Penny Lancaster has disclosed that she would have ended her relationship with Sir Rod Stewart had he refused to father children with her.
The 54-year-old former model and television presenter made the admission during a recent interview, stating unequivocally that she would have walked away from the rock legend despite the difficulty such a decision would have entailed.
"Yes. And that would have been very hard," Lancaster told Saga magazine when asked directly whether she would have left the 80-year-old singer over the issue.
The couple, who share a 26-year age difference, ultimately welcomed two sons together - Alastair, now 19, and Aiden, 14.
Rod Stewart was initially reluctant to have more children with Penny Lancaster
| GETTYMr Stewart, who was already father to six children from previous relationships when they met, initially told Ms Lancaster he did not want any more offspring.
The pair first encountered each other in 1999, with Lancaster revealing she "definitely wasn't" a fan of the musician initially.
Their meeting occurred at a bar, coming shortly after Lancaster had ended a long-term relationship and Stewart had separated from his second wife, Rachel Hunter.
"Rod was such an unknown entity," Ms Lancaster told the publication. "There were a lot of times after that night when I thought, 'What the hell am I getting myself into?' But Rod's world was a vortex and I was sucked in."
Rod Stewart and Penny Lancaster went on to have two sons
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The couple married in Portofino, Italy in June 2007, eight years after their initial meeting.
By that time, Mr Stewart had made his position clear regarding expanding their family, though he eventually changed his stance after Ms Lancaster expressed her desire to become a mother.
The Maggie May hit-maker now expresses remorse about his initial reluctance to expand their family.
"Now Rod always says, 'I wish I'd said yes [to babies] earlier, because then we could have had more children,'" Ms Lancaster revealed.
The couple explored alternative routes to parenthood as recently as five years ago, investigating the possibility of adoption.
However, they ultimately decided against proceeding with the process due to concerns about the potential age difference between their existing children and any adopted siblings.
"We thought there might be too much of an age gap," Ms Lancaster explained, referring to the consideration that would have created a significant age disparity within their family unit.
The former model also quipped about her caring responsibilities, joking: "Actually, I have three because there's another big baby who needs my attention in a different way. I think all women would say that about their husbands."
Penny Lancaster admitted she would have left Rod Stewart had he not wanted more children
| ITVMr Stewart's extensive family includes six children from previous relationships: Sarah, 61, Kimberly, 46, Sean, 45, Ruby, 38, Renee, 33, and Liam, 31. The musician also has five grandchildren.
Ms Lancaster has embraced her role within the blended family, describing the experience as initially intimidating but ultimately fulfilling.
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Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart got married in 2007
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"Being a stepmother to start with was very daunting and challenging, but it's proved to be an honour and very rewarding," she told HELLO! magazine.
When the couple first met, Mr Stewart's youngest child was five whilst the eldest was 21, providing Ms Lancaster with insight into various stages of child development.
She noted that the family has grown close over the years, with her stepchildren seeking her counsel on matters ranging from career decisions to relationship advice.