Penny Lancaster has said she's extremely proud of her husband Sir Rod Stewart and his quest to help settle Ukrainian families in the UK, saying: "He is always giving back".
Yesterday, The Mirror revealed how the singer was renting a house, in Berkshire, as well paying all the bills for a family of seven who had fled the war.
The 77-year-old has also given two other refugees jobs at his Essex mansion, including as a gardener and a housekeeper, and has vowed to pay for even more homes for refugees as well.
Speaking to the Mirror at a Westminster rally for the Menopause Mandate campaign, Penny said: "He is always giving back. Not coming from a wealthy background, Rod appreciates where he is and he is always pinching himself and saying: ‘why me, why did i become the lucky one?'
"Of course, it's a lot more than luck, there's a great deal of talent and extreme hard work. But he has always wanted to give back and I am very proud of him for that." Sir Rod provided support to Ukrainian couple Rostylsav and Olena and their five children, saying he wanted to do more after being knighted in 2016.
Rod and Penny were inspired to act after witnessing the unfolding events of the ongoing war in Ukraine on the news. The singer also hired three trucks filled with supplies for refugees and had them driven to Ukraine, before using the same vehicles to transport 16 people back to safety in Berlin.
Penny added: "Your heart goes out to displaced families whether it be through war or famine. You want to be able to do something. Initially at the beginning, he sent out three vans full of supplies but then he wanted to go that one step further."
She said the refugees they were housing in rented accommodation in Berkshire were settling into British life and had a firm desire to be a "part of the community". She said: "The older one is starting college, the father is learning English. They want to be independent and pay back the gratitude they have for the UK letting them be here. As well as feeling absolutely grateful to Rod for helping them out, they want to be a part of the community."
Yesterday Sir Rod was hailed by MPs as the "Best of British" for his efforts. Labour MP Chris Bryant MP, chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on Russia, said: "This amazing generosity shows what a big-hearted man Rod is. He really is the best of British. When he sang 'Stay with Me' and 'You're in my Heart', he really meant it."
Penny's comments came as she joined stars such as Carol Vorderman and Lisa Snowdon at the Menopause Mandate rally on College Green, outside Parliament. The campaign group was founded by Mariella Frostrup and MP Carolyn Harris to raise awareness about the subject, and to fight for improved access to treatment.
Penny herself has been very honest about her experience of menopause, as well as advocating for HRT to be available free.
Speaking at the rally, Penny said husband Rod was a huge help to her as she suffered symptoms. She said: "When I was struggling, he recognised it was very out of character. I went from a very easy going person and the one solving everyone else's problems, to suddenly having the problems myself."
She added: "He took my symptoms seriously. It was a shock to him, just as it was a shock to me. But HRT was a game changer." Penny added of the Menopause Mandate event: "It's a time to shout loudly because the more women come together, the more problems we can solve."
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