Rod Stewart reveals how his ‘dear wife’ stopped him from cancelling Glastonbury

30 June 2025, 16:26

Penny Lancaster helped the ‘Maggie May’ singer get over illness ahead of his big show.

Sir Rod Stewart has credited his “dear wife” Penny Lancaster with helping him keep to his Pyramid Stage promise at Glastonbury last weekend.

The ‘Sailing’ singer performed the festival’s famous Legends slot on Sunday (June 29), but speaking with The Sun on Friday, the 80-year-old revealed it almost wasn’t to be.

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“This time last week I was thinking of cancelling,” the rockstar admitted, explaining that his recent bout of flu had almost left him unable to perform at the huge event.

“It was a close shave. I have had Influenza A,” he detailed. “It’s been so terrible.”

Rod’s flu forced him to have to cancel all of his planned June shows in the US.

These included five Las Vegas based performances, and two shows in California – although the singer was able to reschedule the latter two dates for September.

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Rod credits Penny and his medical team for making sure he wouldn’t have to cancel his Glastonbury opportunity.

“My dear wife and some good medical people got me through it,” he said. “[Penny] said to me: ‘You are going to do this. It’s mind over matter.’

“She nursed me back to health. She really is a great girl,” he added.

Apparently the secret to getting back to full health was “a lot of technical massaging from some very good people,” which the singer joked “sounds filthy, doesn’t it?”

In the end, Sir Rod’s flu experience left him feeling all the more grateful for the chance to play Glastonbury’s crowd of thousands on Sunday evening.

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“I feel honoured and privileged, considering four days ago I wasn’t going to make it,” he added.

As well as his wife, TV star and model Penny, Rod was joined by four of his eight children – Ruby, Renee, Alistair and Aiden – at Worthy Farm.

Rod Stewart performs with daughter Ruby in Austin