Another day in casualty… Phil Collins cancels several shows after hotel fall

FRAIL Phil Collins has been rushed to hospital after suffering a dramatic fall in a hotel – forcing him to cancel his London shows. While it is bad news for Collins, the good news for Irish fans is that he will be back in action for his Dublin gig on June 25.

According to a message posted on the singer’s official Facebook page, the 66-year-old tripped and fell and badly gashed his head following his concert on Sunday, after a more than ten-year break from touring.

The post read: ‘We unfortunately have to announce that Phil Collins’ performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London will be postponed tonight (June 8) and tomorrow (June 9).

‘Phil suffers from “drop foot” as a result of a back operation, which makes it difficult to walk.

‘He rose in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and slipped in his hotel room, hitting his head in the fall on a chair.

‘He was taken to hospital where he had stitches for a severe gash on his head close to his eye and is recovering well. He will be kept under observation for 24 hours.

‘Phil sends his sincere apologies and thanks to fans. He has had a fantastic week at his first shows in ten years, cannot thank people enough for their warm reaction and is excited to return.

‘He will carry on with this tour on Sunday in Cologne and then Paris.’

In just over two weeks, June 25, Collins is due to perform at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Collins has not been on tour in over ten years but made a triumphant return to the stage at his Not Dead Yet tour.

The music icon had to use a walking stick to make his entrance, and stayed seated for the gig following major back surgery in 2015.

However, his return was not without humour, as he said to his fans: ‘You’re going to miss my dancing. My leg’s f ***** .’

A source said: ‘Phil’s going to be fine. He’s disappointed but he will be back on Sunday.’

Phil was back performing for the first time since reuniting with his Genesis bandmates in 2007.

While he was unable to play the drums, the star sang his biggest hits and played the piano for the crowd, singing classics like Another Day In Paradise for the first time in years.

The star talked about his emergency surgery in an interview with Rolling Stone in 2015, admitting doctors ‘had to take my back apart.’

Collins said he woke up one morning and couldn’t move his right foot. ‘I had an MRI and my back and hips were just shot,’ he said.

‘The doctor had to go in there, work on the sciatic nerve and take my back apart and unscramble the mess.’