Simon Cowell has long been known for his sharp tongue and biting remarks, so it came as a surprise when the 63-year-old appeared more subdued than normal during season 18 of AGT.
Rather than chiming in as co-stars Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel discussed tryouts, Simon remained silent – but not for lack of interest.
Simon hasn’t been speaking much during season 18 of AGT owing to a medical concern, which he explained in an interview with USA Today.
“I think what happened was that the acid from my stomach literally burned my vocal cords,” he explained. “So, this doctor came over and put a camera up my nose and down my throat, and I could see how badly burned they were.”
“There was so much I wanted to say about auditions that I literally couldn’t talk,” he continued. “We attempted to write things. At one point, I utilized an iPad tablet to store things I’d previously spoken about. I attempted to utilize Sofa to interpret for me, and she purposefully stated the incorrect stuff. So it was just mayhem.”
Simon claimed that being unable to talk for a week during the auditions helped him develop a new perspective.
“I had to sit there and not say anything for about seven days, so all I could do was listen to the other judges.”
“And it was very interesting because they’ve all gained enough confidence to have their preferences now” As a result, we probably disagreed more this year, but in a good manner. Because of the range of acts, you can’t be an expert on everything when judging this show.”
Simon has experienced a string of health issues in recent years, and in May he reflected on how the episodes, which included two bike accidents, affected his life.
“It was painful, it wasn’t great,” he admitted on The Today Show, adding, “but I was so unfit before the accident. And I didn’t realize how out of shape I was until I had to do all the stuff afterward.”
“And I was like, ‘My God!’ Things like that, I believe happen for a reason,” Simon continued, adding that he had no plans to stop biking anytime soon.
“I’m still going to stay on my bike, I’m obsessed with these things,” he stated, much to his co-stars’ delight.