‘Don’t Be Jealous’: Penny Lancaster Recasts Rod Stewart’s Blonde Hair as a Career Signature, Not a Costume

A tabloid criticism in 2024 mocked Sir Rod Stewart for still dyeing his hair blonde at age 80, calling it an attempt to imitate a younger rock star. His wife, Penny Lancaster, rejected that interpretation and argued that his current look is not imitation at all — but continuity.

Her reasoning has two pillars.

First, the trademark: Stewart’s blonde hair has been part of his identity since the late 1960s and through his breakthrough in the 1970s with songs such as “Maggie May.” The jagged, pale-blonde silhouette is part of the entire visual record of his career, from album covers to magazine photography. Lancaster noted that this is a half-century signature, not costume play.

Second, vitality: she pointed to his training and athletic goals. Stewart has maintained an unusually active lifestyle and still performs long live shows. Lancaster emphasized that many critics ignore this physical profile when they imply denial. Her summary message to the detractors was blunt — the negative comments, in her view, come from envy, not evidence.

Stewart’s Glastonbury “Legends Slot” in 2025 underlines that the broader music world still sees his image as authentic and historically linked to his catalogue. Lancaster’s defense frames the hair not as a disguise but as a retained element of the brand that audiences recognize — and still buy tickets to see.