Simon Cowell pulls out of Britain's Got Talent Blackpool filming to recover from back surgery

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026 · last updated 21 September 2026.

Simon Cowell, 66, has been forced to miss Britain's Got Talent auditions in Blackpool after undergoing a back procedure last month — his second withdrawal from a Got Talent production following an earlier absence from America's Got Talent filming in LA. Producers are scrambling to find a temporary male comedian to take his place alongside Amanda Holden, Alesha Dixon and KSI. Fremantle intends to reschedule approximately three of the six filming days to January so Cowell can return as head judge.

Cowell is said to be 'gutted' to miss the auditions but insiders insist it was a 'routine op that went well.'

His back problems trace back to a 2020 electric bike accident that came close to leaving him in a wheelchair for life.

Since then, Cowell has shed three stone, given up smoking and reduced his alcohol intake — and has described breaking his back as 'one of the best things that ever happened to me.'