Penny Lancaster says Rod Stewart's hidden heart condition was caught at 'the right time' after he nearly fainted on stage

From the Newshound archive · first published 23 September 2026 · last updated 24 September 2026.

Penny Lancaster has revealed that Sir Rod Stewart, 81, was unknowingly living with a heart condition that doctors only detected after he almost collapsed during a high-altitude concert in Utah in June. Stewart underwent a coronary stent procedure and cancelled the remaining dates of his One Last Time farewell tour to recover. Lancaster told Vanessa Feltz's YouTube show that her husband is now doing "great" and is eager to return to the stage, with new US tour dates already announced.

Stewart had suffered a string of upper respiratory infections before doctors found a 'slight blockage' — he had also previously battled both prostate and thyroid cancer.

Lancaster said Stewart is 'one of the fittest guys I know — fit for someone my age in their 50s', making the undetected heart problem all the more unexpected.

'Luckily for Rod it was detected,' Lancaster said, adding that most people over 65 will likely need a stent — and that her husband has now had both heart disease and prostate cancer.