Phil Collins, the legendary voice behind so many unforgettable anthems, has opened up about the deeply personal and painful journey he’s been navigating in recent years — one marked by surgeries, setbacks, and now, round-the-clock medical care.
In a revealing new interview with BBC Two’s Zoe Ball, Collins didn’t sugarcoat what life looks like these days. “I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do,” he shared. After five knee surgeries, spinal trauma, kidney complications, and even catching COVID while hospitalized, Collins admitted, “Everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”
Let that sink in for a second — a man whose voice and drumming defined generations, now needing assistance just to walk with crutches.
It’s all part of a broader conversation unfolding in “Phil Collins Eras: In Conversation,” a five-part series that wraps January 26. In it, we get a clear look at why the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer bowed out of touring following Genesis’ final shows in 2022. What many didn’t know was just how much physical and emotional strain Collins had endured behind the scenes.
He talked about the five knee operations that left him barely mobile. And it wasn’t just the knees. A spinal injury in 2007 resulted in nerve damage so severe it triggered drop foot, ending his ability to play drums — the very heartbeat of his musical identity.
The challenges didn’t stop there.
Collins admitted his health was further compromised by years of drinking, which he now links directly to serious kidney issues and extended hospital stays. He described his drinking as “not all night,” but still enough to knock his health off a cliff. “I was never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times,” he said with a bit of dry honesty. “But it all caught up with me.”
He’s now two years sober — a major milestone in a life that’s seen its share of highs and lows.
And while rumors swirled last year that he’d been moved to hospice, his team swiftly shut that down, confirming that he was recovering from yet another surgery, not facing a terminal diagnosis. Despite the whirlwind of speculation, Collins says, “It’s all right now.”
Still battling type 2 diabetes and ongoing complications, the man behind “In the Air Tonight” and “Against All Odds” seems to be taking each day one step at a time — even if that step now requires a little help.
He’s not making new music. He’s not chasing the spotlight. But what Phil Collins is doing — quietly, resolutely — is surviving. And after everything he’s given us, maybe that’s more than enough.
