Phil Collins revealed in an interview with The Sunday Times that he is doing better but struggled a great deal over the past few years, especially in 2024, when he battled alcoholism and nearly died.
Phil Collins recalls battling alcoholism and nearly dying in 2024
“I’d have wine when I woke up. That was what I’d want for breakfast, a glass of wine. But I didn’t drink into the night, you know. So I wasn’t really aware of having a problem, to be honest. Some decisions (were considered when I was in bad shape)…‘Do we keep Phil on life support?’ kind of thing. My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up.” In November 2023 he was rushed into hospital and discharged three days before Christmas. But a few weeks later he was back into intensive care and spent seven months in the hospital.
“People were coming to say goodbye. But I don’t remember them coming – I didn’t have (any) idea this was going on. They were all worried that they wouldn’t see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong. I was very lucky to have come out of that. Needless to say, I haven’t had a drink since.”
His pancreas is permanently scarred, and his kidneys barely function, but he has spent the past two years recovering and reconnecting with life and his family. His second wife is currently helping him organize a King’s Trust charity auction, and the event also helped end his long-running feud with Paul McCartney. The two got back in touch because of the auction, and their conversations finally brought the dispute to an end. Collins’ final live performance happened on March 26, 2022 when Genesis played their final show in London. He celebrated his 75th birthday in 2026.