Simon Cowell Returns to 'AGT' Judges' Table in New Set Pic

'America's Got Talent'
Trae Patton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images

Fellow judge Sofia Vergara shared the snapshot to her Instagram on Monday.

The gang's all back together! Simon Cowell is back behind the judges desk as production in the new season of America's Got Talent kicks off!

Sofia Vergara took to Instagram on Monday, to share a group snapshot with her fellow judges -- Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum and Cowell -- and host Terry Crews.

The group shot commemorates the second day of shooting on the upcoming 16th season of the reality competition show, and for many fans marks a comforting return to normalcy with Cowell on the panel.

The longtime judge and creator of the show was absent from most of the second half of season 15 after he broke his back in an electric bicycle accident outside his home last August.

Vergara has been celebrating the start of production since yesterday, sharing numerous photos of herself and her fellow co-stars -- including a photo and a short clip of her goofing around with Klum.

"We r readyyyyy💃🏻💃🏻❤️❤️ @heidiklum," Vergara captioned a pic of herself and her fellow judge snacking on baked treats backstage on Sunday.

Back in February, Cowell spoke with ET and opened up about his frightening accident, which required an extensive, six-hour spinal surgery to correct, and quite a lot of recuperation time to heal properly. 

"The first four weeks were the hardest," Cowell, 61, recalls. "Because you feel kind of helpless, and it was the first time in my life I've ever felt helpless.... Then you're bored and frustrated, and I was in so much pain."

However, Cowell said that after taking the steps to recover, much of his pain dissipated as if it were a miracle.

"Just like the doctor said, you hit this kinda seven, eight-week mark, and it's like it never happened. I mean, literally like that, so there were a lot of pluses," Cowell shares. "And I didn't catch COVID, so I was lucky."

Check out the video below to hear more about Cowell's impressive recovery.

America's Got Talent season 16 is set to kick off on Tuesday, June 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

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