EXCLUSIVE: Phil Collins Insisted He Controlled His Drinking Before Second Life-Threatening Collapse
Phil Collins insisted he controlled his drinking before his collapse.
Aug. 4 2026, Published 4:40 p.m. ET
Phil Collins insisted he could control his drinking despite alarming warning signs years before the alcohol abuse that almost claimed his life, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
That's according to our sources, who spoke out after the publication of an interview recalled by a Daily Mirror journalist, which was printed after the music legend revealed he came close to dying during a devastating health crisis in 2024.
Phil Collins insisted he could control his alcohol consumption.
Collins, 75, has recently reflected on the second life-threatening collapse in a recent interview, revealing his five children were called to his bedside as doctors debated ending life support after his kidneys and other organs began failing.
The singer, whose alcoholism had previously led to acute pancreatitis, spent seven months in hospital and has been left with permanent damage to his pancreas and severely impaired kidney function.
Past Interview Exposed Moderate Drinking Claims
Collins drank white wine during a 2016 promotional interview.
The Daily Mirror has since printed a recollection of a chat Collins gave the newspaper in London in 2016 while promoting his memoir about addiction and recovery – during which the musician downed wine in the morning while confidently insisting he could drink moderately despite publicly celebrating three years of sobriety.
His interviewer wrote: "We'd barely exchanged a few pleasantries when a waiter arrived with a large glass of chilled white wine for the singer. Before we'd really got going, another one had arrived."
The reporter added the atmosphere quickly became uncomfortable because the discussion centered on Collins' recovery from alcoholism while glasses of wine continued appearing.
Collins declared during the chat: "I am quite capable of having two or three glasses of wine, saying goodnight and walking away."
A source familiar with the singer's promotional appearances exclusively told Radar: "People around Phil wanted the interviews promoting his book to focus on his remarkable career and recovery, but there was growing concern whenever alcohol appeared. Those closest to him hoped the warning signs would not develop into something even more serious."
Collins suffered a bathroom fall shortly after the interview.
Another insider added: "Phil remained witty, engaging and completely professional in conversation, yet there was quiet anxiety behind the scenes. Friends believed he genuinely wanted to manage his drinking, but many feared it had become harder than he admitted. He kept saying he could control it."
Speaking about his 2024 medical emergency sparked by his drinking, Collins told the Sunday Times in a new chat: "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 an idea this was going on."
He also admitted wine had become central to his daily routine, saying: "That was what I'd want for breakfast, a glass of wine."
Physical Health Struggles Followed Rock Career
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Collins admitted wine became a regular part of his breakfast.
The Mirror reporter recalled learning Collins' drinking had become a recurring feature during the publicity campaign for his recovery memoir.
The former Genesis frontman was also struggling physically following multiple spine and knee operations, with the same journalist remembering the star appearing frail during their meeting despite remaining mentally sharp throughout the conversation.
Only days after the interview, Collins suffered a fall in his bathroom and later shared a photograph showing a black eye.
Despite his health struggles, Collins was described by his Mirror interviewer as warm, charming and full of stories from a career which included selling more than 100 million records as both Genesis' frontman and a solo artist, while famously performing at both the UK and US Live Aid concerts on the same day.
