Simon Cowell said he has fully recovered from his broken back and feels better than he did before the injury as he prepares to make his America’s Got Talent return.
The TV judge, 61, fell off an electric bike he was testing at his house in Malibu in August.
He underwent six hours of surgery – which involved having a metal rod put in his back – and missed much of the last series of America’s Got Talent.
US network NBC has announced Cowell will be back on the judging panel alongside Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara when the show returns this summer.
The music mogul said he felt better than ever.
He told People: “I’ve got to be honest with you, it wasn’t that bad actually breaking your back. I mean it wasn’t great for three-to-four weeks but after that you get through it. I had to do so much exercise now. I actually feel better than I did before the accident.”
He then joked “if you want to feel healthier, break your back,” adding the America’s Got Talent team “had a better time without me”.
Producers on the TV talent show said they will host a final “last chance” virtual audition in March, with the best acts advancing to perform in front of the judges.
A premiere date for season 16 of America’s Got Talent will be announced later, NBC said.
While the US version of Cowell’s show is going ahead, it was announced last month Britain’s Got Talent will not take place in 2021 due to the pandemic.
ITV said the programme was pulled from the schedules in order to safeguard “the wellbeing and health of every person involved”.
