Penny Lancaster breaks down in tears as she says she was sexually assaulted

Model Penny Lancaster broke down in tears as she revealed she was sexually assaulted as a teenager by a man who had promised to find her work.

Speaking on ITV's Loose Women, the 46-year-old alleged her drink had been spiked - and said she found herself face down on the bed with the industry professional on top of her.

The TV personality, who is married to Sir Rod Stewart, said she had been eager to find work and facing rejection was par for the course for a young model - so when a client on one job offered to take her to an event where she could meet other industry figures, she jumped at the chance.

She said on the way, he told her he needed to stop at his apartment to collect some things, and poured her a drink while she waited.

That, she said, is when the attack happened.

She said she had been a virgin at the time, calling it a "very frightening thing".

She also urged mothers to make sure their daughters feel comfortable talking to them.

"They have to know that they won't be told off," she said.

"It's not their fault, they're not guilty, the other person is."

The revelation came during a discussion of the MeToo hashtag campaign on social media, which was launched to try to unmask the scale of sexual assault and harassment against women.

"I think what I find really annoying is when people say 'oh why do these women, in their 40s or 50s, suddenly come forward after something that's happened so many years ago'," she said.

"You try and pretend it never happened and until articles like this come out you are reminded and it is so important."