Sir Rod Stewart has lashed out at Gregg Wallace for ‘humiliating his wife’ Penny Lancaster.
The rock singer, 79, has hit out at the television chef amid an investigation by the BBC into misconduct claims. Gregg has stepped down from MasterChef after being accused of making inappropriate sexual comments by 13 people. He has denied the allegations and is “committed to fully cooperating through the process”.
Sir Rod took to social media to lash out at Gregg as the news came out, sharing with his 1.4 million followers on Instagram: “Good riddance Wallace… You humiliated my wife when she was on the show, but you had that bit cut out didn’t you? You’re a tubby, bald-headed, ill-mannered bully. Karma got ya. Sir Rod Stewart.”
The legendary star finally found the love of his life with his third wife Penny Lancaster – but he had many complex relationships and affairs before they met. Here, the Mirror takes a look back at them…
Susannah Boffey
When Rod was just 17 years old, his eldest daughter Sarah Streeter was born. The rocker had a fling with her art student mum, Susannah Boffey, who he met in a London nightclub in 1961 and was said to have broken his heart when he was still a teenager.
In his 2013 album, Time, Rod sings the lyric “woke to find you gone” with his “teenage heart scattered to the floor”. Their daughter was adopted by Evelyn and Gerald Thubron and didn’t know about her famous dad until she turned 18.
Sarah fell into drink and drug addiction but reached out to Rod when her adoptive mum died in 2007. Rod didn’t see his eldest child for decades until he got back in touch when her adoptive mother Evelyn died in 2007. He said: “She calls me Dad and I call her my daughter. We’re doing our best.”
In 2018, Sarah revealed their relationship had evolved over time but her father being a “big star” made it difficult. “But over the years it has become much more relaxed and now he’s just Dad to me,” she said. “You can’t get away from the fact that he’s Rod Stewart, the star, but when we’re together I put that at the back of my mind.”
Britt Ekland
Rod’s most famous partner was Bond girl Britt Ekland, who starred in The Man with the Golden Gun, The Wicker Man and Get Carter with Michael Caine. They were introduced in 1975 by their mutual friend, Dame Joan Collins, before starting a passionate relationship. They lived together for two years and Britt even gave up her career to focus on her romance with Rod.
He was devoted to her during their time together and the hit song Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright) was inspired by Britt. “We were madly in love, we were absolutely obsessed with each other,” she stated at the time. “Meeting Rod Stewart and falling in love, so madly in love, was amazing.”
But just two years after their relationship started, the couple broke up and Britt claimed she ended their relationship because he was unfaithful. Rod had stated the “changing point” was when Britt started putting make-up on him and his dad “went mad” when he saw it.
“So, I suddenly went, ‘Hold on, I’m a north London boy, loves playing football, loves a pint, what are you doing wearing makeup,” explained the singer. Britt’s attitude towards her ex hasn’t softened ever since.
Alana Stewart
Rod’s first wife was American actress and model Alana, who had previously been married to actor George Hamilton. The couple got married in 1979, the same year that Alana gave birth to their daughter Kimberly, and has since admitted he got married too young.
Rod told PEOPLE magazine: “When I told my dad I was getting married, he said, ‘You’re far too young,'” Stewart recalls. “He was right. I still had a lot of living, partying, drinking and sh**ing to do.” The following year their son Sean arrived, but the marriage was over after just five years when Rod walked out on his devastated wife.
He had already started a relationship with another blonde model, Kelly Emberg, before the marriage ended. Rod has since admitted he has left “a lot of broken hearts” in his wake, saying: “I haven’t treated women badly but I’m not proud of the way I broken up relationships. I was a real coward.”
Alana, who now has a close relationship with her ex, admits her “world fell apart” when they split up. She said: “Divorce is never easy, but it’s even more painful when you find out your husband is having an affair with a beautiful model fifteen years younger than you.
“I had always been so certain that we were forever, that nothing could ever come between us. I can’t make Rod out to be the total villain and me the innocent victim, even though he was the one having the affair. The last couple of years our marriage had started to deteriorate from the madly in love couple who had everything we could possibly want to the reality of having young children and a wife who couldn’t keep up with the rock-and-roll lifestyle anymore.”
Rod’s son Sean starred in American reality show Sons of Hollywood, showing the attempts of three kids of celeb parents trying to build their own careers. While daughter Kimberley, who is a model and fashion designer, began acting and starred in 1999 film Black and White with Robert Downey Jr. and Jared Leto. She also gave Rod his first granddaughter, Delia, whose father is The Usual Suspects actor Benicio del Toro.
Kelly Emberg
Rod had started seeing model Kelly Emberg, who was 15 years younger than him, before his marriage to Alana had ended. The couple had one daughter, Ruby, and stayed together for seven years, which at the time was his longest relationship. Rod has admitted he treated her “terribly” and has described her as “the most wonderful woman in the world”.
Meanwhile, Kelly has said: “It is very hard being in love with someone and knowing they are wrong for you. I thought about breaking up with Rod for a year before I finally made the decision to do it. But once I turned 30 and had a good look at my life and situation, I realised Rod didn’t want to marry me.”
Rod and Kelly have now clearly repaired their relationship and the former Sports Illustrated model and he are great friends. While daughter Ruby followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a high fashion model and has been a singer in two bands and a Diet Pepsi commercial.
Rachel Hunter
Within three weeks of meeting New Zealand model Rachel Hunter in a club in 1991, Rod had proposed and they tied the knot three months later. Rachel, who is 26 years younger than the singer, gave birth to daughter Renee in 1992 and two years later their son Liam arrived. But Rachel made the shock decision to leave Rod in 1999 – leaving him completely heartbroken.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Rod told the Mail On Sunday. “I was a rock star. You don’t dump a rock star! It knocked me for six. It was a huge shock.” The rocker admitted in hindsight the 26-year age difference played a big part in why their relationship broke down.
He said: “She was just 21 when we married and a mum a year later. My sister Mary told me she was too young for me as we were walking down the aisle. And she was right.”
In a 2001 interview with the Mirror, Rachel admitted that despite looking like they were living a fairy-tale life from the outside, she was making plans to leave Rod. She said: “To the outside world I was the mother of two beautiful kids, a wife to Rod and a successful model without any financial worries – but inside, I was in torment.
“By the time I was 29, I had spent eight years with someone else’s group of friends. In the nine years were together, I’d never done anything for myself. If you’d asked me then what I liked or didn’t like, I wouldn’t have been able to tell you. I didn’t even have a hobby.”
The pair officially divorced in 2006 and Rachel has admitted she will take the pain she caused Rod to the grave because he was “distraught”. Their son Liam is an ice hockey star and plays professionally for the Milton Keynes Lightning.
Penny Lancaster
Rod finally found everlasting love with another model, Penny Lancaster, who he began dating in 1999. The couple got married in 2007, a year after his divorce from Rachel was finalised, and are still madly in love to this day. The couple have two children, Alastair and Aiden, who are mostly kept out of the limelight.
This is Rod’s longest marriage and the pair seem happier than ever and their sex life is still “great”, although at times he just wants a cuddle. “I need a bit of a start on the handle now, like a vintage car,” he once joked. “Sex becomes more spiritual as one gets older. I love sex with my wife, but I love just giving her a hug.
“Every night we have a kiss and a hug, and that doesn’t always lead to sex but it’s still lovely. When I’m away from her a long time and I don’t get a hug, I really miss it.” There aren’t many secrets about their relationship as Penny frequently opens up about her marriage to Rod on Loose Women.