A number of celebrities have publicly shared their support for former British Olympian Kelly Holmes after she came out as gay. Holmes, who specialised in the 800 and 1500 metres events, won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, Holmes said she’d be living a secret life for decades and was both nervous and excited about coming out. "I needed to do this now, for me. It was my decision. I'm nervous about saying it. I feel like I'm going to explode with excitement," she said.And in a statement on Instagram, Holmes described the feeling of opening up as a weight off her shoulders. "I can finally breathe,” she stressed."Yes I have been petrified of putting this out - you have no idea."This journey has been the hardest part of life. Living with any kind of fear is debilitating".

Holmes receives an outpouring of support

Following the news, a multitude of famous faces have expressed their support for Holmes. 

TV presenter Phillip Schofield, who came out as gay in 2020, wrote on social media: "Darling Kelly, sending a massive hug don’t be scared, I’m sure you’ll find that everyone is amazing, you are the wonderful you that you’ve always been, the world still turns, accept the hugs of love and support. One day we won’t have to do this so publicly. Be happy being you".

Meanwhile, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith commented four heart emojis.

Former Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams echoed these thoughts: “I’m so happy for Kelly Holmes,” she wrote on Twitter. “Life is short and it’s important to be able to be your true self.”

Others to respond to Holmes’ news include Olympic silver medallist Iwan Thomas and gold-medal winning heptathlete Denise Lewis. 
Thomas commented: “Yes Kelly so much love", while Lewis put: "Yes Kelly".