Music mogul Simon Cowell has been hospitalized after breaking his bike, it has been confirmed.
The 60-year-old talent show judge and executive producer suffered the injury after falling off an electric bicycle while spending time with his family and was rushed to the hospital in Malibu, California.
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“Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon whilst testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his house in Malibu with his family,” a spokesperson for Cowell said. “He has broken his back and will be having surgery this evening.”
Cowell underwent a 5-hour surgery overnight and is reportedly lucky the fall wasn’t worse than it was.
“Simon had surgery overnight and is doing okay this morning. It was a five-hour surgery and he has had to have a number of fusions and metal rod put into his back,” a source told PEOPLE Magazine. “He landed on his back when he fell from the bike. The injuries are bad but he’s also been told he was lucky.”
This marks the second time Cowell was taken to the hospital for a fall. Back in 2018, he missed the first X Factor live show after falling in his London home. He would miss the first weekend of live shows that year before returning to the judge’s desk the following week.
Cowell will miss Tuesday and Wednesday’s live episodes of America’s Got Talent, NBC confirmed on Sunday. There is no word if a judge will be brought in to replace Mr. Cowell at this time.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Got Talent is returning to screens next month, and depending on how severe the surgery is, he may or may not be back for that either.
Updated with news of Cowell’s back surgery and missing AGT this week.
