Phil Collins has revealed that he recently underwent five knee surgeries and developed kidney problems linked to alcohol use, shedding new light on the chronic health issues that led him to stop performing. In a new interview with BBC Two, Collins spoke candidly about his condition following Genesis’ final tour in 2022, saying years of medical setbacks eventually converged at once.
“This is ongoing,” said Collins, 74, during the television special Phil Collins: Eras In Conversation, a five-part series. “I have a nurse with me 24 hours a day to make sure I take my medication properly. I had trouble with my knee. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I caught COVID in the hospital, my kidneys started failing, and it all just came together at the same time.”
Collins detailed the extent of his knee problems, saying he has now undergone five surgeries. “I’ve had five knee operations,” he said. “Now I have a knee that works and I can walk, although with support, crutches or something like that.”
The musician has been dealing with serious health issues for nearly two decades. In 2007, he suffered a spinal injury that caused severe nerve damage. In the interview, Collins said alcohol use contributed to his kidney problems and noted that he recently marked two years of sobriety. “I probably drank too much, and that’s why my kidneys went out of balance,” he said. “I stopped drinking at 6 p.m. I wasn’t one of those people who stayed up all night drinking. I drank during the day, but it was probably too much. I was never drunk, although I did fall over a few times. It’s just one of those things that happens, and eventually it caught up with me and I spent months in the hospital.”
Collins, who also has Type 2 diabetes, stepped away from the drum kit during Genesis’ final tour. He performed seated while his son played percussion. In an interview earlier this year, Collins said he has no desire to return to the recording studio due to his health, echoing comments he made in 2021 when he said he could “barely hold a stick in this hand.” Still, he left the door slightly open to future creative work. “I have a few things that are half-baked or were never finished, and some things that are finished and that I love,” Collins said. “Maybe there’s still life in the old dog. We’ll see.”
First published: 04:38, 01.22.26