EXCLUSIVE: Rod Stewart’s ‘worried’ children want him to ‘throw in the towel and RETIRE’ – and are urging the 78-year-old to ‘focus on his health and his family’ after TWO cancer battles and a knee replacement surgery

• Rod, 78, is recovering from a 2022 knee surgery after also overcoming bouts with both prostate cancer in 2016 and thyroid cancer in 2000
• The legendary rocker embarks on a 40-show worldwide tour on June 24
• After the recent birth of his third grandkid, several of his children want him to retire, DailyMail.com has exclusively learned
• READ HERE: Rod Stewart announces ‘the last’ of his rock ‘n’ roll shows

Rod Stewart’s children are ‘worried’ about the 78-year-old rocker and are pushing for him to retire from his decades-long rock ‘n’ roll career so he can ‘focus on his family and his health’. 

According to a close friend of the family, several of the crooner’s eight children are encouraging Rod – who is due to embark on a 40-show worldwide tour on June 24 -to ‘throw in the towel’ after more than 50 years in the spotlight, insisting that he should ‘retire on his own terms’ so he can spend some time focusing on his role as a father and grandfather. 

‘They are worried about him and want him to throw in the towel on music and retire on his own terms,’ the insider shared. ‘Their dad has devoted 50 years of his life to music and he has nothing left to prove to anyone.

‘With his health issues, and considering his age, several of Rod’s kids just think it is time for him to take a few years to focus on his health and his family – especially after the birth of his third grandbaby.’

In 2019, Rod revealed that he had beaten prostate cancer after a secret three-year battle against the illness, which came two decades after he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Months after his prostate cancer struggle was revealed to the world, he then had to undergo an ankle fusion surgery and a full knee replacement after suffering from a soccer injury. 

Rod Stewart’s children are ‘worried’ about the 78-year-old (seen in March) and want him to ‘throw in the towel and retire’, DailyMail.com can reveal 

A source tells DailyMail.com that several of Rod’s eight kids (seen here in 2019) want their dad to retire from music ‘on his own terms’ and focus on ‘his health and his family’

The Maggie May singer (seen in 2019) beat thyroid cancer in 2000 and in 2019 he revealed he had been secretly battling prostate cancer for three years 

Interestingly, Rod – who is due to complete two performances in Ireland on June 20 and 21 before embarking on a tour of the UK on June 24 – revealed in a recent interview that his upcoming concerts in Edinburgh at the start of July will be ‘the last of my rock ‘n’ roll shows’, suggesting that he is ready to slow down. 

But far from pulling the plug on his touring career, the singer is simply switching gears to focus on different genres of music before taking his tour around the world, with stops in Spain and Portugal, as well as North America, Brazil and Las Vegas. 

‘I want to move on and I’ve always wanted to do The Great American Songbook live. It sold 38 million copies,’ he said. ‘I’ve also done a fantastic swing album with Jools Holland which is more Louis Prima than Frank Sinatra. I just want to make a change.’

Currently, Rod’s tour is due to last for the remainder of 2023, completing with two-week residency in Las Vegas, which will run from November 10 to November 22. 

‘Rod doesn’t really want to stop and doesn’t know how to not create music. It is his life. He would love to rock out forever and he believes that his fans need him,’ the source said.

‘His family is just hoping that when Rod’s tour is wrapped he is going to actually be done. They really want him to stick to this.’

DailyMail.com has contacted a spokesperson for Rod for comment.  

Rod’s health issues have been ongoing since 2000, when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to have a tumor removed. 

Rod recently shared this photo with all eight of his kids in Portofino, Italy, who feel that ‘their dad has devoted 50 years of his life to music and he has nothing left to prove to anyone’

The elated grandfather (with two of his new grandbabies) should ‘take the time to focus on his health and family, especially his new grandkids,’ the source tells DailyMail.com  

The iconic I Don’t Wanna Talk About It rocker (performing in 1976) does not want to retire, the source says, adding that he wants to ‘rock out forever’

In his autobiography, the legendary performer said of his diagnosis, ‘I felt fearful, vulnerable to a degree that I never had before.’ 

