{"id":595,"date":"2026-08-31T14:31:08","date_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:31:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=595"},"modified":"2026-08-31T14:31:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T14:31:08","slug":"americas-got-talent-reveals-who-is-stepping-into-simon-cowells-seat-for-the-quarterfinals-and-fans-have-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metropolitantimeshock.pics\/?p=595","title":{"rendered":"‘America’s Got Talent’ Reveals Who Is Stepping Into Simon Cowell’s Seat for the Quarterfinals \u2014 and Fans Have Thoughts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The judges’ table on\u00a0“America’s Got Talent”\u00a0is facing a major shakeup right as live quarterfinals begin. A familiar comedy star is officially stepping in for a\u00a0high-stakes takeover.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Producers dropped the bombshell news ahead of the Tuesday, September 1 live broadcast. Viewers were instantly left spinning over the sudden absence of the show’s resident sharp-tongued mastermind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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While the live competition waits for no one, this dramatic swap is creating an unmistakable feeling of\u00a0total d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu<\/strong><\/i>\u00a0for long-time fans of the hit NBC franchise.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The show has already revealed exactly who’s stepping in, and the announcement has triggered a wave of reactions online, from excitement to outright refusal to accept it. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Why Simon Cowell Is Sitting This One Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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According to\u00a0TMZ<\/a>, Cowell will be absent from\u00a0AGT<\/i>\u00a0for several weeks while recovering from a scheduled procedure tied to his back. Sources with direct knowledge of the situation told the outlet the surgery is routine, and there’s no indication of a new or worsening health emergency.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Still, the timing hasn’t gone unnoticed. Cowell has a long history of back trouble stemming from a serious e-bike accident back in 2020 \u2014 and it’s\u00a0that<\/i>\u00a0accident fans are now connecting to this latest absence. It’s not yet clear exactly when he’ll be back in his usual seat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Simon Cowell films the final episode of “America’s Got Talent” Season 20 on 23 September 2025. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The Same Seat, Six Years Later<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Here’s where the story gets interesting: this isn’t the first time the famous comedian has stepped in for Cowell \u2014 and it’s happening at the\u00a0exact<\/i>\u00a0same stage of competition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Per\u00a0Deadline<\/a>, he previously filled in for Cowell during the 2020 season, sitting beside judges\u00a0Heidi Klum<\/strong>, Mandel, and\u00a0Sofia Vergara<\/strong>, with Crews hosting \u2014 during the\u00a0live quarterfinals<\/i>, the same round he’s returning for now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That 2020 absence was tied directly to the same injury behind this year’s surgery: a spinal injury Cowell suffered in a bike accident that same August.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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