Penny Lancaster was left sobbing and comforted by Coleen Nolan as she recalled speaking out about suffering a sexual assault.
Appearing on the Loose Women podcast, Penny was praising production staff on the ITV daytime show saying she’s “always felt extremely safe” as well as welcomed as a panelist on the programme.
For those reasons, Penny explained as she became emotional, the 54-year-old wife of Rod Stewart said she had been encouraged to address the horrifying incident – even though she hadn’t opened up to family members about what she’d endured.
Penny Lancaster in tears as she recalls sexual assault
Struggling to get her words out as she stifled her tears, an emotional Penny reflected: “I suppose what really sticks in my mind – you were talking about the happy times that make you giggle – and they’re always fabulous. But I guess it was, because I felt safe, when I talked about Me Too. It was a story that I hadn’t even told my parents about.
“And I hadn’t talked about it in the [pre-show] briefing before. I wasn’t intending to talk about it, but it just came out on the show.”
Coleen reached out to support her podcast co-star, holding Penny’s hand as she responded: “It’s an incredible show for that, isn’t it? Because you think, I’m fine with it. Or, I’m not going to speak about it. But like you said, I think there’s an element of safety, and non-judgmental. And we’re all going to be here for each other when that happens.”
‘It does take a long time for it to come out’
Penny went on to say how “important it is to share stories about trauma that you’ve been through”.
“I always sort of wear my heart on my sleeve and I find it really difficult to keep the tears back,” she admitted. “But I know by sharing, it can help other people that have maybe gone through stuff. That was the whole point of Me Too.”
I always sort of wear my heart on my sleeve and I find it really difficult to keep the tears back.
Penny also touched on criticism of women coming forward about historic abuse, and how allegations can be undermined by questioning why victims didn’t come forward sooner.
“It’s the fear and the judgment that you might get. And sometimes it does take a long time for it to come out,” Penny suggested.
She also indicated she probably wouldn’t have come forward with details of her ordeal if she hadn’t done so on Loose Women.
“It sort of felt like a secret,” she explained. “Something sordid that you best not to talk about. Like with everything with the menopause: ‘Oh you shouldn’t really talk about it.’ You know, it’s those private things.”
Penny concluded: “It’s good, it’s good to talk.”
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What happened to Penny Lancaster?
In 2017, Penny said she had been sexually assaulted as a teenager by someone she worked for.
She said she found herself being attacked on a bed, having had her drink spiked, and “can’t remember much of what happened”.
Penny said on an episode of Loose Women in October of 2017: “I just know he was on top of me and enjoying the experience but I certainly wasn’t. I don’t really remember much more. I was too afraid to tell anyone.”
She also said the assault happened after she went to the house of a man who had promised to take her to an event where she could make work contacts.
However, on the way, he insisted they make a stop at his apartment.
She said he gave her a drink “and unfortunately the next thing I knew… I found myself face down on a bed with him on top of me”.
‘I couldn’t tell my mum and dad’
Furthermore, a tearful Penny continued: “I couldn’t tell my mum and dad because I thought they would be saying to me: ‘What on earth were you doing going back to his house?’ But he was a guy that I had worked with. And he promised me to meet other people and so I was naive and I trusted him.”
Penny also said she wanted to ensure young women in similar situations would know they were not to blame.
She added: “They are not guilty. The other person is. And they need to be brave enough to tell the authorities.”
Watch Loose Women: The Podcast on ITVX, STV Player, YouTube, or listen on podcast platforms. Loose Women airs on ITV1 and ITVX on weekdays.
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