HEALTHSimon Cowell 'Could Have Died' After Suffering Freak Accident: 'It Was a Wake-Up Moment'
Simon Cowell almost lost his life after an e-bike calamity.
May 8 2025, Published 1:06 p.m. ET
Simon Cowell almost lost everything.
The America's Got Talent judge, 65, disclosed that he "could have died" after suffering an e-bike crash in 2020.
Simon Cowell almost lost his ability to walk.
His doctor gave him the brutal reality of his situation after taking an X-ray at the time.
"He said, 'Look, I'm not going to lie, Simon. I don't know if I can fix this, which means you probably won't walk, and secondly, the operation could take 11 hours,'" Cowell recalled on a podcast.
"They said the obvious: 'It could go wrong.' And all I could think about was my family and everything. In that moment, you kind of realize the most important thing is your health, and don't do stupid things," he explained.
The talent scout was forced to undergo extensive surgery after crashing his vehicle in Malibu, Calif. The surgeon inserted a metal rod in his back to stabilize his body again.
Simon Cowell looked back on his near-fatal bike accident.
Cowell saw his reckless behavior as a "wake-up moment" to not take too many risks at his age.
"I'm crazy," he admitted, although he does believe the accident "happened for a reason." The physical therapy he was assigned post-surgery helped him realize how out of shape he was and inspired him to resume exercise.
"I thought I was fit, but then when I had to do all the physio after, just walking, they make you walk very quickly, I pretty much couldn't move. Then, I started to walk a lot and thought, 'Oh God, I was in a really bad place,'" he said.
Inside the Scary Crash
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Simon Cowell went through extensive surgery.
The infamous reality competition judge remembered immediately knowing he broke his back after the vehicle did a "wheelie."
"I landed on my back, and the second I landed, I thought, 'S---, I know I've broken my back,' because I could feel it," he explained, although the fact he could move his hands and feet reassured him he would be okay.
Cowell had the e-bike shipped from England and was looking forward to testing it in the driveway of his home. As pulled the throttle, he was thrusted between seven and eight feet in the air, leading him to break his back in three places.
Simon Cowell on his shocking motorbike accident 😳Simon Cowell on his shocking motorbike accident 😳
Posted by Steve Bartlett on Monday, June 10, 2024
Simon Cowell broke his back.
Simon Cowell's Second Bike Accident
Simon Cowell had another bike accident in 2022.
Cowell suffered another bike crash in 2022 that left him with a concussion and a broken arm. A source reported at the time that he was "covered in blood" at the handlebars of his vehicle when paramedics arrived to bring him to the hospital.
"Simon is lucky to be alive," the source said. "He was pedaling along, with his electric motor on, when the wheels suddenly went from under him after hitting a wet patch."
