Just ahead of his 75th birthday, Collins made an appearance on the BBC Podcast Eras, where he disclosed that his personal health has taken a serious turn for the worse.
The bestselling artist disclosed that his health has taken such a severe hit that he now requires around-the-clock healthcare:
“I have a 24-hour live-in nurse to make sure I take my medication as I should do."
“I’ve had challenges with my knee."
"I had everything that could go wrong with me, did go wrong with me.”
The eight-time Grammy winner disclosed that his health didn't steadily decline; instead he felt everything started going downhill at the same time, beginning with kidney problems after he contracted Covid-19 in the hospital.
Additionally, five knee surgeries have severely impaired his ability to walk, and has left him with only one knee "that works."
“I can walk, albeit with assistance, you know, crutches or whatever."
Collins admitted that an excess of alcohol is what ultimately led to serious damage to his kidneys, though he noted that he recently celebrated two years of sobriety:
"I enjoyed coming off tour."
"Coming off the road, I thought, right, I’m gonna do all those things that I couldn’t do.”
“I guess I had too much of it."
"I was never drunk, although I fell over a couple of times."
"But it is just one of those things that happened and it all caught up with me, and I spent months in hospital."
While the Face Value singer expressed that “it’s just been a difficult, interesting, frustrating last few years," he went on to admit that "it's alright now."
As news of his declining health broke, fans came out in droves on Facebook to share their endless support of the beloved artist with well wishes and prayers:
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In 2022, Collins reunited with Genesis for a final tour.
Collins' health was already in a state of decline at the time, as he spent the entire concert seated, with his son, Nic, taking over his drumming duties.
The tour marked the last live appearance from Collins, who has not released any new music since, with People reporting that his time on the tour marked his retirement.
Collins had previously told Mojo last year that his health issues had not only affected his ability to write and perform music, but also dampened his inclination to give it another go:
“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens.”
“But I’m not hungry for it anymore."
"The thing is, I’ve been sick, I mean very sick…”
Whatever the future holds for Collins, he can rest assured that, to use his own words from his Oscar winning song from Disney's Tarzan, he'll be in our hearts.
A play on the long-running internet joke about how "everything reminds me of" our exes, the ad had one online creator hilariously telling the company to "have some decorum" when she saw it on a New York City street.
The ad features a photo of a woman's fingers in the three holes of a bowling ball with the caption:
"Everything reminds me of HER."
It's a clever play on, um, let's say "digital stimulation" between two amorous ladies, and it had creator @melisa.suzan jokingly clutching her pearls when she and a friend saw it in New York.
As her friend hysterically laughs, @melisa.suzan is heard saying:
“Is that f**king legal in broad daylight. Think of the children! Gay?! ... Have some decorum!"
The ad is one of a series that is part of the app's "Sapphic Restart" campaign that focuses on dating in the New Year. Appearing in New York and Los Angeles, the ads all share a not-so-subtle, innuendo-driven sense of humor.
For instance, another of the ads features a couch cushion with a giant wet spot on it—FROM A SPILLED GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE, YOU PERVERTS.
The app is huge. Geared toward queer women and non-binary people, it has more than 15 million users globally and has been an outspoken part of a wider movement to reclaim Sapphic partnership from the anti-trans contingents of the LGBTQ+ community and the TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) movement.
In 2023, the app was at the center of a dogpile on X after it announced on Lesbian Visibility Day that part of its mission is to "reclaim" the word "lesbian" from “the clutches of TERFs and bigots who’ve tried to hijack it to fuel their transphobia and hatred."
It was widely applauded at the time for standing up on the right side of history.
And now, HER's bowling ball ad is generating even more praise from people who can't stop laughing at its hilariously unsubtle wit.
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HER CEO Robyn Exton says the app's primary goal is to be inclusive of all those on the Sapphic side, regardless of gender.
She told PinkNews:
“HER has always been a platform that is for trans women, for non-binary people and anyone who identifies as a woman."
That includes bowling enthusiasts, too, obviously.
Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister, hosted Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood on PBS from 1968 until 2001, entertaining several generations of children with a diverse cast and gentle moral lessons.
According to McCain:
"Wanna know one of the best things about Mr. Rogers growing up? I never knew anything about his political opinions. He just entertained kids. That's it."
You can see her post here:
People were quick to correct her or call out her ignorance.
While the police were blowing up Black neighborhoods in Philadelphia and enforcing segregation in the South, Mr. Rogers cast a Black man as a police officer and shared a pool with him on his program. Swimming pools were still strictly segregated throughout the United States at the time.
Mr. Rogers made numerous statements about civil and human rights.
@uaschyperpolyglot; @xopherx/Bluesky
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Fred Rogers set new standards for quality children's television and has been repeatedly recognized as one of the most influential figures in television history.
His show addressed complex topics in age-appropriate ways and emphasized kindness and acceptance for all people.
