Why Is Simon Cowell Absent From America's Got Talent?
The judging panel at America's Got Talent is missing its most familiar face. Simon Cowell has been away from the season 21 live shows, and the absence is medical. Howie Mandel has given a health update on his fellow judge, and E! News described that update as a surgery update.
The medical issue traces back to a 2020 accident. Cowell broke his back in several places after falling from an electric bike at his Malibu home. The exact details of the current procedure have not been confirmed in the reporting, but the absence has been tied to that earlier injury rather than to any announced departure from the show.
Kenan Thompson takes the guest judge seat
Kenan Thompson is set to fill in for Cowell as a guest judge on AGT. That is a temporary role. It keeps the live shows moving while a regular judge is unavailable, and it leaves the door open for Cowell to return once his health situation is resolved.
Heidi Klum returns for the Top 16 reveal
Heidi Klum is also coming back to AGT for a special three-hour episode event. NBC Insider says that by the end of that episode, viewers will know the full list of acts rounding out the Top 16 performers who will move forward in the competition.
The timing matters. A longer episode is a big night for the competition, and Klum's return gives the show another familiar face in the room when the field is about to shrink.
The show continues without a return date
Cowell's absence changes the look of the judging panel, but it has not slowed the season. The live rounds are still running, Thompson is in the guest seat, and the special episode with Klum is set to decide the Top 16.
No return date for Cowell has been announced. The reporting so far frames his time away as a health-related pause, not a farewell.