Simon Cowell’s Recent Injuries, from Broken Back to Missing Tooth
Photos by: Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 2 minutes
America’s Got Talent judge Simon Cowell has sustained quite a few injuries in recent years, most famously from not one but two electric bike accidents. Let’s look back at how Cowell hurt himself and what he had to say about the injuries.
Simon Cowell Broke His Back in 2020
In August 2020, Cowell fell off an electric bike while riding it at his home in Malibu. The music mogul broke his back in several places and had to undergo a six-hour surgery. A metal rod was placed in his back, and he missed appearances on both AGT and BGT as he recovered.
“Some good advice… If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,” Cowell tweeted after the accident. He also gave a “massive thank you to all the nurses and doctors” who helped him.
Cowell later told Kelly Clarkson that he knew he broke his back when it happened. He also shared that he was “a millimeter away from breaking my spine, which would have been a disaster.” Cowell’s son Eric compared him to Iron Man after his surgery.
The judge returned for the next season of AGT in 2021, and he shared how the injury changed him. Because he had to exercise more due to physical therapy, he told Entertainment Tonight that he felt “better than I did a year ago.”
SEE ALSO: THE 10 MOST ICONIC SIMON COWELL MOMENTS IN TALENT SHOW HISTORY
He Broke His Arm and Lost His Tooth in 2022
Breaking his back couldn’t keep Cowell off electric bikes for long. In early 2022, he had yet another accident while riding one. He broke his wrist and had to wear a cast and then, later, a wrist brace. TMZ reported that he also bruised his cheek and may have suffered a concussion.
“I was riding my bike… I went around a corner too fast,” Cowell told Extra of the second crash. “That was it, knocked myself out. There were some people nearby, thank God, so they stopped the traffic… I was in a bit of a daze… I got back on my bike and drove one-armed back to the house. That’s how nutty I was.”
Around the same time as his bike accident, Cowell told Extra that he also lost a tooth while eating peanut brittle and tested positive for Covid-19. He also admitted that he wasn’t wearing a helmet during his second accident. Hopefully, he’ll be more careful in the future.
