It had been a long time coming, but Simon Cowell finally made his return for the new season of America’s Got Talent, and the host didn’t seem to miss a beat during the premiere. Cowell’s return was a big moment, especially when you consider the serious back injury he suffered last summer and his subsequent surgery and recovery. It’s likely that viewers missed having the brutally honest judge back on the show and, now, fellow judge Howie Mandel has shared his thoughts on reuniting with Cowell for Season 16.
Having worked with Simon Cowell on the last several seasons of America’s Got Talent, one would imagine that Howie Mandel has become pretty close to him. And based on his recent comments to Hollywood Life and other entertainment outlets, Mandel was more than glad to have Cowell back. He also reflected fondly on seeing his co-star back in action again:
I was just happy to see the man in the room standing upright. I was amazed, and he came at us with more energy and more… You know how they say like a pregnant woman has that glow? He has that glow. I think because of rehab and physical therapy, he probably has exercised, stretched, and done things in his life because of this back injury that he’s never done before. He says he even feels better than he did before he fell off the bike.
Howie Mandel’s love for Simon Cowell and his joy over his current health status is great. The chemistry between Mandel, Cowell and their fellow judges is usually apparent on screen, but it’s nice to see that the love definitely carries over when the camera isn’t on.
Simon Cowell’s 2020 back injury was honestly a scary moment. The music mogul and TV personality injured himself after falling off his electric bike at his home. He was then taken to a hospital and eventually underwent a successful five-hour surgery. Since the incident, Cowell has been working to get himself back in shape, adopting a healthier and more active lifestyle to help with his recovery. Along the way, he’s also received encouragement and advice from those closest to him, including former American Idol co-star Randy Jackson.
With Simon Cowell, having committed to the recovery process, he seems to be doing quite well. The TV judge recently spoke about how “lucky” he feels to have healed from the injury and to be back with his co-stars on the show.
It would have been tough to see Simon Cowell sit out America’s Got Talent again, but fans are surely loving the fact that he’s back on the job. We’ll see how things continue to progress for Cowell, his co-stars and the contestants when the reality competition show returns for the second round of auditions on Tuesday, June 8, at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
