Phil Collins, the eight-time Grammy winner and former Genesis frontman, revealed he now requires a 24-hour live-in nurse to manage a series of mounting health challenges that have accumulated over nearly two decades.

The 74-year-old musician opened up about his medical struggles during an interview with BBC presenter Zoe Ball for the five-part Eras podcast series examining his storied career. Collins approaches his 75th birthday on January 30, marking a milestone shadowed by physical decline that forced him to retire from performing in 2022.

Collins explained he has a 24-hour live-in nurse who ensures he takes his medication properly, detailing a cascade of medical problems that converged simultaneously.

Collins recently underwent five knee surgeries, a series of operations that left him requiring assistance from crutches to walk. While the procedures gave him what he described as “a knee that works,” the recovery proved far more complicated than anticipated. During his hospitalization, Collins contracted COVID while his kidneys began to fail, creating a dangerous convergence of medical emergencies.

The kidney problems stemmed in part from excessive alcohol consumption, Collins acknowledged. He described a drinking pattern that unfolded during daytime hours rather than late-night binges. Collins admitted he had probably been drinking too much, which caused his kidneys to become compromised, though he maintained he was never drunk despite the volume consumed.

The health crisis forced Collins to spend months in the hospital, a prolonged stay that represented a turning point in addressing his alcohol use. He recently reached two years of sobriety, a milestone marked quietly by his assistant with a “2” balloon.

Collins’ current condition represents the culmination of health struggles stretching back to 2007, when he suffered a spinal injury that set off what medical professionals often describe as a domino effect of complications. The initial injury caused severe nerve damage that fundamentally altered his ability to perform as a drummer, the instrument that first brought him fame and critical acclaim. The nerve damage proved permanent and progressive, leaving Collins unable to grip a drumstick properly and effectively ending his career behind the drum kit—a devastating blow for a musician whose innovative percussion work helped define the sound of progressive rock and pop music throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

He underwent neck surgery in 2009 attempting to address the ongoing issues, followed by another spine surgery in 2015. The spinal damage also resulted in drop foot, a condition limiting his ability to straighten his foot properly when walking. This neurological impairment has required Collins to use a cane for assistance over the past decade, gradually restricting his mobility even before the recent knee complications.

Collins also manages type 2 diabetes, adding another layer of medical complexity to his daily routine and explaining the necessity of round-the-clock nursing supervision to ensure proper medication management.

Despite the mounting physical challenges, Collins completed Genesis’s final tour in 2022, though in a significantly altered capacity. Unable to stand for extended periods or play drums, he performed seated in a chair while handling vocal duties. His son, Nic Collins, took over percussion responsibilities, keeping the band’s signature sound intact while allowing the elder Collins to participate in what became an emotional farewell to live performance.

The Genesis farewell tour represented the end of one of rock music’s most influential partnerships. The band’s sophisticated compositions and Collins’ distinctive voice had produced decades of chart-topping hits blending progressive rock complexity with pop accessibility. Collins later launched a massively successful solo career that produced multiple Grammy Awards and established him as one of the most commercially successful artists of the 1980s.

Collins hasn’t released an album of original music since 2002, a gap of more than two decades that he initially suggested would become permanent. Yet during his conversation with Ball, he indicated some openness to returning to the recording studio, citing unfinished musical projects that still hold his interest.

Collins said he has some things that are half-formed or were never finished, and a couple of things that were finished which he likes, adding with cautious optimism that there may be life in the old dog yet.

While Collins ruled out embarking on any major touring commitments, he expressed general optimism about his future prospects. The physical demands of concert tours—with their grueling schedules, travel requirements, and nightly performances—would prove impossible given his current limitations. However, the controlled environment of a recording studio offers possibilities that performing live does not.

The BBC Eras podcast series examining Collins’ life and career concludes with its final episode on January 26, titled “The Man Himself.” The accompanying television special, “Phil Collins: Eras — In Conversation,” will air on BBC Two on January 31, providing a comprehensive look at the musician’s journey from young drummer to international superstar to his current circumstances.

A separate docu-concert celebrating Collins’ musical legacy, “The Phil Collins Story,” will make its world premiere February 3 at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York. The 7:30 p.m. production chronicles his work from Genesis through his solo career, offering audiences a retrospective of one of rock music’s most distinctive voices during a period when Collins himself can no longer take the stage.

Despite acknowledging the difficulties of recent years, Collins maintained a philosophical perspective on his circumstances. His health struggles have been what he described as difficult, interesting, and frustrating, yet he told Ball with characteristic British understatement that it’s all right now.

Sources:

https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/01/22/phil-collins-reveals-new-health-struggles-says-he-has-24-hour-nurse/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/phil-collins-74-reveals-he-needs-24-hour-live-in-nurse/
https://www.syracuse.com/entertainment/2026/01/music-legend-reveals-24-hour-nursing-help-everything-that-could-go-wrong-with-me-did.html
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-01-22/phil-collins-health-problems-24-hour-nurse-recording-touring
https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music/articles/80s-rock-star-74-reveals-220048782.html
https://www.wdbj7.com/2026/01/22/phil-collins-reveals-new-health-struggles-says-he-has-24-hour-nurse/