Penny Lancaster shares life, love, and challenges with Rod Stewart
When Penny Lancaster first crossed paths with Rod Stewart at London’s Dorchester Hotel in 1999, she never imagined that chance encounter would turn into a lifelong partnership. At the time, Rod was a 53-year-old global rock star navigating complicated relationships, while Penny, then 27, was building her career as a model and studying photography.
“I wasn’t looking for romance,” Penny recalls. “I had just come out of a long relationship. Rod was a complete mystery to me.”
Despite doubts and outside speculation, their bond grew stronger. By 2007, the pair married and went on to build a family together, raising their two sons, Alastair and Aiden. Over nearly two decades of marriage, Penny has not only embraced life with one of music’s biggest icons but also grown into her own confidence and identity.
The journey hasn’t been without difficulties. From early family tensions and questions about her intentions to personal struggles, including miscarriage and IVF treatments, Penny has faced each chapter with resilience. She also candidly shares in her new memoir Someone Like Me how Rod’s 2016 prostate cancer diagnosis tested their strength as a couple—before his recovery three years later brought relief.
Alongside family life, Penny has pursued her own career as a TV personality and advocate, even stepping into the spotlight on Strictly Come Dancing. She reflects on balancing her roles as wife, mother, and individual while supporting her role and navigating the unique demands of fame.
With Rod now a grandfather, their eldest son, Alastair, chasing a filmmaking career, and Aiden still in school, Penny is focused on cherishing family moments. In her memoir, she describes both glamorous experiences—like dancing with then Prince Charles to Rod’s hit do ya think i’m sexy?—and painful ones, including her difficult encounter with Chef Gregg Wallace on MasterChef.
“Life has been a mix of highs and lows,” she says, “but what I’ve gained most is confidence and the strength to stand on my own, even while being part of Rod’s world.”
Someone Like Me by Penny Lancaster (Bloomsbury, £20) will be available September 25.
