Phil Collins reveals health struggles and need for 24-hour live-in nurse

Phil Collins in a 2019 concert appearance in Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

Musician Phil Collins has opened up about his recent health struggles, saying the past few years have been difficult and frustrating.

The Against All Odds singer spoke on the BBC Eras podcast this week, revealing that he had to hire a live-in nurse because of his long-term conditions, the Independent reported.

“It’s an ongoing thing,” he said.

“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 ... everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”

Phil Collins had a No 1 hit New Zealand in 1989 with Another Day in Paradise.

The singer and drummer said he underwent five knee surgeries and now there was only one “that works”.

“I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever.”

He gave the rare interview as part of a career retrospective series before his 75th birthday on January 30.

He told podcast host Zoe Ball that several health issues all came to a head around the time of the pandemic.

“I got Covid in hospital, my kidneys started to back up, everything seemed to converge at the same time.”

The former Genesis member, who also has type 2 diabetes, said his kidney issues stemmed from “drinking too much”.

He recently celebrated two years of being alcohol-free.

“I enjoyed coming off tour, coming off the road. I thought, right, I’m going to do all those things that I couldn’t do.

“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.

“It’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years.

“But it’s all right now.”

Collins also expressed interest in recording new music. His last release was a Motown covers album in 2010.

“[I’d like to] have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music.

“You’ve got to start doing it to see if you can do it.”

Phil Collins with his three Grammys at the 1986 Grammy Awards. Photo / @officialphilcollins

The comment marked a turnaround from previous comments he made to Mojo magazine last year that he had no desire to return 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,” he said then.

Collins suffered a spinal injury while drumming on tour with Genesis in 2007, according to Rolling Stone.

Spinal surgery left him with extensive nerve damage, loss of feeling in his fingers, and foot drop.

The next episode of the special BBC Eras: Phil Collins series is due to be released early next week.