Phil Collins has been a fan favourite for decades, but the musician has faced a number of health battles in recent years
Phil Collins has made a very rare public appearance amid his ongoing health battle. The music icon was previously diagnosed with pancreatitis so severe that his will was discussed while he was in hospital – in front of his children.
Now, the In The Air singer, 75, seems to be in better health as he posed with Sir Rod Stewart, Jill Collins, and Penny Lancaster at Buckingham Palace.
A whole host of famous faces stepped into the venue to celebrate the 50th anniversary of King Charles‘ charity, The King’s Trust, formerly known as The Prince’s Trust. Upon arrival, the royals spoke to celebrities including Benedict Cumberbatch and Idris Elba, and Hollywood star George Clooney and his lawyer wife Amal.
In the line-up ahead of the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the King’s Trust, they also met some of the young people who will be receiving awards this evening before taking their seats for the celebration to begin.
Phil was suited and booted for the exclusive bash, despite having to use crutches. Dressed in a black two piece, the artist also rocked a red tie as he smiled alongside Sir Rod.
In February, he admitted to Zoe Ball: “It’s been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last two years.” He said of his drinking: “I wasn’t one of those guys that stayed up all night drinking, I’d drink during the day. But I guess I had too much of it and it all caught up with me.”
In the candid chat, he spoke frankly about his cocktail of health problems, starting with a spinal injury during the 2007 Genesis tour, which triggered nerve damage affecting his hands and legs – forcing him to stop drumming and retire from touring in 2022. He has also had knee operations and he has type 2 diabetes and hearing loss from a viral infection he picked up in 2000.
Living alone in Switzerland in 2008, the year he finalised his divorce from third wife Orianne Cevey, also escalated his drinking, when he had “too much time on my hands.”
He also that he was considering going back into the studio and even touring. He said: “I have a 24 hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication. “I’ve had five operations on my knee. but now I’ve got a knee that works and I can walk, albeit with crutches. But I’m not dead yet.
“The things that are ahead for me would be, apart from just being back to being totally mobile and healthy, sort of maybe go in there [into the recording studio] and have a fiddle about and see if there’s more music. So that is something on my horizon. I’ve got some things that are half formed or were never finished, and a couple of things that were finished, so you know there’s maybe life in the old dog yet. Never say never.”
With three UK number one singles, two Golden Globes, six Brit Awards and eight Grammy Awards under his belt, Phil has commanded an incredible career. He has also had a very colourful love life – with divorce settlements reportedly costing him £42m. Orianne was his third wife; his second marriage from 1984 to 1996 was to Jill Tavelman and his first, from 1975 to 1980 was to Andrea Bertorelli.
But he is immensely proud of his five children – his adopted daughter Joely, 53, son Simon, 49, daughter Lily, 36, and sons Nicholas, 24, and Matthew, 20. Actress Lily is a celebrated actress, with credits including Emily in Paris, Snow White and Mirror, Mirror. While Nic plays drums and fills in for his father in Genesis and Mike and the Mechanics.
Phil said: “I had a very happy family life. My kids are amazingly well adjusted considering some of the things that they’ve been through. I’m very proud of all of them. They’ve all stood on their own and done what they believe in.”
He added of his decades-long career in the spotlight: “I’d love to do it again. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
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