Mandel Describes the Surgery and Recovery
Speaking exclusively to E! News from his Los Angeles podcast studios on Sept. 3, judge Howie Mandel said Simon Cowell was "just hours out of surgery" and that he had "heard that it was a success, everything's okay." Mandel added that he had not yet phoned Cowell, joking, "I don't know that, this close to surgery, if this is the first thing you need to see." The 70-year-old said he planned to give Cowell a day or two before reaching out and that he "can't wait to see him and visit him and give him my best wishes." According to E!, the procedure was a previously planned back operation linked to the injuries Cowell suffered in 2020, when he broke his back in several places after falling from an e-bike at his Malibu home.
Mandel Expects Cowell Back Before the Finale
Mandel told E! News he was "hoping that Simon makes his way back and has a speedy, quick recovery" before a season 21 winner is crowned, and he called the contest "a very tough choice for America" because "there are way more than one or two acts worthy of the $1 million." He added, "I've never seen this close a race," referring to the prize of $1 million and a headline slot on a Las Vegas live show.
Fill-Ins at the Judges' Table
With Cowell absent from AGT's season 21 live shows, Kenan Thompson filled in at the judges' table earlier in the week, according to E!. Former judge Heidi Klum was scheduled to make her return to the NBC series to keep Cowell's seat warm, with Mandel calling the comeback "really exciting." NBC listed Klum's return for Tuesday at 8 p.m. A separate Independent summary repeated the Cowell health update as part of a broader entertainment roundup, listing Cowell, Mandel and AGT among the day's items but without adding new details about the surgery.
What's Next on the AGT Calendar
The next scheduled live episode is the Tuesday prime-time show on NBC featuring Klum's return as a guest judge. Cowell's eventual comeback to the panel before the season 21 finale remains the key unresolved timing question, with Mandel publicly backing a swift return.
Coverage Note
The Independent's roundup headlined the Cowell health update alongside unrelated items such as a UK heat-dome explainer, Richard O'Sullivan, an ITV cancer diagnosis and Melania Trump's absence from another political event; none of those items are covered here because they fall outside the central Cowell-surgery story.
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