Rod Stewart has revealed that Penny Lancaster is the first woman to go through menopause while still married to him. The 77-year-old married Lancaster, who works as a model and TV presenter, in 2007 after his previous marriages (1979 to 1984 to Alana Hamilton and 1990 to 2006 to Rachel Hunter) failed.
Stewart, who supports Penny’s Let’s #ChatMenopause campaign to raise awareness of menopausal symptoms, also encourages other men to help their partners go through these hormonal changes.
Stewart: “Men need to understand that and not just go to a pub at night”
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Rod said, “I had them [die Wechseljahre] never experienced before because my marriages didn’t last that long. So Penny was first.” He recalled how the 51-year-old would throw “blinding tantrums” while battling her symptoms. “One night she threw things and the boys and I gave her a hug – and she’s been working on letting people know what it is ever since,” he revealed. “Men have to understand that and not just go to a pub in the evening.”
During an appearance on last year’s Loose Women, Rod opened up about how he found Penny’s menopausal symptoms “scary,” which prompted him to research all about the condition. “I googled so much about menopause as she was going through it, my wife was in a precarious situation. I just had to listen and learn and prepare for pots being thrown around the kitchen,” he explained. “It was scary, it wasn’t the person I married, she explained everything to me in tears and we talked about it.” Whether he with this kind of description of his intention to break the taboo on menopause and also for those who are not affected making accessible remains unclear.
The musician is on a UK tour in December, next year he will do shows in North and South America, Australia and New Zealand.
With “The Tears Of Hercules” (2021) Stewart has released his 31st studio album: