PUBLISHED ONSeptember 20, 20269:31 AM
Simon Cowell has had to pull out of Britain’s Got Talent filming because he is still recovering from spinal surgery.
The 66-year-old media mogul broke his back in an electric bike accident in 2020 and has undergone multiple operations since then, most recently a “routine” procedure last month.
And while he recovers from the operation, Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI will be joined by a guest judge during the Blackpool auditions for the talent show, though production company Fremantle are planning to postpone around half of the six-day schedule to January so Simon can still be involved as head judge.
A to be missing the auditions, but it’s important that he rests up now so he can make a full recovery
“It was a routine op that went well and he knows the team will find a fun guest judge to spice up filming and keep the audience on their toes.
“The current thinking is that producers will choose a male comedian to stand in for now, but decisions are being made currently.
“It’s quite last-minute, so a lot of talent is already booked up for that period.”
Simon previously admitted the accident had given him a “completely different outlook on life” and forced him to overhaul his lifestyle to make healthier choices.
He told The Sun newspaper: “I was so close to living the rest of my life in a wheelchair, it gives you a completely different outlook on life. In a positive way.
“It hurt – trust me – when it happened, but good things happened off the back of it.
“If I had to go through this all over again I actually would do it, because I think breaking my back was one of the best things that ever happened to me.
“I didn’t know really how unfit I was until I had to start doing all the exercises.
“But I feel better today than I did three years ago when it happened.”
Simon subsequently lost three stone after he overhauled his diet, stopped smoking and cut back drinking since he broke his back, and he also spent months in rehabilitation.
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