Penny Lancaster reveals why she nearly divorced Rod Stewart over more children
Lancaster says she would have left the rocker if he hadn’t wanted to expand their family, but the couple chose to stay together and later renewed their vows.
Rod Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster says she nearly walked away from the rocker over his reluctance to have more children, a tension she described as nearly irreparable in a candid interview with Saga magazine. The interview, published on Monday, quotes Lancaster saying, “Yes [I would have left him]. And that would have been very hard.” She added that the couple “just went with the flow.”
Lancaster provided more context on their decision not to pursue additional children at the time, noting that Stewart’s stance was a persistent point of contention. “Now Rod always says, ‘I wish I’d said yes [to babies] earlier, because then we could have had more children,'” she explained. Up until five years ago, she said, they had even looked into adopting, but it ultimately did not happen. “We thought there might be too much of an age gap,” she said, illustrating how timing and family planning intersected with their life choices.
The couple, who wed in 2007, are parents to Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14. Stewart is also father to several children from previous relationships: daughter Sarah, 61, whom he and ex-girlfriend Susannah Boffey placed for adoption as teenagers; son Sean, 45; daughter Kimberly, 46, with his ex-wife Alana Stewart; daughter Ruby, 38, with ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg; daughter Renee, 33; and son Liam, 31, with ex-wife Rachel Hunter. Lancaster has jokingly teased that she’s actually a mom of three boys, noting that Stewart is “a big baby who needs my attention in a different way. I think all women would say that about their husbands.”
Lancaster spoke glowingly about their eldest son, describing him as “a gorgeous boy, but also very kind and very polite like his father.” The couple marked their 10th wedding anniversary with a vow renewal in 2017, choosing to donate money in lieu of gifts to the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed more than 70 people in London that June. All of their children were in attendance, underscoring the family’s close-knit public image.
Penny is “my whole world. What a girl,” Stewart told HELLO! at the time, describing their union as a must-have relationship built on shared affection. He added, “Love means many things to many people but to me it’s wanting to share everything with the one you love and I love Penny more now than ever, if that is at all possible.”
Lancaster has spoken about fatherhood in broader terms, noting that Stewart embraced the role despite its complications. In 2021, he told People that he’s happiest when he sees “my kids and my wife with big smiles on their faces.” He described needing to be several different fathers because of the varied ages of his children, including a moment when he gave his 15-year-old son some practical dating guidance: “I had to give him a sex lesson. I just told him what he should and shouldn’t do, but he’s on top of it.”
The musician recalled that many of his older children went through difficult periods with alcohol and drugs at points, though he said Liam, his son with Rachel Hunter, never did. “All the [older] kids went through their little bad period of drinking too much and dabbling in drugs — except for Liam; I don’t think he ever did — but they all came out on the other side,” he reflected. He emphasized the importance of listening as a parenting approach and said, “As a dad, I’ve learned to listen and not blow my top.”
A key element of their relationship, he added, is daily closeness that goes beyond romantic love. “I’m not talking about sex, but a kiss and a cuddle and a hold,” he said. “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?”
The couple has continued to discuss family life publicly in recent years. In 2023, Stewart described himself as a fairly lenient parent, saying he isn’t as strict as his own parents were. “None have gotten into any serious trouble. A couple dabbled with drugs, but that’s all done now. I’m very proud of them all.” He also said that touring as a musician makes him miss his family, calling them a “wonderful luxury” to return to after long periods away.
The broader arc of their partnership—balancing a large blended family, career pressures, and a public profile—has continued to draw attention. Lancaster’s decision to speak frankly about a near-split over procreation highlights themes of compromise and lifelong partnership that have defined their union. While the couple has faced questions about age gaps, adoption, and parenting across decades, they have repeatedly framed their bond as grounded in daily affection and mutual respect. As they navigate another chapter, fans and observers will be watching how their family dynamics evolve in the public eye.