Simon Cowell on how ‘painful’ bicycle accident happened ‘for a reason’
[ad_1]
‘AGT’ judge Simon Cowell breaks his back in electric bicycle accident
The ‘America’s Got Talent’ star is doing fine after having surgery.
USA TODAY, Wochit
Simon Cowell’s grueling 2020 bicycle accident gave the television host a much-needed wake-up call about his health.
During an interview on the “Today” show Wednesday, Cowell reflected on the back injury he suffered a few years ago while testing out an electric bicycle.
“It was painful. It wasn’t great,” Cowell told host Jason Kennedy in an interview with “America’s Got Talent” co-stars Howie Mandel, Sofía Vergara, Heidi Klum and Terry Crews. “However, I was so unfit before the accident.”
“I didn’t know how unfit I was until I had to do all this stuff afterwards,” Cowell added. “And I’m like, ‘My God.’ Things like that I believe happen for a reason.”
Background: Simon Cowell breaks his back falling off electric bicycle, will miss this week’s ‘AGT’ live shows
Watch here: ‘AGT’s Simon Cowell amazed by ‘astonishingly brilliant, creative’ pole dancer
In August 2020, Cowell broke his back in several places while trying out his bike with family in the courtyard of his home in Malibu, California, Syco Entertainment confirmed to USA TODAY in a statement at the time. The entertainment mogul was taken to the hospital, where he underwent six hours of surgery overnight that included placing a metal rod in his back.
Despite the ordeal, Cowell mustered the strength – and the humor – to share some bike-riding advice with fans.
“If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,” Cowell tweeted the day after his accident.
But Cowell told Kennedy the accident hasn’t deterred his love of cycling.
“I’m still going to stay on my bike,” he said. “I’m obsessed with these things.”
Cowell has kept true to his word. In February 2022, a representative for Cowell told USA TODAY that he was recovering from a broken arm after reports surfaced that he had injured himself while riding another e-bike.
From 2022: Simon Cowell breaks arm in second crash: Are e-bikes safe? A user’s guide to electric bicycles
‘AGT’: Simon Cowell predicts this contestant will be a ‘superstar’ like Carrie Underwood
Contributing: Kim Willis, Bill Keveney and Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY