Simon Cowell's Health Scare: Music Mogul, 66, Revealed He Suffered Head Injury from Nasty Fall — Weeks After Bizarre Video Sparked 'Stroke' Rumors
Simon Cowell sparked health fears when he went missing from ''Britain's Got Talent.'
Oct. 17 2025, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
Simon Cowell is recovering from a scary head injury, RadarOnline.com can report.
The reality show judge showed off a real big bump on his noggin on Britain's Got Talent, after being forced to miss several episodes while recovering.
The famous reality TV judge was forced to miss two tapings after hitting his head.
Cowell was noticeably absent from the first two days of filming in Birmingham, England, sessions. English singer Stacey Solomon filled in for him.
The 66-year-old returned for the third day of filming sporting a bruise on his forehead. On Thursday, Cowell explained flatly, "I fell down some steps... and I bumped my head. But I'm fine now."
A show insider added: "Simon bumped his head when he stumbled on some steps. It's the sort of thing that can happen to anyone. And, thankfully, he's absolutely fine now."
And to show the TV judge can laugh at himself, he was welcomed back to the show by a choir made up of ambulance workers. Fellow judge Amanda Holden told him, "I thought they might be here in case anything went wrong with you again because you were poorly last week."
Taking the ribbing in stride, Cowell fired back, "I wish you had been around a couple of weeks ago when I actually bashed my head! Seriously – no one sang for me then!"
Cowell Comes Clean
Cowell showed off his injury when he returned.
Cowell sparked health concerns just last month, when a viral clip of the television mogul clapping awkwardly on The Jennifer Hudson Show left viewers fearing he may be "nearing the end."
The X Factor notable was filmed walking through the program's "spirit tunnel," a backstage corridor where crew members serenade guests before they take to the stage.
Dressed in his trademark black t-shirt and jeans, Cowell smiled through the performance, but it was his stiff walk and unusual clapping style that set social media ablaze.
Is Cowell Okay?
Cowell was teased by his co-judges upon his return.
Comments ranged from jokes about him looking like he was "standing up for the first time" to more serious claims that his movements bore the signs of a stroke.
As one source said: "The way he and his face move – and doesn't move in places – suggests he has had a stroke. He can barely walk properly, smile properly, or clap properly. He's a mess."
Another insider claimed: "People who care about Simon are rattled by how he looked in that video. They've started whispering about whether this could be the beginning of the end for him. His clapping and the way he moved had a lot of fans genuinely convinced something was seriously wrong."
The source continued: "Simon has always joked about aging and cosmetic work, but this time people aren't laughing. They fear his health is in decline, and the video only reinforced those concerns. He’s had a rough few years with accidents, and his friends worry it's catching up to him."
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Cowell's Excuse
The producer has had health scares in the past.
Cowell himself downplayed the incident, insisting his awkward demeanor reflected shyness rather than illness.
"I am very shy," he told Hudson at the time. "I can't go to a pre-party. It's my worst thing in the world, making small talk with people I don't know.
"If we have a common subject, I'm pretty good, but years ago, if I had to go to a party, particularly if we had to stand up with a drink, with horrible food, and just talk to people you don't know – it's torture."
