Penny Lancaster has candidly discussed the immense emotional pressure she faced following her husband Rod Stewart's prostate cancer diagnosis, revealing she reached a "boiling point" that led her to seek medical support. The 54-year-old model and television personality shared her deeply personal experience during Thursday's episode of ITV's Loose Women, where she joined panellists Kaye Adams, Nadia Sawalha, and Jane Moore.
A Private Battle Made Public
The conversation was prompted by Emmerdale's current storyline involving character Cain Dingle's prostate cancer diagnosis, which provided Penny with an opportunity to reflect on her own family's journey. Sir Rod Stewart was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016 but kept the news private until September 2019 when he announced he had beaten the disease. According to the NHS, prostate cancer affects the prostate gland beneath the bladder and typically occurs in men over 50, with early diagnosis often leading to successful treatment outcomes.
The Weight of Secrecy
Penny explained that she honoured Rod's request to keep his diagnosis strictly between them, describing the emotional toll this secrecy took. "He said to me, 'Please, keep this just between me and you. And I mean just you and me'," she recalled. "Of course I honoured that. But I was the one talking to the doctors, going through all the different options and helping him make that decision."
She detailed the psychological strain of maintaining a positive front while internally struggling with fear and trauma. "It was staying positive for him," Penny explained. "Keeping that smile on my face, going 'It's going to be alright darling, we're going to sort this out'. And then where do I put my feelings? My fears, my traumas about that whole thing. So it was like putting a lid on a boiling pot."
Reaching Breaking Point
The pressure eventually became overwhelming, coinciding with another emotional revelation Penny made on Loose Women in 2017 when she disclosed she had been sexually assaulted as a teenager. "It was the time when it was the Me Too movement, and out of nowhere, I'd never spoken about it," she said. "I talked about a sexual abuse situation that had happened to me when I was younger and it was something that I had buried for a long, long time. It was like something had to give I suppose."
This dual burden of processing her own trauma while supporting her husband through his private health battle proved too much to bear without additional support. "I did seek some help because trying to deal with that coming out and then keeping Rod's diagnosis in, I did supplement my own strengths with some medication to help balance things out," Penny revealed.
Finding Balance and Recovery
Penny described the medication as a temporary measure that helped her navigate this challenging period. "Soon after, once we did discuss it more publicly, I was able to wean myself off and cope," she said. "But it was like treading water and feeling like I was going to drown at one point."
She praised Rod's remarkably positive attitude throughout his treatment, noting that he continued touring despite his diagnosis. "Whereas he wasn't burying his head, but he knew, I've got to stay positive here. I'm not going to let this change my life. I'm going to continue being on tour, which was incredible," Penny said. "I really believe in the positive thinking to help you cope with that."
Rod Stewart's Cancer Journey
Sir Rod Stewart first publicly revealed his prostate cancer battle during a 2019 fundraising event with former Faces bandmates Kenney Jones and Ronnie Wood. "Two years ago I was diagnosed with prostate cancer," he announced at the time. "No one knows this, but I thought this was about time I told everybody. I'm in the clear, now, simply because I caught it early. I have so many tests."
The Maggie May singer's cancer was detected during a routine checkup in 2016 and was caught in its early stages, contributing to his successful recovery after three years of private treatment.
Penny and Rod, who married in 2007, share two sons together - Alastair and Aiden. Her appearance on Loose Women provided a rare glimpse into the couple's private health struggles and the complex emotional dynamics that accompany supporting a loved one through serious illness while managing one's own psychological wellbeing.
