Heavily involved in dance -- tap, ballet and modern -- from the age of 6 onward, Lancaster had early dreams of becoming a professional. By the time she was 16 years old, however, Penny was so lithe and tall that she felt aerobics, not dance, would be a better route. Six years later, Lancaster was so dedicated to aerobics and the lifestyle that came with it that she decided to turn this love into a career.
Just as she became a certified fitness trainer, an obviously talented model scout picked Lancaster out from the crowd and suggested she consider this line of work. Always game, Penny jumped right into the role of model and supplemented her income nicely as a statuesque blonde.
Never one to rest on her laurels though, Penny thought it best to get to know the other side of modeling -- photography -- and began taking classes to learn the craft. In 1998, the photography student and gushing fan had the chance to meet Rod Stewart. The leggy Brit asked the famous singer if she could take a picture of him and, as they discussed the shot, they realized they had a lot in common.
Soon, Stewart and Lancaster were dating. The tabloids loved the couple, and it was not just because of Penny's beauty. Stewart was going through a highly public separation from wife Rachel Hunter and the famous lady's man's new belle became fodder for the press. Public words were exchanged between Hunter and Lancaster, and rumor had it that the two models had a fair amount of animosity towards each other.
Despite these distractions, Lancaster stayed on her career path, working both as a photographer for Hello! magazine and a lingerie spokesmodel for Ultimo. Her work for well-known bra company Ultimo became her claim to fame -- aside from boyfriend Stewart, of course -- so the public was quite surprised when the company canned Lancaster in favor of -- who else? -- Rachel Hunter.
The obvious publicity stunt created more tension between the two, but Penny, ever the diplomatic one, ended the public dispute by calling a truce with Hunter during an arranged face-to-face encounter. Hardly perturbed by her lack of modeling work, Penny went right to work on her other passion, developing a fitness DVD called Ultimate Body Workout. The training tape highlighted Lancaster's years of knowledge as a fitness trainer and, as a result, sold extremely well.
Her career plans went to the back of her mind on March 9, 2005, however, when longtime boyfriend Rod Stewart asked for her hand in marriage atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The couple announced plans to marry as soon as Stewart's divorce with Hunter was finalized. Adding fuel to the media frenzy that began surrounding the couple was Stewart's statement that Lancaster was pregnant, set to deliver sometime in December 2005.
In between getting set for married life and parenthood, Lancaster is heading a line of hair removal products called "Hot Legs," fianc Stewart's nickname for her and the title of one of his many hit songs. She also showed off her performing skills for a charity event, as she sang and danced in Tonight's The Night, a musical based on Rod Stewart's hits.
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