Rod Stewart once made a deeply emotional promise to wife Penny Lancaster after the couple endured one of the darkest periods of their life together.
The music legend was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2017 during a routine appointment, with doctors discovering an aggressive form of the disease. While the frightening diagnosis was kept private at the time, Penny has since opened up about the devastating toll it took behind closed doors.
In her book Someone Like Me, Penny revealed that the couple agreed not to tell anyone until they had more information, leaving them to carry the burden alone. She described the wait for further results as “agonising”, while Rod, despite the fear hanging over them, tried to remain positive.
Even in the middle of his health crisis, Rod reportedly refused to give in to despair. Penny recalled that while recovering and waiting for answers, he was still organising his upcoming tour — a sign of the determination that helped carry him through.
But it was after the worst of the scare had passed that Rod shared a heartbreaking promise with the woman he loves. According to Penny, he told her they still had 20 more years together — a vow that became even more poignant given how close they had come to facing a very different future.
Penny has also spoken about Rod’s strikingly calm attitude towards the idea of death. In an interview with The Times, she said: “He feels like when the time’s up, the time’s up, but he’ll go in a flame of laughter and fun.”
While Rod battled the disease for two years before being given the all-clear in July 2019, Penny was fighting her own private struggle. She admitted the secrecy and emotional pressure became so overwhelming that she eventually turned to therapy and antidepressants to cope.
“I felt incredibly low, and my depression spiralled further, and I realised that to be strong for both myself and Rod, I might need some help too,” she said.
She later described the medication as the “life-raft” she needed during one of the most painful chapters of their marriage.
Now cancer-free, Rod is said to focus on protecting his health with a balanced diet, regular exercise and frequent medical check-ups. But Penny’s account makes clear just how fragile things once felt — and how one quiet promise between husband and wife became unforgettable.
