Sir Rod Stewart has revealed that the collapse of his marriage to second wife Rachel Hunter "tore me to shreds", attributing their split to their significant age difference.
In a candid interview, the 80-year-old rock legend admitted that Hunter left him because she was "too young". The couple had a 26-year age gap when they married.
"Rachel left me because she was too young — my sister said I should never have married her in the first place — but it tore me to shreds," Stewart confessed to The Times.
The musician's sister Mary had expressed doubts about the relationship from the beginning, believing the age difference created an insurmountable divide between them.
Rod Stewart opened up about the breakdown of his previous marriage
GETTYStewart and Hunter wed in 1990 when she was just 21 years old and he was 45.
The New Zealand model and the Maggie May singer welcomed daughter Renee a year after their marriage, with son Liam following shortly afterwards.
Their relationship had begun when they met in a Los Angeles nightclub, leading to nearly a decade together before their separation in 1999. The couple's divorce was finalised in 2006.
Stewart was previously married to Alana Hamilton from 1979 to 1984, with whom he shares daughter Kimberly and son Sean.
Rachel Hunter and Rod Stewart split up in 1999
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He also has a daughter, Ruby, from his relationship with model Kelly Emberg.
The significant age gap ultimately proved too difficult to bridge, with Stewart acknowledging that the 24-year difference created an unfixable gulf between them.
Stewart met his current wife Penny Lancaster remarkably quickly after his split from Hunter.
The musician revealed to the publication that he encountered Lancaster at a bar in 1999, with his bass player deliberately delaying their connection.
"There were six months between Rachel and Penny because my bass player, who had Penny's number, wouldn't give it to me," Stewart explained.
"He said, 'All you're going to do now is s**g around.' And he was right: I had a splendid time in those six months."
When they finally met, Lancaster approached him for an autograph. "So I said, 'Do you like dancing?' She was an incredible dancer, gorgeous, 6ft 4in heels, ai-yi-yi," Stewart recalled.
Despite being immediately smitten with the future Loose Women presenter, Stewart admitted he was counselled to enjoy single life briefly following his separation from Hunter.
Penny Lancaster and Rod Stewart have been married since 2007
GETTYStewart and Lancaster married in 2007 in Portofino, Italy, following his proposal in Paris. The couple have two sons together, Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 14.
"Now I'm with Penny and she's got everything I could possibly want," Stewart added. He credits Lancaster with having "mended my heart in more ways than one."
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Rod Stewart made a candid admission about his marriage to Rachel Hunter
GettyThe musician emphasised the importance of physical affection in their 18-year marriage. "I'm not talking about sex, but a kiss and a cuddle and a hold," he explained. "Penny and I do that every morning. We hug each other — sometimes in bed, sometimes out of bed, all throughout the day. It's a wonderful relationship. Lucky geezer, aren't I?"
Last week, Lancaster and their sons supported Stewart during his legends slot at Glastonbury's Pyramid stage.
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