Penny Lancaster says she would have left Rod Stewart if he wouldn’t agree to have children, IVF journey details
The model describes an IVF path to starting a family with the rocker, and how support from her husband shaped their decision to persevere.
Penny Lancaster has revealed she would have left Rod Stewart if he wouldn’t agree to have children with her, detailing the couple’s IVF journey to start a family together. The model, 54, and the rocker, 80, have been married for 18 years. Lancaster said that when they began dating, Stewart was reluctant to expand his family, already a father to six children by four women.
Lancaster discussed the revelation in connection with promoting her new memoir and during an appearance on BBC Breakfast, where she clarified the stakes involved in pursuing children. She told Saga Magazine that without his willingness to revisit fatherhood, the relationship could have unraveled long before their two sons arrived. She noted that the couple even spoke about adoption five years earlier, but they worried about an age gap that might complicate such a plan.
The former model and TV presenter outlined the complex family picture Stewart already carried, naming his children from prior partnerships: daughter Sarah Streeter, now 60, with Susannah Boffey; daughters Kimberly, 45, and Sean, 44, with Alana Stewart; daughter Ruby, 37, with Kelly Emberg; and daughter Renee, 32, with Rachel Hunter. Lancaster explained that these circumstances made the decision to grow their own family feel more urgent, even as it carried emotional weight.
After insisting she wanted children, Lancaster described a miscarriage that preceded the couple’s fertility journey, followed by a series of IVF treatments that eventually produced two sons: Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14. She described undergoing injections—one in the stomach, one in the buttocks—in places as varied as backstage at Rod’s shows, on planes, and at home, highlighting the persistence required by IVF. She credited Stewart with patience and unwavering support throughout the process, saying he was “right behind you” and urging, “Let’s go for this.”
Lancaster offered a touch of levity amid the struggle, recounting how the doctor’s microscope testing of sperm yielded a humorous moment: one sperm had two heads, another had a few feet. She framed the light-hearted anecdotes as part of maintaining balance during a difficult period, stressing that frank discussions about fertility should be encouraged for both women and men.
In recounting how she and Rod first met, Lancaster said it happened at a Christmas party after a friend dared her to pursue an autograph from the star. The spark that followed soon led to a relationship but also to some practical and personal reflections from both sides. Her parents reportedly anticipated potential hurdles, given the ages and public profiles involved, but in a playful exchange, her father—a lawyer in the City of London—joked about wearing a leather jacket when the couple met, while Rod chose a pinstripe suit, as if they were conducting a formal meeting between two professionals. Rod has since spoken about the early era between relationships with a touch of humor, quipping that there was a six-month gap between his relationship with Rachel Hunter and his meeting with Lancaster because his bass player refused to hand over Lancaster’s number. The bassist’s hesitation, Rod recalled, meant Lancaster’s number did not reach him for several months, and when it did, the rest was history.
Today, Lancaster emphasizes gratitude for a partner who stayed the course through a challenging fertility odyssey. She has used her platform to advocate for more open conversations about fertility, noting that the journey can be as emotionally taxing as it is medically demanding. She also stressed that the experience strengthened, rather than diminished, their bond, yielding a family life she characterizes as deeply meaningful.
The couple’s story, she indicated, remains a central thread in her life and in the memoir she is promoting, which she described as reflecting on love, resilience, and the modern complexities of family planning. Rod Stewart’s public persona as a performer and patriarch contrasts with Lancaster’s candid recounting of the private trepidations that accompanied their path to parenthood. The narrative underscores the couple’s enduring partnership and the decision to pursue a larger family—even when the odds and the personal histories were stacked against them.
While the specifics of IVF can be medically intricate, Lancaster’s account emphasizes the human elements: perseverance, mutual support, and a willingness to contracept convention in favor of a shared dream. She asserted that the couple’s decision to forge ahead was driven not only by a desire for children but by a shared belief in their own resilience and capacity to weather uncertain times. Her remarks also highlight a broader cultural conversation about fertility, motherhood, and the pressures—biological and relational—that accompany reproductive decisions in adulthood.
As Lancaster promotes her memoir and continues to discuss her experiences publicly, she continues to frame her family story as one of partnership and perseverance, with Rod Stewart described by her as a patient, committed ally who helped them navigate the most challenging chapters of their journey to become parents. The account provides a rare, intimate glimpse into a high-profile couple’s personal life, revealing the serious moments behind the headlines and the quiet triumphs that followed.