Introduction
BREAKING: Rod Stewart Reflects on the Heartbreak That Nearly Broke Him — “I Finally Understand What It Means to Be Heartbroken”
In a candid and deeply emotional revelation, music legend Sir Rod Stewart has opened up about the darkest chapter of his life — the collapse of his marriage to model Rachel Hunter. Decades may have passed since the painful split, but for Stewart, the memory is still fresh and raw. “I was cold all the time,” he confessed, describing a grief so deep it left him nearly paralyzed. “I’d lie on the sofa with a hot water bottle pressed to my chest, trying to feel something. Anything.”
Their whirlwind romance began in 1990 — Rod was 45, Rachel just 21. What started as a storybook love quickly spiraled into turmoil. Nine years later, Rachel walked away, citing a loss of self-identity in the relationship. The separation left Stewart blindsided and emotionally wrecked. In his bestselling autobiography, Rod: The Autobiography, he writes, “Now I know why they call it heartbreak — you actually feel it in your heart.”
Now 80, Stewart has found peace and stability with his wife Penny Lancaster, whom he married in 2007. Together, they’ve built a loving home, and Rod beams when he speaks of his family: “I’ve got eight kids altogether. It’s just gorgeous.” But even as he embraces this new chapter, he doesn’t shy away from the cost of his past — the emotional weight of fame, love, and regret.
As he prepares for his highly anticipated return to the Glastonbury stage — this time in the coveted Sunday afternoon “legend” slot — Rod still hasn’t lost his edge. “I just wish they wouldn’t call it the tea time slot,” he joked. “That sounds like pipe and slippers, doesn’t it?” With a 90-minute set planned, fans can expect a high-energy performance filled with classics spanning his incredible career — from “Maggie May” to “Downtown Train.”
For Stewart, it’s more than just a concert. It’s a full-circle moment — proof that even through heartbreak, the music plays on.