Penny Lancaster has declared her intention to continue serving as a police officer well into her sixties. The 55-year-old, married to rock legend Rod Stewart since 2007, became a City of London Police Special Constable in April 2021 and shows no signs of slowing down.
Commitment to Policing
“I hope to be on duty until I’m 60,” she said. “Of course, I work in TV and do a lot of charity work, so I meet different people and see different lifestyles. But I think policing is where you get to really understand people and that’s what I love. I think as you get older and more mature, your life experiences play a huge role in what you have to offer as a police officer.”
Penny first donned the special constable uniform while volunteering for the reality TV series Famous and Fighting Crime. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to continue after the cameras stopped rolling. However, the former model admits it has not always been easy. She must complete an annual two-day mandatory Public and Personal Safety Training, as well as the bleep test, to prove her fitness.
Overcoming Injury
During her last bleep test, she injured her Achilles tendon and was forced to stop working after suffering a torn meniscus in her right knee. “It wasn’t a full tear, but even so, it was excruciatingly painful. It would have been easier if I’d broken a bone. That’s age for you. But you should never sit on your laurels and think, ‘this is my lot’. You can get out there and try to reach your full potential,” she said.
Since becoming a special constable, Penny has been on the frontline for major events including the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and the Coronation of King Charles III. She has also arrested suspects on suspicion of drink driving and drug driving, and returned to duty at the London Marathon after recovering from injury.
A New Chapter at 50
Reflecting on her decision to take up policing, Penny said: “A lot of things happened at once for me: we went into lockdown, I turned 50, and I began going through the stages of menopause. At first, my doctor put me on antidepressants, which didn’t work. When I got the right advice and went on to HRT, it changed my entire outlook. I felt like I’d hit rock bottom and I was sort of reinventing myself. That’s when I decided to train to be a police officer. Who would have thought I would do that at 50? I never wanted to get wrapped up in a bubble or stand on that pedestal of a rock-star life for too long. I always want to keep my feet on the ground.”
Rod Stewart’s Support
Penny credits her husband with giving her the confidence to step outside her comfort zone. “I think the biggest turning point for me was meeting Rod. He encouraged me to give things a go and my confidence grew from there. There isn’t anything I would turn down now, even though I know my limits and my weaknesses through being dyslexic. I don’t fear failure any more.”
The Loose Women panellist is also clear that she does not want to be known simply as Rod Stewart’s wife, which is one reason she pursues so many different endeavours. “It’s that pigeonhole thing that actors face, where if they’re picked for a certain role so many times, then people can’t imagine them in any other role. So I’m not just Rod Stewart’s wife, I was a woman before that. I had 27 years of my life before I met Rod, and then I became a mother, which was a different role, and I’m a police officer, and I can be so many things and wear lots of hats. Luckily, people recognise me for so much more now. Of course, I’m proud to be Rod’s wife and we have an amazing relationship and marriage and I’m proud of that too.”
Penny is also proud that Rod continues to work. “Rod’s away a lot of the time – he’s currently on tour – but the children are used to that. I take the reins in all departments when he’s away, then when dad’s back we share the roles. He has a very important role in their lives. What a great example and role model he is for continuing to work and thrive and to keep fit and give back to society.”
