Sir Rod Stewart has broken cover on social media for the first time since he sparked outrage for attending Scotland’s World Cup opener just hours after cancelling one of his shows.
The 81-year-old revealed he had been forced to abandon his scheduled performance in Chula Vista, California, on Friday evening after receiving a laryngitis diagnosis from medical professionals.
The cancellation came approximately 40 minutes before Sir Rod was due on stage.
In a personal message shared on social media, the singer expressed his disappointment. “Following treatment, I’m feeling much better, but my voice is not,” he said.
Sir Rod Stewart has broken cover on social media for the first time since he sparked outrage for attending Scotland’s World Cup opener just hours after cancelling one of his shows.
The 81-year-old revealed he had been forced to abandon his scheduled performance in Chula Vista, California, on Friday evening after receiving a laryngitis diagnosis from medical professionals.
The cancellation came approximately 40 minutes before Sir Rod was due on stage.
In a personal message shared on social media, the singer expressed his disappointment. “Following treatment, I’m feeling much better, but my voice is not,” he said.
Rod Stewart apologised to fans after cancelling his latest show on Friday night | INSTAGRAM/ROD STEWARTAt the time, he added: “I’m very disappointed and sincerely apologise for any inconvenience to my fans.”
He pledged to make every effort to arrange a replacement date as part of his ongoing One Last Time farewell tour.
However, the following morning, Sir Rod shared footage of himself boarding a private aircraft alongside two of his sons, bound for Massachusetts to witness Scotland’s opening World Cup fixture.
“Here we are flying off to Boston to see Scotland in the World Cup,” the singer announced in the Instagram video.
“It’s been 28 years, so these kids, I’ve told them about it, but they’ve never been. I’ve been to seven World Cups.”
The clip concluded with the trio enthusiastically chanting “No Scotland, no party” before their departure.
Sir Rod was subsequently photographed celebrating in the stands at Gillette Stadium as Scotland secured a 1-0 victory over Haiti courtesy of John McGinn’s deflected strike.
The video swiftly attracted a torrent of criticism from disappointed ticket holders, with some branding him “tone-deaf” and “disrespectful” given he’d just left thousands disappointed by cancelling his gig.
Rather than address the furore online, Sir Rod has since returned to Instagram to pay tribute to his wife, Penny Lancaster.
On Tuesday, the pair marked their 19th anniversary, and Sir Rod used social media to share a sweet message for his other half.
Alongside a wedding photo of the two, Sir Rod penned: “27 years of my life spent with this stunning lady.
“Happy 19th wedding anniversary, my darling Penny, some guys have all the luck.” (sic)
Sir Rod also tagged Ms Lancaster in his Instagram Story.
While the Sailing singer may have avoided mentioning the controversy he currently finds himself in, a spokesperson did defend his decision to attend the World Cup match despite cancelling his show.
A spokesperson for Sir Rod explained to The San Diego Union-Tribune that the singer had undergone “a few rounds of steroids and treatment in the hopes of being able to perform.”
The representative added: “He was there [at the venue] but we had to text because he had no voice.
“Evidently, [the steroids] kicked in but too late for the show.”
