Penny Lancaster may have smiled through it, but viewers weren’t fooled. During a tense exchange on Loose Women, the model-turned-TV-star repeatedly shut down questions about her 2004 sacking from lingerie brand Ultimo — and fans now believe her silence says more than words ever could.
Host Kaye Adams tried to bring up the controversy following a BBC documentary about Michelle Mone, the Ultimo founder. Penny, who was dropped from the brand and replaced by Rod Stewart’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter, looked visibly uncomfortable as Kaye pressed for answers.
“It was over 20 years ago,” Penny responded, trying to deflect. “I wasn’t aware of the documentary… Karma gets you, I guess.”
Though Kaye tried to be respectful, her insistence drew awkward shrugs from Penny. When asked if she’d ever tell the full story, Penny simply said: “Probably,” before adding that she prefers to keep her peace and “rise above it.”
Rod Stewart famously defended Penny at the time, blasting the decision as cruel and revealing she’d cried over being replaced by his former wife. But Penny made it clear she didn’t want to revisit the past: “I wasn’t prepared to get into a fist fight in the media… I like to just have my peace.”
Viewers were divided — some praised her grace, others questioned why she agreed to appear on the show if she wouldn’t talk about it. But one thing is clear: even after two decades, this scandal still casts a long shadow.
