Jump to contentAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleSimon Cowell has temporarily stepped down from judging America’s Got Talent to undergo routine back surgery. Emmy-nominated comedian Kenan Thompson will act as the first guest judge on the panel from Tuesday 1 September. Thompson will join existing judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara, having previously filled in during Cowell's absence in 2020. The surgical procedure follows a history of back injuries for Cowell, who previously broke his back in an electric bike crash in 2020. NBC has confirmed that further guest judges will be announced to cover for Cowell during his recovery period. In fullSimon Cowell’s first replacement for America’s Got Talent announcedMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

NBC made the announcement from the official ‘America’s Got Talent’ Instagram page

Simon Cowell is taking a break from AGT for back surgery, six years after a bike accident left him with a broken back. | Hollywood