Penny Lancaster's 'concern' before Rod Stewart's legendary Glastonbury gig

Rod Stewart took to the stage at Glastonbury for his first festival appearance in 23 years, but the 81-year-old music legend had to overcome significant health challenges to make it happen. The chart-topping performer had been struck down with flu that forced him to cancel pre-festival performances, with his doctor ordering him to rest while he recovered.

His wife Penny Lancaster played a crucial role in getting him performance-ready. According to reports, she whisked Rod off to a London throat specialist in advance of his highly-anticipated gig. Following the examination, he underwent voice coaching, hot and cold steaming, and strict voice rest to recover his voice. His voice only returned two days before the performance.

Reflecting on the severity of Rod's condition, Penny later said: "He has never been so ill in his life. But it all turned around and he was on top of the world."

To bolster her husband's confidence before stepping onto the stage, Penny shared words of encouragement with him: "You have to visualise yourself being on stage and manifest this whole experience because it's going to happen."

Despite his decades of experience performing before enormous crowds, Penny revealed that Rod was anxious ahead of his appearance. She disclosed: "I could tell by his face he was nervous. I've only seen that once before - performing for the Queen in a small room at St James's Palace."

His pre-show routine included a brief session on an exercise bike to warm up his legs, followed by a glass of Bacardi and Coke for a little kickstart. Rod performed in the Legends slot with his teenage sons Alastair and Aiden, daughters Ruby and Renee, and their partners all present at Worthy Farm for the historic occasion.

However, once Rod stepped onto the stage, his nerves disappeared. After his set, Penny shared his triumphant mood, saying: "He had the biggest grin on his face, he said 'We did it.'"