THE APEX TIMES
Phil Collins tells Sunday Times he suffered life-threatening alcoholism after stopping Antabuse
In an interview published August 3, the Genesis frontman said his drinking escalated after he stopped taking a medication intended to prevent alcohol use, and that people traveled to see him as his health worsened.
Phil Collins said he suffered life-threatening alcoholism in recent years, describing a period of severe illness after his drinking intensified following a change in how he managed alcohol-related treatment. Speaking to the Sunday Times, the musician said people were coming to see him as his condition worsened, and that he later understood how serious his situation had become.
In the interview, Collins, who is 75, linked the start of escalating drinking to stopping Antabuse, a drug that makes people feel unwell if they consume alcohol. He said his drinking began after he stopped taking the medication, which he had been using for an earlier period.
Collins’ comments were published in the context of his late-career health narrative and the winding down of his touring life. The account comes after the final Genesis tour he completed in 2021, when the band’s activities moved into a different phase.
The Sunday Times interview characterizes his recent years as marked by extreme risk tied to alcohol use, and it portrays the period as one in which his decline was visible to others. Collins said individuals were traveling to say goodbye, reflecting the closeness of the moment for his family and broader circle.
Collins has long been associated with Genesis and with a prolific solo catalog, but his public statements in recent years have shifted toward documenting health challenges. In this latest account, the singer emphasizes the consequences of alcohol dependence and describes how a medication-based approach had been part of his earlier efforts to manage drinking.
The Guardian reported the substance of Collins’ Sunday Times remarks on August 3. A separate primary confirmation from the Sunday Times interview itself was not provided beyond the summary reported by The Guardian.
Neither the Guardian nor the reported interview summary specifies medical diagnoses beyond “life-threatening alcoholism,” nor does it provide additional details about treatment steps taken after the period of decline. As with many celebrity health disclosures, readers may want to treat the account as personal testimony rather than a medically documented case history.
Why It Matters
- The disclosure is a direct, public account of severe alcohol dependence and its potential to become life-threatening, offered by a major mainstream music figure.
- The comments underscore the role of medication adherence in alcohol-related treatment, since Collins tied escalation to stopping Antabuse.
- The interview’s timing places Collins’ health narrative in view of audiences who associated his career’s later years with Genesis’ 2021 touring end.
- Because the report describes worsening health in which others traveled to say goodbye, it highlights how chronic illness can affect family, friends, and the wider fan community.
- The disclosure may renew public attention to alcohol use disorder treatment approaches and the importance of consistent care, though the report does not provide clinical documentation beyond Collins’ account.
Key Facts
- Phil Collins said he suffered life-threatening alcoholism in recent years, according to an interview reported by The Guardian from the Sunday Times.
- Collins said his drinking problem escalated after he stopped taking Antabuse, a medication intended to cause illness if alcohol is consumed.
- The account was published alongside discussion of Collins’ health in the period following Genesis’ final tour in 2021.
- Collins is 75, and he told the Sunday Times that people were coming to see him as his condition worsened.
- The Guardian reported the remarks on August 3, 2026, summarizing Collins’ statements without adding new medical details.