Phil Collins Discloses Need for Constant Medical Support Amid Ongoing Health Issues
As he approaches his 75th birthday later this month, iconic musician Phil Collins has revealed that he requires 24-hour nursing care following a series of significant health challenges that have plagued him in recent years. The Genesis frontman and solo superstar made the candid admission during a career-spanning interview with Zoe Ball for the BBC's Eras podcast, shedding light on the physical toll his body has endured.
Multiple Health Setbacks Require Constant Supervision
Collins explained that he is currently looked after by live-in nurses who provide round-the-clock assistance, primarily due to the lingering effects of a spinal injury he sustained back in 2007. The musician detailed how multiple health issues have converged, creating a perfect storm of medical challenges that necessitate constant supervision.
"I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do," Collins told Ball during the interview. "I've had challenges with my knee. I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me."
The singer-songwriter revealed that after undergoing five knee surgeries, he now has only one functional knee. "I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever," he said, describing his conditions as an "ongoing thing."
Alcohol-Related Kidney Issues and Hospitalization
Collins, who has been sober for more than two years, acknowledged that alcohol consumption contributed to problems with his kidneys. "I'd probably been drinking too much, and so my kidneys were messed up," he admitted. "I enjoyed coming off tour. Coming off the road, but I thought, right, I'm gonna do all those things that I couldn't do."
The musician clarified that while he wasn't a late-night drinker, his daytime consumption eventually caught up with him. "I stopped drinking at six in the evening. I wasn't one of those guys that sort of stayed up all night drinking," Collins explained. "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's just one of those things that happened and it all caught up with me and I spent months in hospital."
During his hospitalization, Collins contracted COVID-19, and his kidneys began to back up, creating additional complications that required extended medical attention.
Retirement from Performing and Future Musical Plans
Collins, who retired from live performances following Genesis's Last Domino? Tour in 2022, hinted that he might still have some musical creativity left despite his health limitations. When asked by Ball whether he still has musical ideas he wants to explore, Collins teased that new songs could potentially be in the works.
"I've got some things that are half formed or were never finished, and a couple of things that were finished, which I like, so you know. Maybe life in the old dog. Yeah. You'll see," he suggested optimistically.
However, in a February 2025 interview with MOJO magazine, the eight-time Grammy winner, who also suffers from type 2 diabetes, expressed less enthusiasm about returning to the studio. "I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore," Collins shared at the time, noting that he had been "very sick."
Reflections on Drumming and Physical Limitations
In the 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First, Collins opened up about the emotional impact of being unable to play drums due to his physical limitations. "It's still kind of sinking in," Collins said in the film. "I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock."
During Genesis's farewell tour in 2021 and 2022, Collins was seated throughout the band's performances, with his son Nic filling in behind the drum kit. The musician reflected on this adjustment in the documentary, stating: "If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. But if I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I'll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I've used up my air miles."
In a 2021 interview with the BBC, Collins revealed additional health struggles, explaining that surgeries on his back in 2009 and again in 2015 had affected his nerves. He was also diagnosed with drop-foot, a condition that impaired sensation in one of his feet.
Legendary Career and Lasting Legacy
Despite his current health challenges, Collins leaves behind an extraordinary musical legacy. Throughout his solo career, he achieved seven number-one hits, including 1984's Against All Odds, along with Sussudio and One More Night from his Grammy-winning 1985 album No Jacket Required.
As part of Genesis, which he fronted after Peter Gabriel's departure in 1975, Collins enjoyed massive chart success with albums like 1986's Invisible Touch and 1991's We Can't Dance, both achieving significant crossover appeal. He also earned an Academy Award for his song You'll Be in My Heart from Disney's 1999 animated film Tarzan.
As Collins approaches his milestone 75th birthday, his candid revelations about his health struggles provide a poignant reminder of the physical toll that can accompany a lifetime of musical achievement, while his hints at possible future musical endeavors suggest that his creative spirit remains undiminished despite his physical limitations.
