Phil Collins has revealed he came close to death in April 2024, when heavy drinking caused organ failure that left him unconscious in a Swiss hospital, with doctors and his family facing the prospect of taking him off life support. Speaking to The Sunday Times, the 75-year-old former Genesis frontman said his manager summoned his five children to his bedside as his kidneys and other organs began shutting down, though he has no memory of the episode. He has since stopped drinking and made a full recovery, and the revelation sheds fresh light on the toll years of ill health have taken on the musician.

Collins recalled that "my kidneys were packing up, my organs were just seizing up," and that people came to say goodbye without his awareness at the time. He reunited with his family over four days at the end of 2025 to celebrate the new year, an occasion he described as incredible, with daughter Lily Collins telling him she never expected to share such moments again. The health scare compounds long-standing physical problems, including spinal and knee surgeries, nerve damage that stops him holding a drumstick, and diabetes and kidney issues requiring round-the-clock nursing care. Collins is due to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist on 14 November, though he will not perform at the ceremony.