Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission

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The atmosphere on Loose Women was charged with emotion as Dame Kelly Holmes shared her heart-wrenching childhood experiences.

The Olympic champion featured in ITV's Life before Loose segment on Wednesday (August 28), where she reflected on her humble beginnings, confessing: "I'm just a girl from a council estate."

Dame Kelly held back tears as she recounted how her mother became pregnant at 17, noting that in the 1970s, being a single parent was frowned upon.

She revealed the immense pressure her mother, Pam, faced from her own parents to give Kelly up for adoption. However, each time Pam was about to sign the adoption papers, she couldn't bring herself to do it.

For the initial years of her life, Kelly told the panel that she was raised in a care home. She shared: "I was in a care home for the first five years of my life," reports the Mirror.

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Kelly opened up about her harrowing life (Image: ITV)

She discussed the cultural challenges of the time, saying: "That was more so because my grandparents told my mum that she was too young to look after me and I was born and bred in Kent so it was very white... erm.. culture and I'm mixed raced obviously, so it was very taboo in the 70s."

Praising her mother's resilience, Kelly added: "She put me in there to find herself. I was very fortunate in a way that she was strong enough not to put me up for adoption."

Kelly admired her mother's strength, concluding: "They tried to get me about three times and she went to sign the papers and then didn't so I feel that is the one thing we have in common. That strength of like 'no'."

The accomplished long-distance runner, Kelly, praised her step-father Michael Norris for his unwavering presence in her life, despite his relationship with her mother ending when she was just 19.

Dame Kelly lunged from her chair to hug her friend (Image: ITV)

Kelly revealed that she grew up without knowing her biological father, who abandoned her at the tender age of six months. However, she did mention a chance encounter with him at a supermarket later in life.

Sparking a conversation about her upbringing, co-star Janet Street-Porter asked: "The person that you call dad, is your dad Mick? " Kelly confirmed this, saying: "Yeah, I was seven when they got married. Five when they met. Even though he separated from my mum when I was 19, he's stayed in my life."

"Step-parents should get a lot of credibility," the TV star declared, earning a round-of-applause from the audience and panel.

The Dame then leapt from her seat to greet her best friend Kerry and her former PE teacher Miss Page, who had been brought on the Loose Women set as a surprise.

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Kelly opened up about her life before fame (Image: ITV)

But Kelly's past wasn't all rosy. She confessed that she once fell on hard times and had to rely on the generosity of a friend from the show who offered her a place to stay.

"I ended up having to leave home when I was younger for a bit and I went to live with my best friend Kerry and her mum, who I love," the professional runner emotionally shared.

She lauded Miss Page for being her beacon of inspiration during her formative years. She revealed to viewers that without her teacher's intervention, she might have never discovered her latent talent in track and field.

Miss Page saw potential in the future two-time gold medalist, recognising her innate ability. Kelly's mentor took it upon herself to encourage the aspiring athlete to pursue a professional career - which we now know she did.

Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission

Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission

Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission

Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission

Loose Women star fights back tears as she shares heartbreaking admission