Less than two decades later, the cancer returned – this time in the form of aggressive prostate cancer. 

In 2019, Rod’s wife Penny Lancaster, 52 – who he shares sons Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 13, with – revealed in an interview that Rod had undergone three treatment of radiation.

She said that the treatment was a success and that Rod was in remission during a panel appearance on the Loose Women. She also said that Rod ‘doesn’t believe in retirement.’ 

‘When it happened we were in London and Rod is very up with his health, he doesn’t believe in retirement he wants to go on forever so he’s always going to get screenings and tests.’ 

Penny continued, ‘We got the shock news that it was cancer. It was quite aggressive and it came on really quickly. With Rod it was an aggressive one and instead remaining in the gland it had left the gland and travelled to the outside tissues.’

‘It’s been two-and-a-half years now, but the positive news is we caught it early enough. Knowing it had travelled outside we couldn’t have the gland removed, so he had to have a three-month intensive course of radiation.

That same year, Rod learned that he needed to have a full knee replacement surgery. The surgery left Rod struggling to walk and, in 2020, he said in an interview with The Mirror that he needed to also have ankle fusion surgery.  

‘First of all it was my knee as I played football all my life. I am suffering for it now. My knee got fixed with a replacement and then the ankle did not know what was going on.

‘It was crooked. So I have had to have an ankle fusion. So when this is all done I should have a nice straight leg and I should be able to run.’

In February, Rod’s trainer, Gary O’Conner, said to Express.co.uk that he was in great shape now, crediting ‘pool workouts’ for getting him that way. 

‘We do some amazing pool workouts which aren’t just swimming up and down, they’re almost military-type workouts. Retrieving bricks from the bottom of the pool, tread water holding a brick above your head.’

Craig, who has trained Rod for 23 years, added that his stage workouts have also helped. ‘He’s not someone who just stands in the middle of the stage. He’s a bit like Mick Jagger, the fittest of their age group in entertainment,’ he told the outlet. 

Recently, Rod listed his longtime family home in LA for $70 million and, as DailyMail.com previously reported, he has the backing off all his children including daughters Sarah Streeter, 59, Kimberly, 43, Ruby, 35, and Renee, 30, and sons Sean, 42, Liam, 28, Alastair and Aiden. 

To rid himself of the unhealthy and ‘toxic’ culture of Los Angeles, where Rod felt he had ‘no privacy’ he has decided to return to his roots in the UK, where Penny has worked as a volunteer police officer with the London police force. 

To rid himself of the ‘toxic’ Los Angeles culture, Rod is selling his LA home for $70 million (left) and the British-born rocker is back in his homeland in Essex, UK (right) 

Penny (seen working at King Charles’ coronation) was inspired to become a special constable by the TV series Famous and Fighting Crime. She completed her training in April 2021 

 But beyond supporting his wife’s career ambitions, Rod has also chosen to make his return to the UK because he knows that is where his two sons want to be.

‘Besides, her and Rod’s boys are in no way wanting to leave their school and friends in the UK to come over to America,’ the insider said, referring to his youngest, Alastair and Aiden. 

The move marks a major shift for Rod, who has spent nearly five decades shuttling back and forth between Los Angeles and his family home in Essex – an enormous property called Durrington House, which he and Penny purchased for $5.8 million back in 2016.

Rod moved to the City of Angels in 1975 – a decade after starting his solo career. Shortly after hopping ponds, he talent launched him to superstardom.

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

‘Rod has always considered Britain to be his home. Los Angeles was everything that he needed it to be for that time in his life, but it is obvious that he does not favor LA anymore. It has just gotten so toxic and he has zero privacy in the city.’

On May 9, Rod’s daughter Ruby welcomed Otis 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 shared photos recently with both of his grandbabies and looked absolutely elated. 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’s now 11.

DailyMail.com has contacted Rod’s spokesperson for comment. 

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