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Simon Cowell made headlines this weekend after he was involved in an accident while he was riding an electric bicycle.
Cowell broke his back in multiple places after falling from the new bike he’d been testing in the courtyard of his Malibu home. Luckily, his family was present at the time of the accident and his partner, Lauren Silverman, accompanied him to the hospital. The host ended up undergoing an overnight, six-hour surgery that included placement of a metal rod.
In the middle of all the madness, Simon managed to issue a message to fans on his Twitter. He tweeted, “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. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages.”
He went on to thank the team that helped him at the hospital, writing, “And a massive thank you to all the nurses and doctors. Some of the nicest people I have ever met. Stay safe everyone Simon.”
While Cowell‘s recovery seems to be going well, the major injury means he will miss the beginning of this season’s live ‘America’s Got Talent’ tapings. The live shows are set to begin on August 11 and 12 will take place without him, according to the network.
Luckily, a familiar face has stepped in to take over. Kelly Clarkson will be joining ‘America’s Got Talent’ along with the show’s other judges Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara .
Clarkson announced the news on social media on Tuesday, posting a picture of an “URGENT MEMO” about AGT‘s future. In the post, she wrote, ”My friend, Simon Cowell, is doing better now but was in an accident and won’t be able to make Tuesday and Wednesday’s live shows for AGT, but no worries America, someone far wiser, cooler, and hotter is taking his seat! The unbelievably amazing Kelly Clarkson. You’re welcome in advance!”
According to reports from Deadline, Clarkson is taking on the prestigious title of ‘guest judge’ and her talents will be enlisted on the live shows that take place this Tuesday and Wednesday.
Of course, any fan of Cowell or Clarkson would know that these two go way back. He was a judge on American Idol, the show that introduced the entire world to Clarkson and her amazing voice when she won the first season in 2002, almost 20 years ago.
Along with her history of being in the contestant‘s shoes, Kelly is also no stranger to judging competition shows, either. Now in its 18th season, Clarkson has been a coach on ’The Voice’ since season 14 of the series. She’s also conquered a number of other TV gigs in her time, hosting both the 2018 and 2019 Billboard Music Awards and her own show, ’The Kelly Clarkson Show,’ which premiered at the end of 2019.
