‘Everything that could go wrong did’

Phil Collins is one of the UK’s most iconic rock stars, but owing to health issues, the star hasn’t publicly performed since 2022. And during an appearance on BBC Breakfast on Friday, he said he was unlikely to return to the stage.

“I can’t really see it happening, but I’m healthier now than I have been for quite a while,” he explained.

Speaking of his health, the 75-year-old said: “I’m healthier now than I have been for quite a while. The last 18 months has been fine. Before that, not so good.

“Everything health-wise caught up with me at the same time. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, but everything is fine now. I had problems with my knee, which I had for a while, but I played through it, I toured through it.”

Phil concluded: “But eventually I had to have a knee operation, and I had to have it done five times because it either kept getting infected or it broke.”

During his appearance on BBC Breakfast, Phil also addressed his upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This will be the second time Phil has been honoured with an induction, with Genesis being added back in 2010.

He said: “I mean, this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing, they asked me if I would perform and I said no cos you’ve got to be match fit to do something like that.

“You can’t just go onstage – you have to rehearse, and by that point if you’ve not been singing then your voice is going to be shot, and then that’s not going to be good, so I’d rather not do it.”

However, he indicated that he hoped to be able to perform again, revealing that he still has lots of “lyrical ideas” for new music and “things I would like to get my teeth into”.

Phil’s health updates

Back in January, the music legend revealed that he required round-the-clock care as he made an appearance on the Eras Podcast. “It’s an ongoing thing,” he shared. “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. I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.

“I got COVID in hospital. My kidneys started to back up. Everything seemed to converge at the same time,” Phil continued, before adding that he only has one knee “that works” following five knee surgeries.

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Phil has been open about his health in the past, after suffering a spinal injury in 2007 that caused nerve damage and caused “drop foot”, which refers to difficulty lifting the front of the foot when walking, causing it to drag. He also lives with type 2 diabetes.

The drums took a physical toll on Phil’s body, forcing him to give them up and to hand the reins to Nic. “It’s still kind of sinking in a bit…I’ve spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock,” the British native said in the documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First.

© David Wolff – Patrick

“Drumming has taken its toll on my hands and legs,” he continued. “If I can’t do what I did as well as I did it, I’d rather relax and not do anything. 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.”