Phil Collins now requires 24-hour medical care following years of mounting health issues
Phil Collins says years of health setbacks have left him dependent on round-the-clock medical care.
The musician says he’s now under 24-hour care after a brutal stretch of health crises that included five knee surgeries, kidney problems and a long hospital stay.
"It’s an ongoing thing," Collins told BBC Two’s Zoe Ball in a new interview, per Variety. "I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do. I’ve had challenges with my knee — I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me … I mean, I got COVID in [the] hospital, my kidneys started to back up … everything that [started], that could [have] all seemed to sort of converge at the same time."
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The remarks come as part of "Phil Collins Eras: In Conversation," a five-part BBC Two series that wraps on Jan. 26 and gives a glimpse into why the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer walked away from touring after Genesis’ farewell run in 2022.
The Grammy-winning musician explained that his knee problems alone required repeated surgeries before he was finally able to regain some mobility.
"I’ve had five operations on my knee. Now I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with assistance — crutches or whatever," he said.
In 2007, Collins suffered a spinal injury, which resulted in severe nerve damage. His health battles continued to pile on after a back operation left him with drop foot, a condition that significantly impairs walking and ultimately ended his ability to play the drums.
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Collins also addressed how alcohol played a role in his declining health, acknowledging that his drinking habits ultimately contributed to serious kidney problems and prolonged hospitalizations. He recently marked two years of sobriety.
"I’d probably been drinking too much, and so my kidneys were messed up … I mean, I enjoyed coming off tour, coming off the road, but I thought, ‘Right, I’m going to do all those things that I couldn’t do,’" he said.
The singer explained that while he didn't drink "all night" or to the point of getting drunk, the effects still eventually took a toll on his body.
"I stopped drinking at six o’clock in the evening. I wasn’t one of those guys that sort of stayed up all night drinking — I’d drink during the day, but I guess I had too much of it. I was never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times. But it is just one of those things that happened, and it all caught up with me, and I spent months in hospital."
Collins has also been battling with type 2 diabetes, in addition to his other health conditions.
"It’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years. But it’s all right now."
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Fox News Digital has reached out to Collins for comment.
Last summer, Collins’ health once again became the subject of intense public scrutiny after online rumors claimed he had been placed in hospice care.
Those claims were shut down by his team, who clarified that Collins had been hospitalized for knee surgery and was not terminally ill. Any suggestion that he was in hospice was described as "completely incorrect."
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer’s last album of original material was 2002’s "Testify." He released a Motown covers album, "Going Back," in 2010.
Collins joined Genesis in 1970 when the band was led by Peter Gabriel, later stepping into the role of frontman after Gabriel’s departure in 1975.