Rod Stewart opened up about his past relationships and current marriage during a recent interview, reflecting on the transition from his second wife to his current partner.
In an interview with The Times published Friday, the 80-year-old music icon discussed meeting Penny Lancaster at a bar shortly after his 1999 split from second wife Rachel Hunter.
Stewart was previously married to Alana Stewart from 1979 to 1984.
“She came up and asked for my autograph, so I said, ‘Do you like dancing?’ She was an incredible dancer, gorgeous, 6ft 4in heels, ai-yi-yi,”
Stewart recalled about Lancaster.
The singer admitted he was “very lucky” transitioning “out of one marriage and into the next,” but said his breakup from Hunter wasn’t easy.
“There were six months between Rachel and Penny because my bass player, who had Penny’s number, wouldn’t give it to me. He said, ‘All you’re going to do now is shag around.’ And he was right: I had a splendid time in those six months,”
Stewart said.
He explained the reason behind his marriage ending with Hunter.
“Rachel left me because she was too young – my sister said I should never have married her in the first place – but it tore me to shreds,”
he continued.
According to The Mirror, Rachel was just 21 and Rod was 45 when they married in 1990. The significant age gap ultimately played a major role in their relationship’s challenges.
Stewart and Hunter officially divorced in 2006. Stewart married Lancaster the following year in 2007.
Current Relationship
“Now I’m with Penny and she’s got everything I could possibly want,”
Stewart told The Times.
In a 2021 interview with PEOPLE, the musician said Lancaster has “mended my heart in more ways than one.”
“It’s a perfect relationship. I always tell the girls in my band and my daughters, ‘A woman has so much living to do.’ It’s your life! Forget men,”
he said.
Stewart emphasized that intimacy has been crucial in their romance.
“I’m not talking about sex, but a kiss and a cuddle and a hold. Penny and I do that every morning. We hug each other – sometimes in bed, sometimes out of bed, all throughout the day. It’s a wonderful relationship. Lucky geezer, aren’t I?”
Key Timeline:
• 1979-1984: Married to Alana Stewart
• 1990-1999: Married to Rachel Hunter
• 2006: Officially divorced from Hunter
• 2007: Married Penny Lancaster
