There Were Some Decisions to Be Made About 'Do We Keep Phil on Life Support?'

Phil Collins has revealed he suffered life-threatening alcoholism in recent years, telling the Sunday Times that his drinking resumed after he stopped taking Antabuse, a medication that induces illness when alcohol is consumed. The 75-year-old pop and rock legend said he was drinking wine at breakfast and that his heavy intake led to a seven-month hospitalisation in November 2023 with damage to his pancreas and kidneys. "There were some decisions to be made about 'Do we keep Phil on life support? kind of thing, he said.

"My kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up. People were coming to say goodbye. But I don't remember them coming, I didn't have no idea this was going on.

They were all worried that they wouldn't see me again. It could all have gone so terribly wrong. He added: "I was very lucky to have come out of that.

Needless to say, I haven't had a drink since. Collins previously described a period of alcohol abuse after his 2006 divorce from third wife Orianne Cevey, telling Rolling Stone in 2015: "I went through a few bits of darkness; drinking too much. I killed my hours watching TV and drinking, and it almost killed me.

But I haven't had a drink in three years. The musician has faced other health issues, including neck and spine problems requiring surgery that left him unable to play drums, restricting his role on the 2021 Genesis reunion tour to vocals. He announced a diabetes diagnosis in 2016. Collins, one of Britain's most commercially successful musicians, led Genesis to five consecutive UK No 1 albums in the 1980s and early 1990s after taking over from Peter Gabriel, and scored four more solo UK No 1s with hits like Against All Odds, Easy Lover and In the Air Tonight. His most recent solo album is 2010's Going Back, after which he retired for four years before returning in 2015.