Simon Cowell recently had back surgery. He is set to miss live episodes of America's Got Talent for a few weeks while he gets better after the routine procedure. Reports surfaced on Monday, August 24, 2026. USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, and Yahoo News Canada all published the news. He is stepping aside. The time off is specifically for live broadcasts.
TMZ, TV Insider, and talentrecap.com also wrote about his recovery process. Cowell needs time. He takes a period of a few weeks off to heal up. Recovery is expected to take several weeks.