Rod Stewart’s response to my question, “Do you have regrets about women’s lives, drinking, and drug use?” was one of my best interview moments

One among my favourite interview moments was once I as soon as requested Sir Rod Stewart throughout our Life Tales encounter, “Do you have got any regrets through the years of harlotry, ingesting, drug use and resort room vandalism?”

“I do,” he replied solemnly, his face seeming to be lined with honest, considerate regret.

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“YES, REALLY?” I exclaimed, surprised and incredulous.

The tall man paused for max impact and nodded slowly and really significantly.

Then an enormous grin appeared on his “tormented” face and he cackled loudly, “Fuck me!! I cherished every thing!”

And we each fell out laughing.

These few seconds completely embodied the character of the person I’m lucky to name a pal and I imagine to be Britain’s most real, all the way down to earth and enjoyable star.

However as we have been reminded a couple of days in the past, there may be far more work to be carried out pole than only a huge tough voice iconic spiky barnett and quick-witted humour.

He’s one too incredibly big hearted and generous guykeen about his nation.

So I wasn’t stunned to see him called sky news by chance last thursday (though I emailed him proper afterward with the suggestion that the subsequent time he feels the urge to do one thing like that, please name MY present!) to precise his uncooked anger on the horrific to precise situation NHS.

In an emotional alternate, Rod stated he is “by no means seen it that dangerous,” and raged, “There are individuals who die as a result of they cannot get scans.”

He then supplied to pay for “ten or 20 scans” for individuals who cannot go non-public like he can – one thing that will have saved his life when he acquired it prostate cancer a few years agohowever survived as a result of it was happily caught early.

“I do not want the publicity,” he stated. “I simply need to do some good issues and I believe that is factor.

“If different individuals comply with me, I’d love that.”

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The subsequent day he emailed me: “I don’t know tips on how to manage and pay for 20 scans for determined individuals. . . any concepts?”

I’m certain there will probably be a method for Rod, who turned 78 two weeks in the past, to satisfy his extraordinary promise and I’ll assist him in any method I can.

However much more necessary is his surprising public intervention within the rising disaster of NHS Waiting Times Days crammed with newspaper headlines and TV and radio debates, and will embarrass the federal government to do extra, and extra rapidly, to get individuals the life and dying remedy they so desperately want.

It isn’t the primary time Rod has put his cash the place his mouth is.

Extraordinary promise

Three months in the past it emerged that he had rented and embellished a house in Berkshire for a household of seven Ukrainian refugeestogether with 5 kids between two and 17, after him and his spouse penny have been moved to tears after they noticed the horrors of the Russian invasion on TV.

“Phrases can’t describe what we noticed,” he stated.

“The bombing of harmless kids, hospitals and playgrounds. Like everybody else, we have been fully beside ourselves. That is pure evil.”

As soon as once more, he spoke out publicly about his act of compassion as a result of he wished others to comply with his instance.

“I’m a knight now,” he stated. “I ought to use my energy to do one thing for the individuals. I am certain if there are individuals on the market who see what I am doing, they will slack off a bit too.”

Rod additionally rented three vans with reduction provides for refugees and had them pushed to Ukraine, the place he then used them Transport 16 people safely from the war-torn nation to security in Germany.

None of this stunned me.

Regardless of longstanding rumors of his supposed meanness (Ronnie Wood branded him “tight as two coats of paint” and GeorgeMichael instructed me he and Elton-John satisfied that Rod had as soon as served them Dairylea cheese triangles as an appetizer at a flowery dinner at his Beverly Hills residence and claimed it was a uncommon imported cheese), I’ve at all times discovered him terribly beneficiant, each along with his cash in addition to along with his time.

Three years in the past my father Glynne all of the sudden introduced that he had purchased 4 excessive priced tickets (£250 every) to see Rod carry out on the Sussex County Cricket Floor in Hove.

He had by no means carried out something like this earlier than. In truth, after he dropped the bombshell, my shocked mom revealed that they hadn’t attended a single live performance of their complete five-decade marriage.

However Dad, who used to play drums in a jazz band, defined: “I am 78, Rod is 74, and I need to see him play reside earlier than both of us die.”

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After I emailed Rod with this chilling information, he replied, “Sensible Piers! I want to meet you!”

He then organized for me, my dad and mom and my sister to park our automobile backstage subsequent to his chauffeur-driven Bentley – and invited us all to a meal within the Inexperienced Room with a few of his personal pretty household, together with his 90-year-old outdated sister Mary and brother Don, 89.

Later, after a superb present, he invited us over for a couple of bottles of fine wine in entrance of his trailer, the place he chatted ceaselessly with Mum and Dad like they have been outdated pals.

(When she acquired residence, my mother posted a Fb photograph of herself fortunately hugging Rod, with the caption, “Died and gone to heaven!”

Nonetheless, Dad proclaimed it was “an exquisite night – value each penny.”)

Those that know Rod properly all have tales like this, particularly on the subject of household, which is crucial factor in his life.

Sincere and hilarious

He is a rarity for a preferred celeb: somebody who’s as charming off-camera as he’s on-camera.

There isn’t any scary darkish facet to him and no offended narcissistic ego lurking beneath the cheeky grin.

Rod is only a actually good man who loves his spouse, youngsters, siblings (Don and his different brother Bob each sadly handed away in the previous couple of months), nation and soccer.

Once we met at a celebration in LA simply earlier than the 2015 Champions League last and I stated I would go see it alone, he exclaimed, “You may’t! Come see it with me at my mate Eddie Kerkhofs home.”

Eddie is an acclaimed restaurateur who ran LA’s hottest eatery, Le Dome, for 25 years.

We had an important afternoon together with a protracted, soggy lunch throughout which Eddie revealed he as soon as banned Rod from his restaurant.

“Why?” I requested.

“As a result of Dudley Moore threw a pork chop at him and Rod threw again a bit of calf’s liver. . . then all hell broke free.”

As for the unsubstantiated Hollywood folklore that he as soon as had intercourse in Le Dome’s lavatory between programs, Rod chuckled, “No remark. Some issues are greatest left to the creativeness, outdated boy.”

I’ve interviewed him many occasions and he is at all times refreshingly candid, trustworthy, and hilarious.

After changing the chat present legend Larry King CNN ran promos the place I described myself as “a bit harmful.”

So once I confirmed up at Rod’s Beverly Hills When he got here residence to interview him throughout freshman week, he greeted me on the door by hurling a really convincing toy hand grenade at me and shouted, “I heard you have been DANGEROUS so I assumed I used to be ready.” !“

As we walked in, Rod clenched my butt for the CNN cameras, which made me scream.

“That is going to kill your feminine viewers,” he chuckled.

The phrases ‘nationwide treasure’ are used far too usually today to consult with luminaries whom I’d moderately regard as comic Jack Whitehall as soon as described me – ‘a regional gem’.

However Sir Rod actually IS a nationwide treasure; he’s one among Britain’s best musical skills, a fun-loving, completely first rate household man and, as we noticed once more final week, a particularly proud patriot who needs to assist these much less lucky than himself.

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