Phil Collins has provided a detailed health update in a new BBC interview, revealing that he now requires 24-hour care from a live-in nurse to manage ongoing medical issues that have accumulated over nearly two decades. The Genesis drummer and solo artist, who will turn 75 on January 30, spoke to presenter Zoe Ball for the Eras podcast series, describing a cascade of health challenges including multiple knee surgeries, nerve damage from a 2007 spinal injury, and complications tied to past drinking that impacted his kidneys. Collins said he has had five knee operations, with only one knee now functioning, and that he can walk “albeit with assistance — crutches or whatever,” while the live-in nurse ensures he takes his medication as prescribed.

Collins acknowledged that “everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me,” citing bouts with COVID-19 in hospital and the effects of nerve damage that ended his ability to play the drums. He detailed how drop foot, spinal complications, and repeated surgeries have altered his mobility, resulting in his retirement from touring after Genesis’s 2022 farewell shows, where his son Nic played drums.

Despite the litany of health setbacks, Collins described parts of his recovery as positive, noting that recent surgeries and two years of sobriety have left him feeling “totally mobile and healthy.” He said this improved physical state has given him hope to possibly spend time in the studio to “have a fiddle about” and see if there’s “more music” to explore, although he has previously expressed uncertainty about returning to recording or live performance.

The interview giving these updates is being released as part of the final episodes of the Eras podcast and will also be broadcast on BBC Two and iPlayer as Phil Collins Eras: In Conversation. Collins’ comments follow months of speculation and rumors about his health, which his representatives previously clarified were tied to knee surgery rather than hospice care.