Simon Cowell Seen for the First Time Since Back Surgery

Just over a week following his bike accident, Simon Cowell was spotted for the first time since breaking his back. The former American Idol judge was seen being driven to a Los Angeles hospital for a check-up, according to The Sun. While riding in the back seat of a car, Cowell was wearing a grey, loose shirt with sunglasses on as his window was rolled down.

The 60-year-old was involved in an awful accident in Malibu, California — where he's been living with his longtime girlfriend Lauren Silverman during the pandemic — and was almost paralyzed due to his injuries. Cowell smashed three vertebrae after he was thrown from his bike but is said to be "in good spirits" despite the pain of having a steel rod inserted into his back. At the time, his rep told PEOPLE, he "has broken his back" and that he needed surgery. "Simon had a fall from his bike on Saturday afternoon while testing his new electric bike in the courtyard at his house in Malibu with his family." They added, "He's doing fine, he's under observation and is in the best possible hands."

Although he sustained a pretty severe injury, those close to him are trying to make light of the situation, joking that he reminds them of "The Terminator" since having the metal rod put in and Cowell seems to be amused by it. "One of his friends joked that the metal holding him together makes him The Terminator — which amused Simon," one source said. They added, "He won't mind if that sticks, but the main thing is that he's on the mend. The experts are pleased with how things are looking, and he's doing physiotherapy at home every day. It's looking good."

Although he's been through quite a bit the last two weeks, the source noted that he's already ready to go back to work and has already tried to get some work done from home. "Obviously, he's trying to start work as quickly as possible and is back on the phone to his team but he is still being encouraged by Lauren and his friends to rest up for a while longer — and he knows that he needs to."

The insider added that Cowell isn't the only one recovering from surgery in the family, one of their four-legged family members is as well. "One of their dogs has just had an op too, so the family have been joking that they're recovering together!"