follows a serious 2020 accident in which he broke his back in several places after falling from an e-bike at his home in Malibu, California. At the time, he tweeted from the hospital: "Some good advice...If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time. I have broken part of my back. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages."
Cowell's recovery will also give him time to plan his wedding to fiancée Lauren Silverman, with whom he has a 12-year-old son, Eric Cowell. The America's Idol alum proposed to Silverman over Christmas nearly five years ago and has been outspoken about taking charge of the nuptials himself.
Cowell's Wedding Plans
"I am planning it all, otherwise I know what will happen, there will be 600 people and it'll get out of control, like my 50th birthday party," Cowell told The Sun in 2022. "No one knows when it's going to be, that'll be a surprise, even for Lauren."
He said he wanted to avoid a traditional wedding planner. "I don't want to have one of these ghastly wedding planners and all the arguments that happen, and who you do invite and who you don't invite. The whole thing just seems like too much hassle."
America's Got Talent airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on NBC.
How Contestants Reach the Judges
Contestants do not audition in front of Cowell, Vergara, Mel B and Mandel the first time out. They go through open call auditions, either in person, virtually or via video submission, before producers decide who advances.
"We have open call auditions virtually to reach as many people as possible," Theresa Graham, NBCUniversal's director of unscripted formats, told NBC Insider in 2022. "Anybody can sign up and have an audition with our casting team and producers. If they think that somebody is worth considering, they put them through to our executive producers. After they say yes, then the act will go to audition in front of the judges."
Audition Time Limits and Banned Items
Under the show's audition guidelines, hopefuls get up to 90 seconds to perform at virtual open calls, though producers reserve the right to modify that. Video submissions must run under two minutes.
Open flames are barred from open call auditions, with the rules stating that "fire and special rigging are not allowed." Acts involving animals must submit an Animal Information Form along with vaccination records. Other banned items include coolers (unless needed for medical reasons), fireworks, weapons, sharp tools, mace or pepper spray, illicit drugs, alcohol, and props requiring fire or pyrotechnics.
Travel Costs and Camera-Ready Rules
Once contestants advance to the judges' audition round, the show covers airfare for those traveling long distances, or a bus ticket, train ticket or gas reimbursement for those closer to the audition site. Hotel accommodations and a daily allowance for food and other expenses are also provided.
The show does not supply hair and makeup for the judges' audition round, so contestants must arrive camera-ready, though those services are provided in later rounds. AGT makeup artist Tonia Green noted on Instagram that her team worked with hundreds of contestants during season 19.
Rehearsals and the $1 Million Prize
Contestants also take part in a separate results rehearsal. "All the contestants have to do a results rehearsal," Sofie Dossi, who competed across three seasons of America's Got Talent, said in a 2024 YouTube video. "It's so everyone knows where to go if you're booted off or if you make it through, and for the staff to figure out lighting and camera angles."
The show's grand prize is $1 million, but winners don't necessarily receive it in full right away. A statement read in the show's end credits notes the prize "is payable in a financial annuity over forty years, or the contestants may choose to receive the present value of such annuity." Spread over 40 years, that works out to $25,000 a year before taxes.
