Penny Lancaster Says Rod Stewart Will Come Back ‘Stronger Than Ever’ After Heart Stent Procedure

Penny Lancaster, 55, says her husband Sir Rod Stewart, 81, will come back “stronger than ever” after the singer underwent a routine coronary stent procedure last month. The operation, which clears blocked heart arteries using a catheter, forced Stewart to cancel the remaining dates of his 2026 “One Last Time” tour and take four weeks off to recover.

Stewart was hospitalised on August 9, 2026 to have the stent fitted, though his team’s public announcement of the cancellation and procedure did not go out until August 11. Lancaster said her husband now feels he has “a new lease of life” after the ordeal.

• Rod Stewart is 81; Penny Lancaster is 55.
• The procedure was described as a routine coronary stent operation.
• Stewart’s team said he would need four weeks to recuperate before returning to the stage.
• The cancelled dates included a six-night run at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

What Penny Lancaster Said About Rod Stewart’s Recovery

Lancaster said Stewart is already moving at full speed again in his everyday life, even as doctors keep him on a restricted exercise regimen in the gym that is being built up gradually. She said he has been eager to get back to his usual pace, joking that she can rarely find him because he is busy with his hobbies.

Explaining why doctors insisted on scrapping the tour rather than letting him push through, Lancaster said she had to walk the medical team through what a typical Rod Stewart show actually demands physically. She described him running for close to two hours through four costume changes, sweating heavily the entire time, and likened his entrance to a boxer heading toward the ring or a horse bursting from the starting gate at full speed.

“He’s going to come back stronger than ever, I found it hard enough as it was to slow him down so now he feels like he’s got a new lease of life,” Lancaster said.

Rod Stewart’s 2026 Tour Cancellation

The stent procedure cut short the remaining North American leg of Stewart’s “One Last Time” tour, wiping out shows across the United States and Mexico, including the six scheduled nights at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Stewart’s team said on Instagram that doctors were satisfied with his recovery and that he had already resumed his normal daily routine, but that his return to touring would need to wait until he completed a four-week recuperation period.

Lancaster said Stewart was “devastated” by the cancellation but “can’t wait to see his fans again,” adding that he has been touched by the outpouring of support since the surgery. She said he is expected to pick back up with dates in the US next year.

In his own statement issued after the procedure, Stewart said: “I’m already feeling better and very much on the mend. I want to thank the doctors, nurses and everyone who has taken such wonderful care of me. I am deeply disappointed to miss these shows and sorry to let my fans down, but I look forward to getting back on stage and having a good time with you all again soon.”

A Difficult Year of Health Setbacks for Rod Stewart

The stent procedure capped off a rough stretch of health scares for Stewart throughout 2026. In May, he pulled out of shows in Nevada, citing vocal rest needed to recover from a sinus infection. About a month later, he cancelled a concert in San Diego after being diagnosed with a respiratory infection that had developed into laryngitis.

The day after cancelling that San Diego show, Stewart was spotted at a FIFA World Cup match in Boston with his two sons. He later addressed the criticism that followed, telling talkSPORT that going to the game “wasn’t a good look” given the circumstances, but that he had promised his sons years earlier they would attend a World Cup together and did not want to break that promise.

Weeks later, while performing in Utah, Stewart nearly fainted onstage. He paused the concert, used an oxygen tank to catch his breath, and finished out the rest of the show seated in a chair.

More Info

• Rod Stewart’s wife Penny Lancaster vows the rocker, 81, will be back ‘stronger than ever’ after heart operation and says he ‘has a new lease of life’ | Daily Mail Showbiz
• Penny Lancaster shares health update on husband Rod Stewart after heart operation | independent.co.uk
• Rod Stewart’s wife issues emotional eight-word update after rocker hospitalised | express.co.uk
• Penny Lancaster gives Rod Stewart health update after singer’s surgery | walesonline.co.uk
• Penny Lancaster gives Rod Stewart health update after singer’s surgery | bristolpost.co.uk
• Penny Lancaster shares one thing Rod Stewart ‘can’t wait’ for as she gives health update | dailyrecord.co.uk