Simon Cowell put quite a scare into the public when he broke his back after falling off his electric bike at the end of last summer. The music producer and TV personality was quickly rushed to the hospital and eventually had a five-hour surgery that involved him having fusions and a metal rod inserted into his back. While many were worried about him for a while, Cowell has since recovered and is about to make his return to America’s Got Talent. The reality TV judge originally had another gig lined up as well, but it now seems he’s decided to opt out of it.
Near the end of last year, it was reported that Simon Cowell would serve a stint as a judge on the The X Factor Israel, but according to Deadline, Cowell has formally cancelled his appearance on the show's upcoming fourth season. A spokesperson for Reshet (which produces the series) confirmed the news to the trade, saying that Cowell chose not to participate “for his own reasons.”
A Reshet representative previously told Variety that Simon Cowell’s staff reached out with “legitimate concerns” about the star’s participation in the show. As of this writing, neither Simon Cowell nor his team have confirmed the exact reason for his decision, and his reps did not verify whether the decision was related to the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas. According to a report from Jewish News of London, Cowell was “bitterly disappointed” that he could not appear on the show for “a number of reasons.”
Over the past several months, reports have suggested that Simon Cowell has been throwing himself back into a number of different activities. After recovering from his back injury and surgery, Cowell has been getting very active, as he was even seen jet-skiing only a few months after the accident. He even seems to be giving the electric bike another try. Cowell seems to have taken his recovery very seriously, changing up his daily routine in order to remain as healthy and active as possible.
Rest and relaxation seems to be something he’s enjoyed, but Simon Cowell also seems to be willing and ready to get back to work. He recently spoke on his impending return to America’s Got Talent, discussing his road back to health and what he loves most about working with his co-judges.
At this point, Simon Cowell appears to be eager to get back to his daily routine and, based on the promos we've seen for America's Got Talent so far, he should be in for an exciting season filled with fresh talent. It’ll be nice to see the star take his place at the judges’ table once again when the reality competition show returns for its new season tonight at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
