Penny Lancaster became overwhelmed with emotion as she looked back on her and Rod Stewart’s remarkable 25-year romance during the new festive episode of My Life At Christmas with Anita Rani. The 54-year-old model repeatedly broke down while reflecting on the long, winding road that brought her and the 80-year-old music legend together — and even Rod wiped away a tear by the end.

The couple first crossed paths in 1999, when Penny was still a photography student at Barking College and Rod was performing following his split from Rachel Hunter. Penny recalled how they exchanged numbers that night, but she heard nothing for months — completely unaware that Rod’s band leader Carmine Appice had intentionally held on to her number until he felt the singer was emotionally ready. Rod laughed that he “should have fired him, but couldn’t,” because Carmine was simply trying to protect him.

Penny admitted she assumed their brief encounter was over. She remembered developing the concert photos she had taken of Rod and thinking it would remain a “lovely memory.” But once Rod finally reached out nine months later, their relationship quickly grew serious, and Penny soon found herself welcomed into his large blended family.

Opening up about the early years, Penny couldn’t hold back tears as she described the challenge of stepping gently into a household with children aged five to twenty-one from multiple mothers. She said she “tiptoed lightly,” wanting to stay present but not intrusive. After years of patience, she said she reached a closeness with Rod’s children that she “never thought I would get.”

Rod, too, grew emotional as he praised Penny’s role in his family, saying his children “adore her now” and look to her for guidance.

One of the most moving moments of the interview came when Penny recalled the couple’s 2018 meeting with Pope Francis, an encounter won through a charity auction. She struggled through tears as she described the Pope placing both their hands together and blessing them, saying the moment “cemented all the wishes Rod and I had quietly prayed for.”

But it was Rod who broke down at the end, revealing the secret to their long-lasting relationship. He said the age gap had its challenges but created a balance: he brought maturity, while Penny taught him honesty. Rod added that they never go to bed angry, never argue after wine, and resolve disagreements quickly. Fighting back tears, he said he tries to teach all his children that “real men say sorry — that’s what they do,” before adding that he hopes the “wonderful honesty” between him and Penny lasts forever.