Simon Cowell will miss the two-day season finale of America’s Got Talent, but he still has a message for all the finalists. Cowell will not be part of the action as he recovers from a routine back procedure. Although he cannot be there in person, the longtime judge is still keeping an eye on the competition and has shared his thoughts with the finalists ahead of the finale.
Simon Cowell sends a message from home to America’s Got Talent finalists as he continues recovering from surgery
The finale, which is spread over Sept. 22 and 23, was not attended by series creator and judge Simon Cowell because he is recovering from a routine procedure for his back. According to People, his absence was alleviated when host Ted Crews read a message from Simon Cowell.
“Of course, we miss Simon. And he sent everybody a message,” Crews, 58, said, before sharing it with viewers: “Hello everyone, I wanted to wish all the finalists tonight the best of luck,” it read. “I am so sad that I won’t be there in person, but I will be watching from home. And KSI, hold onto your water when Mel B is around.”
Crews sent him “best wishes” from those holding down the fort for AGT. A spokesperson told Entertainment Weekly that the surgery was “routine and he will be back in a few weeks.”
Cowell will not be able to take the judge’s chair alongside Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B. The two-day finale began on Tuesday night, with influencer KSI filling in for Cowell as a guest judge. Cowell has served as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent since 2025.
Cowell’s health troubles started when he broke his back falling off an electric bike in Malibu and missed part of Season 15 of AGT. He later told People that he was feeling “much better”. Cowell had broken his back in three places and had to have a five-hour surgery.
In 2022, he told OK! Magazine that he was “lucky to survive” the ordeal. “It was a lot worse than people thought,” he said, adding that he suffered long-term nerve damage. AGT’s 21st season premiered in June. The second and final day of the finale continues on Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
