By Nicola Croal
Copyright dailyrecord
Penny Lancaster has opened up on her famous feud with Scottish business woman, Michelle Mone , in her new book, Someone Like Me, where she describes the end of their relationship as ‘cynical and ugly’. Their very public falling out was named ‘Bra Wars’ by the media at the time and resulted in huge publicity for Michelle’s lingerie brand, Ultimo, which Sir Rod Stewart’s wife Penny formerly modelled for before she was brutally dropped. The 54-year-old was an underwear model for Ultimo in 2002 but was savagely axed from the brand two years later with Rod’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter stepping in as her replacement. The Maggie May rocker made his feelings about the situation clear at the time, hailing Baroness Mone as a ‘nasty piece of work’ and ‘a manipulative cow’. However, Penny herself has now opened up on their bad blood, issuing a scathing assessment of the 53-year-old, who she once felt a ‘sisterhood’ with as she claims that Michelle’s actions were motivated by ‘greed’ and ‘spite’. In her new book, Lancaster, who tied the knot to Sir Rod in 2007, explained that the offer of working with Ultimo came through her agent in 2002 and while she did not know much about the brand, something about it appealed to her. She met up with Baroness Mone and her then-husband Michael in London to discuss their collaboration and also claims that Ultimo was ‘on the brink of bankruptcy’ at the time, which has been disputed, the Mail reports. Penny insisted that the firm could not give her the going rate for someone of her status but claims Mone ‘implied’ they may discuss a business partnership ‘down the line’. She also shut down reports at the time which said she was paid £200,000, stating that her first year’s contract was ‘substantially below that’. She even alleged that Michelle, who claimed the title of Baroness Mone when she became a peer in 2015, had told her that she and her husband had to remortgage their house to sign her. Penny said the publicity Ultimo enjoyed during their collaboration helped to turn business back around. However, things took a quick turn when Penny’s agent started ‘loose negotiations’ to renew her contract with Ultimo in July 2003 but discovered from the press that Ultimo had taken on Rod’s ex-wife, Rachel Hunter as its new model and Penny had been dropped. In her new book, Penny wrote: “I found it nasty and a window into the heart of the person Mone truly is. “The answer was simple: headlines, of course. Pitting Rod Stewart’s ex-wife against Rod Stewart’s current girlfriend generated more headlines than any publicity campaign ever could. In my view, it was cynical and ugly.” A BBC One documentary, The Rise and Fall of Michelle Mone, earlier this year revealed how the baroness and her husband Doug Barrowman’s firm PPE Medpro was awarded lucrative contracts to provide personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic. The firm is now being sued by the Department of Health with the government saying the gowns were not suitable because they were not sterile. Baroness Mone and Mr Barrowman have denied any wrongdoing. It’s not the first time Penny has publicly addressed their feud as she referred to the documentary during an episode of ITV’s Loose Women in May, stating: “It didn’t surprise me because karma gets you, I guess”. A spokesperson for Baroness Mone said Penny Lancaster’s contract ‘came to a natural end’ and added: ‘We do not recall there being a ‘scare of bankruptcy’ at Ultimo. Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. “Like many growing businesses, there were challenges but Michelle successfully built the company into a major international brand. When major department stores made it clear they required a change in marketing, Michelle had little choice. “Rachel Hunter was keen to step in and that’s how the modelling and celebrity industry works.” The spokesperson also argued that Ultimo had worked with numerous supermodels, actresses, and celebrities, insisting: “There were never any hard feelings. Michelle has always respected Penny as a talented woman and wishes her the very best with the launch of her new book.”
