Zoe Ball fronts new Eras podcast and BBC Radio 2 series on Phil Collins

Zoe Ball is hosting a new series of the BBC podcast Eras for Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, focusing on the life and career of Phil Collins as he approaches his 75th birthday later this month.

The five-part series traces Phil Collins’ journey from a West London stage school to global superstardom, with Collins himself appearing throughout the series to reflect on defining moments across more than six decades in music.

Episodes one to four are available now on BBC Sounds and all podcast platforms, and will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 overnight on Sunday 25th January from midnight until 2am.

The series features new interviews with contributors including Sir Bob Geldof, Craig David, Izzy Lamberti, Sir Richard Branson, Robert Plant, Steve Hackett and Phil’s son Nic Collins, alongside archive contributions from Alicia Keys and Julie Walters.

Zoe Ball, who last interviewed Phil Collins on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show in 2020 during the Genesis reunion announcement, says the podcast offered a rare chance to revisit music that has soundtracked generations.

She said Phil Collins’ songs feel like time machines, full of emotion and memory, and described sitting down with him again for Eras as a dream opportunity to explore music, family and life in depth.

The fifth and final episode features a world-exclusive new interview with Phil Collins and launches as a visualised episode on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer on Monday 26 January at 6am.

That episode will also air on BBC Radio 2 on Sunday 1 February from midnight to 12.30am, with Collins reflecting on his love of drumming, his time with Genesis, touring with his son Nic, and his thoughts on the future.