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Simon Cowell is reportedly set to sit out several episodes of America's Got Talent while he recovers from a routine back operation.
According to TMZ, the judge is expected to be away from the talent competition "for the next couple of weeks" as he prepares to undergo a planned procedure on his back.
Sources told the publication that the 66-year-old is due to have the operation shortly and will need to take some time away from filming while he recuperates.
The music executive previously suffered a serious back injury after falling from an electric bike at his Malibu, California home in August 2020. He underwent a six-hour operation, during which doctors placed metal rods and screws in his back, followed by a lengthy recovery.
Discussing the accident in 2021, The X Factor creator told Extra, "When I saw the X-ray, I really nearly could have smashed my spine to pieces, so I literally wouldn't have been able to walk. I knew I'd broken my back the minute I landed... it was really, really kind of sudden and it hurt."
Cowell later admitted to OK! in 2022 that he had been "lucky to survive" the operation and described the recovery process as a "long haul".
"I didn't talk about it too much at the time. I kept a lot back. It was a lot worse than people thought. I had a lot of long-term nerve damage as well," he said. "Then, a year later, I fell off (another) bike - and that set me back again."
The 21st season of America's Got Talent, which premiered in June, has now reached the live quarter-finals.
There has been no word yet on who could fill in for Cowell while he is away or exactly when he is expected to rejoin Howie Mandel, Mel B and Sofía Vergara on the judging panel.
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Jim Root has addressed the speculation surrounding Slipknot’s new track Arsenal, explaining that this week’s release is not the lead single from their upcoming album.
Responding to listeners on social media, the guitarist said the song arrived first because they could complete it ahead of the other material.
When a fan asked if Arsenal was meant to introduce the album, Jim wrote in an Instagram post that has since been deleted: “No. This was just one that we could finish ‘sooner’ to get out there.”
A separate question about criticism of the track prompted a blunt response from Jim: “It depends on the commenter, really. I mean, what’s their band doing? And Arsenal was a tune we could quickly get out there while we work on the rest of the record. It’s not really representative of the other tunes.”
His comments suggest there is still plenty of work ahead on the album. Recent pictures shared by Jim also showed that Slipknot remain busy recording fresh material.
For the sessions, the Before I Forget band have brought in producer Matt Wallace, whose credits include Faith No More and Maroon 5.
During the summer, Jim said roughly 50 arrangements were taking shape, with some still needing to be completed.
Discussing how the music is developing, he also described the band’s move towards a rawer sound built around playing together in the same room.
Speaking on the RIDE BYND podcast, he said: “I mean, you know, it’s Slipknot, so we’re going to have a sound.
“But at the same time, having Eloy in the band is like such an honor to be able to jam with that guy.”
Rather than piecing tracks together digitally, the musicians have been gathering in a church for jam sessions, aiming for a “garage band sort of vibe”.
Describing the process, Jim said: "Now we’re going to a church, we’re setting up Eloy, I’m setting up, you know, a guitar rig, and we’re just jamming for like two hours… Clown will be in the room… and he’ll throw his arm up, or he’ll hit the light, and that’s a cue to our producer like, that’s a part.”
As for where those sessions might lead, Jim said nothing is settled yet, although some of the experimentation could touch on territory associated with Pink Floyd: “I couldn’t tell you what the direction of this next record is going to be. I know I’m writing some of the fastest grindpicking riffs, some of the most melodic, heavy, doomy kind of riffs… A lot of just experimental - I don’t want to say Pink Floyd - but maybe somewhere in that wheelhouse.”
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