They say third time's the charm, and if not, just ask Rod Stewart (80) and Penny Lancaster (54), who couldn't help but shed a few tears when they recounted how they met in the first episode of the second season of My Life At Christmas with Anita Rani.
The couple met in January 1999 at the Dorchester hotel in London, one of the world's most luxurious landmarks and the favorite place of the scandalous love story between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. At that time, Penny was 27 years old, studying photography at Barking College and had taken some photos of the artist during his concert.
At the after-party, a friend of Penny dared her to see if she would ask Rod for an autograph, who was ecstatic about the success he had with his band. After chatting with her for a few minutes, the author of Rhythm of My Heartasked for her phone number, which was promptly kept by Carmine Appice, the band's leader and bassist, considering it too soon for Rod to start a new relationship.
The Daily Mail quotes the singer: "Carmine didn't think I was in the right position because I had just divorced and didn't know if I was coming or going. He said he would give it to me when he thought I was ready." Rod Stewart had recently separated from his second wife, Rachel Hunter - the divorce was not finalized until 2006 - and emotionally he was vulnerable.
As they both recount the beginning of their story, she gets emotional. The singer also sheds a tear. Rod joked about his companion: "He was a true gentleman, kept the phone away from me. I should have fired him, but I couldn't! (Smiles)." The video shows Penny crying and she added: "Carmine had hidden that phone number."
Months went by, and the phone didn't ring. As Penny explained, she thought "that would be the last time she would see Rod. I remember processing those photos I took at the concert and thinking it was a nice memory. That was it." Nine months later, the British idol called her.
Entering Rod Stewart's life was not easy for Penny Lancaster, as he had six children from previous relationships. Sarah (62), from his teenage relationship with Susannah Boffey, was given up for adoption. With his first wife, Alana Stewart (80), he had Kimberly (46) and Sean (45); with his girlfriend Kelly Emberg (66), he had a daughter named Ruby (38), and from his marriage to Rachel Hunter (56), Renee (33) and Liam (31) were born.
As summarized by the Daily Mail, entering Rod's family was so delicate that she entered "on tiptoe because there were many personalities and, most importantly, children of all ages. From Liam, who was five years old when we met, to older kids like Kimberly, who was about to turn 21." "It was a situation I had never experienced before, and I thought I should stay in the background but be present if they wanted to approach me," she narrated. "Now my children adore her, they seek her out for advice," revealed the singer.
Initially, they had a long-distance relationship as Penny continued her studies, and Rod was based in the United States, traveling worldwide for his concerts. The couple used to see each other when she traveled during vacations.
In 2005, the couple had their first child, Alistair (20), and after a romantic proposal at the Julio Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, the couple married in June 2007 in Portofino. Their second child, Aiden (14), was born in 2011.
During the chat on My Life At Christmas with Anita Rani, the couple also got emotional remembering their meeting with Pope Francis in 2018.
The couple mainly resides in Essex County (England), where they own an 18th-century mansion with 10 rooms and dreamy gardens. A few months ago, they sold their magnificent property in Beverly Hills for $86 million.