What happened to Simon Cowell's voice?

Simon Cowell suffered a vocal cord injury and he was put on vocal rest during the filming of Season 18 of America’s Got Talent.

Simon Cowell, a fixture on American Idol, The X Factor, and America’s Got Talent, is renowned for his role as the unfiltered critic in reality TV competitions. Beyond his stature as a seasoned music executive and TV personality, Cowell is distinguished by his sharp wit and discerning judgment. Across decades, he has left a mark on the entertainment industry, steering shows and contestants towards success. His fans worldwide cherish him for the invaluable role he plays, providing insightful commentary and leveraging unparalleled entertainment expertise to create a distinctive and cherished space for himself.

What happened to Simon Cowell's voice?

While filming America's Got Talent's 18th season, Simon Cowell faced a momentary voice outage when something lodged in his throat, causing discomfort and rendering him speechless. Forced into "immediate vocal rest," the dynamics of filming underwent a significant shift. Sofia Vergara, one of the judges, amusingly assumed the role of Cowell's spokesperson.

According to Cowell, shared via USA Today, "I think what happened was the acid from my stomach literally burned my vocal cords. So, this doctor came over and put a camera up my nose, down my throat, and I could actually see how badly burnt they were."

NBC.com reported that Cowell's voice faltered during the fourth round of auditions. Remarkably, during the fifth round, which aired on June 27, his voice returned during the performance of 10-year-old magician Ryland Petty, a semifinalist from Britain’s Got Talent Season 15.

How did Simon Cowell communicate after losing his voice?

Simon Cowell faced a setback in Season 18 with a hoarse and strained voice due to a vocal cord injury. His voice completely gave out during the fifth week of auditions, leaving him mute. However, host Terry Crews stepped in with a creative solution, presenting Cowell with a soundboard loaded with snippets of the judge's past comments.

During the June 27 episode, Crews revealed, “Being the great person that I am, I got a gift for him. I have a special soundboard that has been loaded up with thousands of comments — a lot of things he’s said over the years — so we’ll be able to hear Simon Cowell.”

Reflecting on the experience, Cowell expressed his frustration to USA Today, stating, "It was torture. There was so much I wanted to say, and I literally could not talk. We tried writing things. At one point, I used this kind of iPad device where I had things I’d said before. I tried to use Sofia (Vergara) to translate for me, and she deliberately said the wrong things, so it was just chaos."

Has Simon Cowell retired from Britain's Got Talent?

No, Simon Cowell hasn't retired from Britain's Got Talent. Although maintaining his role as a judge on ITV's Britain's Got Talent alongside Ms. Holden, Cowell has steered clear of additional television commitments. This choice stems from his wish to devote more time to his nine-year-old son, Eric.

Notably, the Mail on Sunday reports a shift where Cowell's fiancée, Lauren Silverman, now spearheads his once-vibrant entertainment company, Syco, with limited involvement from Cowell.