Simon Cowell will be MIA from America’s Got Talent when the show resumes live episodes on Tuesday after he broke his back on Saturday.
And on Monday afternoon, Kelly Clarkson announced on her social media that she will be filling in for the 60-year-old entertainment mogul.
‘No worries America, someone far wiser, cooler and hotter is taking his seat!’ Clarkson, 38, shared in what she called an ‘urgent memo’ on her Instagram.
‘The unbelievably amazing Kelly Clarkson… You’re welcome in advance!’
It’s me: Kelly Clarkson announced Monday afternoon she will be filling in for Simon Cowell as a judge on America’s Got Talent live shows Tuesday and Wednesday after his back injury
Humor: ‘No worries America, someone far wiser, cooler and hotter is taking his seat!’ Clarkson, 38, shared in what she called an ‘urgent memo’ on her Instagram
Clarkson, of course, has talent competition experience having served as a coach and judge on NBC’s The Voice.
She also hosts a daytime chat show on the network.
The American Idol alum said her statement that ‘my friend’ Cowell ‘is doing better now’.
Perfect fit: The American Idol alum has talent competition experience having served as a coach and judge on NBC’s The Voice. She also hosts a daytime chat show on the network
Meanwhile, Cowell made his first public comments Sunday night after undergoing a six-hour surgery to have a metal rod inserted in his spine.
He broke his back after falling from his new electric bike in the courtyard of his Malibu home on Saturday.
‘Some good advice… If you buy an electric trail bike, read the manual before you ride it for the first time,’ Cowell tweeted.
He went on: ‘I have broken part of my back. Thank you to everyone for your kind messages.’
Hen then added in a second tweet: ‘And a massive thank you to all the nurses and doctors. Some of the nicest people I have ever met.’
He concluded: ‘Stay safe everyone Simon.’
From his hospital bed: Simon Cowell made his first public comments since breaking his back in an accident at his Malibu home, posting an update to his Twitter and Instagram feeds
On Sunday, AGT judge Sofia Vergara posted a photo to Instagram showing her and fellow judges Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum on set of the reality show during a rehearsal.
The trio are pictured pointing to Cowell’s empty chair while sending him well wishes.
Meanwhile, Deadline.com reported Sunday that Cowell would miss the first two live shows in the new America’s Got Talent season, set to air on NBC this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.
‘Missing Simon’: Sofia Vergara posted a photo to Instagram Sunday showing her and fellow judges Howie Mandel and Heidi Klum on the set of America’s Got Talent during a rehearsal
Time off: Deadline.com reported Sunday that Cowell will miss the first two live shows in the new America’s Got Talent season, set to air on NBC this coming Tuesday and Wednesday
It had earlier been reported that Cowell came very close to being paralyzed in the fall which happened in the presence of his son Eric, six, and stepson Adam, 14.
It’s believed his girlfriend and mother of his son Eric, Lauren Silverman, had been able to visit him in the hospital.
A friend of the family told MailOnline that Cowell was in ‘shock and massive amounts of pain’ after the accident.
‘Lauren went with him to the hospital and has been allowed in briefly to see him. He’s doing OK in the circumstances,’ the insider said.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Simon fell flat on his back and the doctors say the impact missed his spinal cord by about a centimetre and it could have been a lot, lot more serious.’
Accident: Cowell underwent surgery to insert a metal rod into his spine Saturday night after falling from his new electric bike. Pictured in April with girlfriend Lauren Silverman
Family: He was outside in the courtyard of his Malibu home with son Eric, six, and stepson Adam, 14, when the fall happened (pictured together in Barbados in December)
Discussing the TV star’s recovery, another source told The Sun Simon had suffered ‘three breaks in his back’ and it could take ‘several weeks’ before it is know if Simon will have any long lasting effects from the fall.
They said: ‘It’ll be several weeks for the bruising and swelling to go down and then we’ll know how serious the lasting effects could be.
‘He’s lucky to be even in the state he is in with a metal rod in his back and multiple breaks… He could have been looking at a life in a wheelchair.’
A source told The Sun Simon was attempting a wheelie when he was ‘surprised by the power’ of the new bike and knew straight away that he ‘was in trouble’.
Close call: A source told UK’s The Mirror: ‘Simon fell flat on his back and the doctors say the impact missed his spinal cord by about a centimetre and it could have been a lot more serious’
Cowell is regularly seen on bike rides with his family around his Malibu home. Silverman was spotted enjoying a cycle on Saturday before news of Simon’s fall broke.
The record producer turned reality show guru has embarked on a healthier regime in recent years, leading to a 60 lbs weight loss.
His new health regime has seen him committed to a diet of white meat, fruit, and vegetables as well as regular exercise.
He decided to improve his health after he injured himself in a fall down the stairs at his London home in October 2017.
The star blamed his injuries on his unhealthy lifestyle where he ‘lived like a vampire’, staying awake until 8 a.m. every day and vowed to take better care of himself.
He told The Sun at the time: ‘Sometimes we get a reminder that we’re not invincible and this was certainly mine. It was a huge shock.’
Revealing the incident had been down to an underlying health problem, he continued: ‘They think I fainted because I had low blood pressure and so I have got to really take good care of myself to sort that out.’
Before adding of his son Eric: ‘After all I am a dad and have more responsibility than ever.’
On the mend: A friend told MailOnline: ‘Lauren went with him to the hospital and has been allowed in briefly to see him. He’s doing OK in the circumstances’. The couple are seen in 2018