EXCLUSIVE: Secrets of Getting Ailing Rod Stewart on Stage at Glastonbury — Including Desperate Voice Box Treatment and Booze
Rod Stewart made it to Glastonbury despite major obstacles.
Aug. 12 2025, Published 8:00 p.m. ET
Penny Lancaster said behind the scenes of her husband's biggest ever gig: "You have to visualize yourself being on stage and manifest this whole experience, because it's going to happen."
RadarOnline.com can reveal the 54-year-old model's statement was part of her battle to support Sir Rod Stewart, her husband of 17 years, as he battled to front this year's Glastonbury Festival's coveted Legends slot on the Pyramid Stage.
The 80-year-old rocker had been laid low with influenza A, forcing him to cancel US dates and leaving him unsure he could sing.
Penny Lancaster supported her husband before his Glastonbury performance.
Glastonbury was his first appearance at the festival in 23 years.
Stewart, famous for Maggie May, Baby Jane and Sailing, worried he would let down fans and fellow performers, including surprise guests Ronnie Wood, Mick Hucknall and Lulu, sources told is.
Lancaster also rushed him to a London throat specialist ahead of the gig.
Stewart had a camera inserted down his throat to examine his vocal cords. Voice coaching, hot and cold steaming, and strict voice rest followed.
"He was never been so ill in his life," Lancaster said.
Two days before the set, Stewart's voice returned.
Stewart battled influenza A before the show.
"It all turned around and he was on top of the world," Lancaster later revealed. On show day, Stewart's family – sons Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14, daughters Ruby, 38, and Renee, 33, and their partners – joined him at Worthy Farm.
He traveled by car from Bath, avoiding helicopters he dislikes. Backstage, Lancaster described "electric" energy as Lulu, Hucknall, and Wood prepared.
The duets, she said, were her idea.
Wood was "a given" to join Stewart, Hucknall had sung If You Don't Know Me By Now on one of his own albums as Stewart had on his Soulbook, and Lulu shared his Glasgow roots.
The singer's pre-stage ritual involved an exercise bike to loosen his legs and a glass of Bacardi and Coke "for a little kickstart" – despite fears over Stewart's hard-partying and drinking, as previously revealed by RadarOnline.com.
Stewart grinned after finishing the set.
Lancaster stayed with him until he walked on stage.
"I could tell by his face he was nervous. I've only seen that once before, performing for the Queen in a small room at St James's Palace," she said.
During the show, Lancaster waded into the crowd with Alastair to dance among fans.
"I love being in the middle of them because you get a sense of the dedication and love they have for Rod," she said.
When he came off stage, Lancaster added: "He had the biggest grin on his face… he said, 'We did it.'"
After celebrating with family, friends, and his band, Stewart returned to his hotel for a late dinner, as he never eats before a show to protect his breathing.
Lancaster remained at the festival with friends before joining him later for drinks and dancing.
The couple celebrated with family and friends after the show.
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The famous couple will soon travel to the US for Stewart's six-week tour, combining work with family visits, including to daughter Kimberly, who is expecting a baby.
Lancaster's autobiography, Someone Like Me, is set to be released in September, covering her life from bullying and dyslexia to policing and menopause.
Of Glastonbury, she said: "It's going to be one of those memories that never fades."
Despite Lancaster's upbeat take on the gig, a source told us: "Rod just made it on stage at Glastonbury – it was actually a miracle he was able to stand for as long as he did to perform, as this is a man truly on his last legs."
