Rock ‘n’ roll singer-songwriter Sir Rod Stewart surprised Sky news viewer today after he made an unscheduled appearance on the channel. The rock legend phoned in to chat with presenter Sarah-Jane Mee during the ‘Your Say’ segment of the programme, which was focusing on the NHS crisis and nursing strikes.
Sir Rod, 78, phoned in to give his frank assessment of the current situation with the NHS. He also revealed to the hosts that after visiting a private clinic on Thursday, we was left astounded at how “empty” it was compared to current NHS waiting rooms.
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He had evidently been watching the Sky News segement and listening to the stories of members of the public who had phoned up to share their experience of current waiting times. Sir Rod, who revealed in 2019 that he had been battling prostate cancer, told the show that he would donate money to pay for “10 or 20 scans” for people on NHS waiting lists, adding: “There are people dying because they cannot get scans.”
Sir Rod also had some scathing word for the current Conservative government and its handling of the crisis.
But what did he say on the show? Here’s everything you need to know.
What did Sir Rod Stewart say about the NHS on Sky News?
Speaking to Sraha-Jane Mee and other guests on the panel, Sir Rod described the current situation in the NHS as “ridiculous”. He went on to elaborate on his donation to fund scans for some people currently on NHS waiting lists, saying: “Now listen to me, I don’t need the publicity, I just want to do some good things and this, I think is a good thing. If other people follow me, I’d love it.”
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He told the show that he had been touched by the many stories of caller who had contacted the show to explain how the deepening NHS crisis had affected their lives. He added: “I’m so proud to be British and I can’t stand it being this way.”
Sir Rod also revealed that he was backing striking nurses as they look towards staging further industrial action for a pay rise on 6 February, which is set to be one of the biggest NHS staff walkouts with ambulance staff also striking. When questioned by Mee if he supported striking nurses, he said: “They’re not asking for a great deal... in all my years in this country I’ve never seen it so bad.
“Go on the nurses. I’m on your side.”
What did Sir Rod Stewart say about the Tory party on Sky News?
The rock singer told Sky News that he has voted Conservative “for a long time”, but urged voters to take another option. He said: “This is a bad time. Change the bloody government.”
Sir Rod, explained that he believed the NHS needed rebuilding with “billion and billions” of pounds invested into the healthcare service. He said: “I personally have been a Tory for a long time, but I think this Government should stand down now and give the Labour Party a go at it. This is heart-breaking for the nurses, it really is heart-breaking.”