Dame Kelly Holmes

Happy Place

Fearne Cotton

Society & Culture, Mental Health, Health & Fitness, Relationships, Personal Journals

4.6 • 15.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 July 2022

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes recently announced publicly that she is gay. Although she’s acknowledged this truth privately for a number of decades, it’s only now that she’s felt able to begin living publicly her authentic self. Having served in the British military at a time when homosexuality was banned, Kelly had always feared serious repercussions, which only intensified when she became a celebrated world class athlete.

In this chat with Fearne, Kelly talks through the painful – and hopeful – journey that’s brought her to a place where she feels confident to live entirely authentically, as well as delving into the mental, emotional, and physical stress of hiding such a huge part of her identity for so long.

Kelly Holmes: Being Me is available to watch back on ITV Hub.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about self harm, so take care while listening.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Happy Place with me, Fern Cotton.
0:04.8	This is the show that believes everyone has the right to feel able to show up in the
0:09.1	world as their authentic self.
0:10.9	Today I'm chatting to Kelly Holmes.
0:13.8	It was really difficult for me to try and explain some things when people go, oh yeah but
0:19.0	everyone no one cares anymore.
0:20.6	But are I care?
0:21.6	You know, no one cares because the society is changing and we're in a better world where
0:26.6	people here will go, it shouldn't be spoken about.
0:29.6	It's awesome, that's so lovely to hear and we want that to be the case.
0:34.4	But unfortunately for lots of reasons, a lot of people win their lives, have to care or
0:41.0	do care because it isn't so easy for them to make that next step.
0:46.5	Kelly was first on the podcast back in 2019 but a lot has changed for her since then.
0:52.7	Just a couple of weeks ago she came out publicly as gay.
0:56.3	As you'll hear in this gorgeous conversation I had with her at my house recently, it's
1:01.3	a truth she's been acknowledging privately for decades but was never able to discuss openly
1:06.5	for numerous heartbreaking, maddening reasons.
1:10.9	Kelly served in the military at a time when homosexuality was banned in the British army,
1:16.5	Royal Navy and RAF.
1:18.9	It was only in the year 2000 after she'd left that the law changed.
1:23.8	By that time she was a celebrated athlete, not only could she not see many other gay
1:28.8	sports people around her but there was a real fear that coming out would by default
	...

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