Penny Lancaster has spoken candidly about her difficult childhood, revealing she was bullied for her height and told by a teacher that she would never amount to anything. The model and TV star, who is married to Sir Rod Stewart, discussed her experiences on Anita Rani's show 'My Life At Christmas'.
Lancaster said she was 'too skinny' at school and struggled with body image. She also went undiagnosed with dyslexia, which made learning a challenge. 'I was told by a teacher that I wouldn't make anything of myself,' she recalled.
The 53-year-old explained that her dyslexia went unrecognised at a time when there was little understanding of different learning styles. 'I was sort of dismissed,' she said, adding that she worried about her future prospects without exam passes.
However, Lancaster now views her dyslexia as a gift. 'We learn to go under them, over them, around them. So actually, we tackle problems not just head-on, but from a different perspective,' she said, noting that it has made her a better problem solver and more empathetic.
A careers teacher suggested she try modelling because of her height, though she initially doubted it due to bullying. 'I didn't think that was a good thing. But it's, you know, modelling, of course, it's good,' she said, describing it as a natural path.
