Sir Rod Stewart, 78,plants a kiss on towering wife Penny Lancaster’s cheek

Sir Rod Stewart was in the mood to party when he and his wife Penny Lancaster stepped out on Thursday night, shortly after putting his Los Angeles mansion up for sale.

London-born Sir Rod wants to stay close to his roots after growing tired of the ‘toxic culture’ of the Southern California city – and he was in his element attending a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the celebrated nightclub Annabel’s in his home city.

The veteran star, 78, looked suitably smart in an extravagant gold and black striped suit, paired with a casual loose leopard print tie.

Sire Rod paired the bold look with a smart white shirt, while eye-catching gold-patterned loafers caught the eye as he entered the Mayfair venue.

His wife Penny, 52, joined him at the event and turned heads in an ivory silk evening gown with a cinched waist – a look she paired with silver strappy heels.

Apparently in good spirits, Sir Rod planted a kiss on Penny’s cheek as he posed for photographers, but the petite rocker seemed to strain his neck trying to connect with the statuesque model and photographer.

Other guests on the night included actress Ellie Bamber, Liam Gallagher’s youngest son Gene, a rugged Liam Payne and socialite Emma Weymouth.

Sir Rod has made his Atlantic Crossing – and he has no plans for a return trip after deciding to quit his life in Los Angeles once and for all to settle back in the UK, DailyMail.com has learned.

This week, the UK-born singer severed a major ties with California when he put his sprawling Beverly Hills home on the market for a whopping $70 million — and now sources have revealed he has no plans to build another family base in the city. .

According to two well-placed insiders, Rod has grown tired of what he sees as the “toxic” culture in Los Angeles – where he feels he has “no privacy” – and has chosen to return full-time to his home in the UK in support of his wife Penny and their sons, who no longer want to deal with the ‘nuisance’ of commuting.

Rod and Penny, who tied the knot in 2007, have two sons together – Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 12 – who are both currently attending a school in Essex, while their mother has worked as a volunteer police officer in London. for recent years.

“Penny loves the life she’s built away from America and away from LA. She loves nothing more than working for the police,” a friend of the family told DailyMail.com.

“She also finds travel more annoying than anything else and just wants to live her life as a working mom.”

The former model – who married Rod in 2007 – was inspired to become a special constable for the City of London Police by the TV series Famous and Fighting Crime, in which she appeared. She completed her training in April 2021 and started volunteering with the police force. soon after.

But as well as supporting his wife’s career aspirations, Rod has also chosen to return to the UK because he knows this is where his two sons want to be.

“In addition, there is no way her and Rod’s boys want to leave their school and friends in the UK to come to America,” the insider continued.

The move marks a major shift for Rod, who has shuttled back and forth between Los Angeles and his childhood home in Essex for nearly five decades — a massive estate called Durrington House, which he and Penny bought for $5.8 million in 2016.

But a second source shared that the hit star – who has eight children by five women – has the full support of all his children, daughters Sarah Streeter, 59, Kimberly, 43, Ruby, 35, and Renee, 30, and sons Sean, 42 , Liam, 28, Alastair and Aiden.

“They all know how happy he and Penny live there and that’s all they want is for their dad to be happy.”

DailyMail.com has reached out to Rod’s spokesperson for comment.

Rod moved to the City of Angels in 1975 – ten years after he started his solo career. Shortly after jumping ponds, his talent propelled him to superstardom.

During his career, he has had 11 number-one singles and 12 number-one albums – selling over 130 million copies.

‘Rod has always considered Britain his home. Los Angeles was all he needed for that time in his life, but it’s clear he doesn’t like LA anymore. It just got so toxic and he has no privacy in the city.”

On May 9, Rod’s daughter Ruby Otis welcomed Stewart Kalick with her fiancé Jake Kalic.

And then days later on May 12, Rod’s ice hockey player son Liam and his partner Nicole Ann revealed the arrival of their first son Louie.

He recently shared photos with both of his grandchildren and looked absolutely delighted. As fans know, he is constantly sharing family updates on his social media.

Rod first became a grandfather in 2011, when his daughter Kimberly and actor Benicio Del Toro welcomed a daughter, Delilah, who is now 11.

“Rod is so devoted to his family and close to all of them,” the insider added. “He is in a great place in his life and is thrilled to be a grandfather to his three grandchildren.”