Penny Lancaster has confessed she was prepared to leave her husband, Rod Stewart, if he had refused to have children with her, before the couple endured the emotional rollercoaster of miscarriage and IVF to build their family.
The 54-year-old model, who has been married to the 80-year-old rocker since 2007, said that when they first started dating, Rod was hesitant about fatherhood because he already had six children with four different women. Penny admitted bluntly that if he had stuck to his decision, she would have walked away, even though “that would have been very hard.”
Rod later regretted not agreeing sooner, telling Penny he wished they had started their family earlier. Although they once considered adoption, Penny explained that they worried the age gap would be too big.
Penny’s determination to become a mother led to heartbreak when she suffered a miscarriage before turning to IVF. She described the grueling process on BBC Breakfast, recalling how she injected herself “backstage at Rod’s shows, on planes, at home – wherever it was necessary.” She praised her husband’s unwavering support, saying Rod told her, “Darling, if you want to keep giving it a go, I’m right behind you.”
Despite the struggles, Penny remembered how Rod’s humour lightened their darkest moments, joking about one sperm under the microscope that appeared to have “two heads” while another had “a couple of feet.” The couple eventually welcomed two sons together: Alastair, now 19, and Aiden, 14.
Penny, who is promoting her new memoir, also revealed her parents’ initial doubts about dating a superstar nearly three decades older than her. But when Rod met them, he and Penny’s father playfully swapped outfits – a lawyer in a leather jacket and a rock star in a pinstripe suit – and the ice was instantly broken.
Rod, who began dating Penny six months after splitting from Rachel Hunter, admitted those months were a blur of fun before his bass player finally handed over Penny’s number. Today, Rod beams that his wife “has everything I want” and insists he has never been happier.
