What to Know About Simon Cowell’s 2020 Bike Accident and Why He’s Undergoing Back Surgery Again

Simon Cowell fell off an electric bike in 2020 and broke his back

He was rushed to the hospital and underwent a five-hour surgery

In August 2026, Cowell's rep said the America's Got Talent judge would miss a few weeks of filming season 21 to undergo another surgery

Simon Cowell nearly lost his ability to walk six years ago.

The longtime America's Got Talent judge fell off an electric bike in the summer of 2020 and broke his back. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors told him he was "lucky" his injuries weren't worse, a source told PEOPLE at the time. Cowell then underwent a five-hour surgery to repair the damage.

"I knew I'd broken my back the minute I landed. It was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt," the former American Idol judge told Extra in February 2021. "It could have been a lot worse. When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn't have been able to walk."

Now, six years later, Cowell is taking time off from America's Got Talent to undergo another back surgery . His rep told Entertainment Weekly that the procedure is "routine."

Here's everything to know about Simon Cowell's 2020 bike accident — and his health today.

Cowell broke his back in a 2020 bike accident

In August 2020, Cowell was at his Malibu home testing out a new e-bike when he fell and broke his back.

"Some good advice ... If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time. I have broken part of my back," he shared on Instagram a day later. "Thank you to everyone for your kind messages."

During a June 2021 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show , Cowell recalled how quickly the accident unfolded.

"In a weird way, it was kind of meant to happen because I was really pushing my luck. I was buying these crazy, crazy bikes and this particular bike I bought had so much power, I was thrown about eight feet in the air, landed on my back," he said, adding that his son, Eric , witnessed the accident.

"I knew I'd broken my back in that second, and somehow managed to get back into my bedroom," Cowell continued. "I'm lying in my bed, and covered in blood, waiting for the ambulance."

He stepped away from America's Got Talent to recover after surgery

Cowell underwent a five-hour surgery to repair his back. At the time, a source told PEOPLE that he "had to have a number of fusions and a metal rod put into his back."

The TV personality later told Extra that he was nervous about returning home from the hospital, mainly because he worried about how his son might react to seeing him in pain.

"I said, 'Lauren, I just don't know how to explain it to Eric.' She obviously said something to him because he came in … and I was lying in bed, and he said, 'Daddy, you're like Ironman,' and I thought that was the sweetest thing and it meant a lot," he recalled of a conversation with his fiancée, Lauren Silverman .

Cowell's accident came in the middle of America's Got Talent season 15, after he had already filmed the audition rounds. He stepped away from the show to recover, missing the live shows that began just days after his accident.

As he recuperated, an insider told PEOPLE in September 2020 that Cowell was " swimming many times a day to build the strength in his back." Along with doing laps and sticking to a clean diet, he also incorporated plenty of walking into his recovery.

"Being able to do things like swimming and taking long walks is big steps forward after an injury like this, but he's doing really great," the source added. "Whenever someone visits, he basically seems to want to race them on a long walk in the garden."

Cowell said he was "lucky to survive" the accident

In April 2022, Cowell spoke with OK! magazine and admitted that he had initially downplayed the severity of his accident. He also said he was "lucky to survive" his back surgery.

"It was a lot worse than people thought. I had a lot of long-term nerve damage as well," he added.

Cowell said his recovery was a long process. At one point, after he thought his bones had healed, he experienced significant pain while trying to play soccer with his son. Then, in February 2022, he suffered another setback when he fell off an e-bike in London and broke his arm .

Despite his two accidents, Cowell hasn't given up riding e-bikes.

"I'm still gonna stay on my bike. I'm obsessed with these things," he told Today in 2023.

He's taking a leave from AGT season 21 for another back surgery

In August 2026, TMZ and Entertainment Weekly reported that Cowell will temporarily step away from America's Got Talent season 21 to undergo another back surgery.

"Obviously, medical matters are private, but it's routine, and he will be back in a few weeks," a rep for Cowell told EW .

Guest judges are expected to fill in for Cowell during his absence, though no replacements have officially been announced.