Simon Cowell to miss weeks of America’s Got Talent due to back surgery

(EW) – Simon Cowell will miss a few weeks of America’s Got Talent as he undergoes back surgery.

His representative told Entertainment Weekly, “Obviously medical matters are private but it’s routine and he will be back in a few weeks.”

TMZ was first to report the news on Cowell’s upcoming surgery. Sources said he will need to sit out for several weeks of the hit NBC competition show, on which he is a judge alongside Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, and Mel B. AGT is hosted by Terry Crews.

EW has also reached out to production company Fremantle and NBC for further comment.

Cowell, 66, has struggled with back issues since he was in a serious electric bicycle accident in August 2020. He underwent a six-hour fusion surgery, involving a metal rod and screws, following the incident on a Swind EB-01.

“Simon has broken his back and will be having surgery this evening,” his representative shared with PEOPLE at the time, noting that he fell off a new bike he’d been testing in the courtyard of his Malibu home.

The rep added, “He hurt his back and was taken to the hospital. He’s doing fine, he’s under observation and is in the best possible hands.”

Cowell addressed the injury on The Kelly Clarkson Show in June 2021, saying he has “titanium” in his body.