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Why Simon Cowell Wasn’t on That AGT Boat Party With Heidi, Sofia, & Howie

Turns out, he missed the boat — literally. 

By Jackie Manno

In a September 26 interview with People, Heidi Klum explained why her fellow America's Got Talent Judge Simon Cowell wasn't present at a fun party held on Howie Mandel's boat before the Season 18 Finale. Other members of the AGT family, including Sofia Vergara and Terry Crews, were there — but not Simon. 

How to Watch

Watch the Season 19 premiere of America’s Got Talent Tuesday, May 28 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock

It turns out, he missed the boat — literally. 

 "[Mandel] has this gorgeous boat, and he just wanted to just be nice and invite us on. He had an amazing chef there. We were eating yummy sushi. I think he wanted to show off his boat," Klum cheekily explained to the outlet. 

She continued, "We all made plans. Who does not show up? Simon. We all [were] like, ‘Where the heck is Simon?’ We waited a little bit at the dock and then we left. Maybe he actually did come in the end, and we don't know." 

The next day, Cowell hilariously played aloof about the whole thing. 

"I was like, ‘Where were you?’ And he was like, ‘Oh, was that yesterday?’ He fully knows, but he's saying it with a smile on his face," Klum recalled. 

Simon Cowell smiles during the Season 18 AGT finale episode

Cowell certainly missed a good time. In snapshots from the party, we see Vergara hold up the camera and pose with Klum while Mandel smiles in the background. Then, we catch a glimpse of Vergara and Crews preparing to eat dinner before they all sit on the front of the boat together. 

RELATED: Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, & Howie Mandel Have Poolside AGT Reunion Before Lives: Pics

The friendship between the America's Got Talent Judges

The Judges on America's Got Talent all have a close relationship with each other. In a September interview with NBC Insider, Mandel opened up about how Cowell, Klum, and Vergara keep each other grounded on the show. 

RELATED: Why Simon Cowell Says His Son Is About to Cause Him "Total Torture"

“I don’t feel like I show up at work; I feel like I’m sitting on the couch with a bunch of my friends, just saying what I think,” he told us. “And that comfort allows me just to be honest and real.”