Simon Cowell to face unexpected 'America's Got Talent' break: Here's why

Simon Cowell, known for his blunt judging, is taking a short hiatus from America's Got Talent due to a routine surgery.

The English TV personality, who has been serving as a judge on the show since 2016, will not appear on the talent show for the next couple of weeks, TMZ reported.

The outlet shared that Simon, who is also Executive Producer of the show, will be undergoing a routine procedure related to his back injury dates back to 2020.

A source close to the 66-year-old British music mogul told the publisher, "Cowell is scheduled to have back surgery soon, and the procedure will force him to sit out several weeks of the hit NBC show."

However, the insider reassured about Simon's health that it "is a routine procedure and there is no indication of a new major health crisis."

As AGT is airing its 21st season on NBC, it hasn't been announced who is going to take Simon's seat while he is away from the show.

For those unversed, Simon survived a serious accident in August 2020 after falling off an electric bike at his Malibu home, which nearly broke his backbone.

On August 8, he underwent surgery which involved fusing vertebrae and inserting a metal rod and screws into his back.

During that time, he also took a break from his judging role on America's Got Talent and public appearances in order to recover.