Simon Cowell’s ‘America’s Got Talent’ replacement announced as he recovers from back surgery

Comedian Kenan Thompson was announced as Simon Cowell’s temporary replacement on the forthcoming “America’s Got Talent” episode as the latter recovers from back surgery. “A comedy legend is taking over the Judges’ table!” the NBC competition series announced via Instagram Saturday alongside a photo of the “Saturday Night Live” star. “Kenan Thompson is joining AGT as a guest Judge! 🎉.” “Saturday Night Live” star Kenan Thompson (seen above smiling) was announced as Simon Cowell’s temporary replacement on the upcoming “America’s Got Talent” episode. The competition series announced that the comedian will appear on Tuesday’s episode as Cowell (seen here on “AGT”) recovers from back surgery. Trae Patton/NBC Thompson, 48, will appear on Season 21 of the reality series alongside fellow judges Sofía Vergara, Howie Mandel and Mel B on Tuesday. It’s unclear whether the actor will appear in the following five remaining episodes of “AGT,” or if other surprise judges will step in. Thompson has been a cast member of “SNL” since 2003. He’s also played the role of Dexter Reed in the 1997 comedy “Good Burger” and starred in the late ’90s TV series “Kenan & Kel.” “A comedy legend is taking over the Judges’ table!” “AGT” wrote via Instagram on Saturday. (Seen here: Thompson at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award in April.) Getty Images “Kenan Thompson is joining AGT as a guest Judge! 🎉,” the announcement continued. (Seen above: Thompson holding up a drink.) Getty Images for Jim Beam The actor previously stepped in as a guest judge in 2020 when Cowell, 66, broke his back during an electric bike accident. At the time, the “American Idol” alum’s accident occurred while he was out with his longtime partner, Lauren Silverman, 49, and their now-12-year-old son, Eric. Cowell was riding his bike in a courtyard in Malibu, California, when he fell and landed on his back, resulting in “massive amounts of pain.” Thompson (seen above on “2024 Back That Year Up”) previously stepped in for Cowell when the latter broke his back in 2020. Casey Durkin/PEACOCK Cowell (seen here on “AGT”) was riding an e-bike when the accident occurred. Trae Patton/NBC Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! “When he fell off the bike. he landed right on his back, which broke in a number of places,” an insider told us in 2020. He was then transported to a hospital, where he underwent a six-hour surgery and had a metal rod placed in his back. The horrific 2020 accident led Cowell to miss a majority of Season 15 of “AGT.” At the time, the “American Idol” alum (seen above on “AGT”) had to undergo a six-hour surgery. Trae Patton/NBC Additionally, a metal rod was placed in his back. (Seen here: Cowell on Season 21 of “AGT.”) Trae Patton/NBC Reflecting on the incident during a 2021 interview with People, he said, “I’ve got to be honest with you, it wasn’t that bad actually breaking your back.” “I mean it wasn’t great for 3 to 4 weeks but after that you get through it,” Cowell added. “AGT” airs Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. Community Guidelines Welcome to the Page Six Community! Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas in a safe space. In order to do so, we've created a simple set of rules that will improve your experience. Simply put, keep it civil. Your post will/might be rejected if it contains: Spam Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language and threats of any kind Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author User accounts will/might be blocked if we notice: Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected Racist, sexist, or homophobic comments Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk So, how can you be a power user? Stay on topic and share your passion. Feel free to elaborate to get your point across. 'Like' or 'Dislike' when you are filled with emotions! Protect your community. Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules. Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Don't forget, freedom of speech is not the freedom of reach!