EXCLUSIVE: Sir Rod Stewart has addressed his battle with ill health just days after he was forced to pull out of a concert in America and was later seen using oxygen on stage12:59, 28 Jun 2026Updated 13:00, 28 Jun 2026Sir Rod Stewart has addressed his health worries after pulling out of a gig at the final moment. Earlier this month, Sir Rod was seen using an oxygen tank at the side of his stage in the US – but the crisp Lisbon air appeared to give the legendary rocker a new lease of life, performing a full set with no breaks.‌But he did find time to toast to his health. Before performing, the Scotsman said at Rock in Rio Lisboa: "I'm going to drink to health, it's been most enjoyable but we've still got a long way to go," while holding a whisky.‌"Saturday night – are Portugal going to win the World Cup? Fingers crossed," Sir Rod said. Just over two years after the day the great Tina Turner died, Sir Rod honoured his friend, adding: "[She] was a good friend of mine," and later displaying Tina's portrait on stage before performing their 1991 hit, It Takes Two.‌"The last time I did this festival was 2008; it's better now, much better," he said. However, while his health appeared to be on the back burner, Sir Rod revealed he almost suffered a wardrobe malfunction while on stage – in front of the huge crowd who'd gathered to watch him."I was having a little bit of trouble with my belt there," he laughed. And it's fair to say that Rod isn't a fan of the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin. He said: "There's wars going on everywhere, people are dying, this particular war I've been interested in since it started four years ago, nearly five." "This is the desperation of the Ukrainian's – so this song is for the Ukrainian people and Zelenskyy and f**k Putin," he said about adding "Rhythm Of My Heart" to his set list.‌For the powerful track, Sir Rod displayed images of Ukrainian citizens who'd had the world torn upside down by Putin's illegal invasion, as well as a standalone image of President Zelenskyy, which resulted in loud cheers from the crowd.Sir Rod also honoured his wife, Loose Women star and special police constable, Penny, displaying pictures taken throughout their relationship as he played Have I Told You Lately.‌Earlier this month, doctors had diagnosed Sir Rod with an acute upper respiratory infection, which later resulted in laryngitis, meaning he was unable to sing. But the very next day, he was spotted in the stands at Boston Stadium watching Scotland secure a victory against Haiti in the World Cup 2026.Sir Rod said of the incident in his recent interview: "No, I got an awful... I really shouldn't have gone to the Haiti game. You know, I had to cancel a show the night before because I just had no voice left. But the truth is, Jim, I wasn't going to let my two sons down."Explaining his reason, he continued: "I promised them since they were born that we were going to go to a World Cup. And this is the first one that's come about. And it wasn't a good look, I admit, but I'm going to have to just take the stick. So I did it for the boys."Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.