From teen heartbreaks, whirlwind proposals to cheating scandals and three weddings – Rod Stewart’s love life is true rockstar chaos
He’s rocked stadiums, scored platinum records and racked up just as many romances. With his trademark spiky hair and raspy voice, Sir Rod Stewart has been an icon in music for more than six decades. But beyond the hits and headlines, the 79-year-old rocker has lived a wild love life that could rival any storyline.
From teenage sweethearts to supermodels, secret affairs to three high-profile marriages – Rod’s dating history is far from regular. Now settled with his third wife Penny Lancaster and their two sons, the rocker might be living a quieter life these days but getting there was anything but smooth. Let’s take a look back at the women who stole his heart and sometimes broke it too.
Susannah Boffey
Rod’s first serious romance was with Susannah Boffey, who he met as a teen in a London nightclub. It didn’t last long – but it left a permanent mark.
Susannah fell pregnant and gave birth to their daughter, Sarah Streeter, who was placed for adoption. Rod later claimed it was her father who insisted on it but Susannah saw things differently.
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“I don’t blame him for how he acted in the Sixties we were all young and foolish,” she said. “But I blame him for what’s happened since, for what has happened to both me and Sarah.”
Jennie Rylance
Next came model Jennie Rylance and just as quickly, she was gone. The romance fizzled out after two years.
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Dee Harrington
Rod then fell for model Dee Harrington after meeting her on a cruise ship.
“He was shy about asking me to dance,” she recalled but once they got talking, they were inseparable for four years.
Rod even popped the question mid-canoodle. “We were in our hotel bedroom when he just blurted out, ‘Will you marry me?’” she said. But the rockstar’s trust issues got in the way. Rod suspected Dee was cheating, and soon enough, he was cosying up to someone else.
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Britt Ekland
Swedish stunner Britt Ekland, aka Mary Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun. She and Rod dated for two explosive years. But the romance went out with a bang when Britt accused Rod of cheating. “He never said sorry,” she later revealed. “Never. I wish he had.”
Alana Stewart
Rod’s first trip down the aisle came in 1979 when he married model Alana Stewart who famously left actor George Hamilton for him. They welcomed two kids, Kimberly and Sean.
Looking back, Rod admits he wasn’t ready. “When I told my dad I was getting married, he said, ‘You’re far too young,’” Rod said. “He was right – I still had a lot of living, partying, drinking and shagging to do.”
Kelly Emberg
Rod’s seven-year relationship with model Kelly Emberg began while he was still married to Alana. Together, they had daughter Ruby but his wandering ways did them in too.
Kelly said: “It’s hard being in love with someone and knowing they’re wrong for you… I realised Rod didn’t want to marry me.”
Rachel Hunter
Rod met 21-year-old model Rachel Hunter in a nightclub in 1990 and proposed just three weeks later. Despite their 24-year age gap, they married and had two kids – Renee and Liam. The marriage lasted until 1999. Rachel eventually walked away, saying she’d “lost her identity.”
“I’ll take to the grave the pain I caused Rod,” she admitted. “I hurt the one person I loved and cared about.”
Rod didn’t cope well: “I took to lying on the sofa in the day, with a blanket over me and a hot water bottle against my chest. I knew then why they call it heartbroken. You can feel it in your heart.”
Penny Lancaster
Rod met Penny in 1999 and the rest is history. She joined him on tour, won his heart, and they’ve been together ever since. The pair tied the knot in 2007 and have two sons, Alastair and Aiden.
They even renewed their vows in 2023, proving that even rockstars can settle down – eventually.
Over his love life Rod’s had eight kids with five women: Sarah (with Susannah), Kimberly and Sean (with Alana), Ruby (with Kelly), Renee and Liam (with Rachel), and Alastair and Aiden (with Penny).
He’s now a grandad too with four grandkids and one more on the way, after daughter Kimberly revealed she’s expecting her second child.
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