Dame Kelly Holmes has explained why she decided not to wear black during an ITV News appearance on Friday, in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The 52-year-old retired athlete appeared on ITV’s daytime news special to mark the death of the longest-reigning monarch at the age of 96 on Thursday.
Dame Kelly raised eyebrows among viewers as she sat in the studio alongside ITV royal editor Chris Ship and anchor Tom Bradby, both of whom were wearing black suits and ties.
Some took to Twitter to call the stunt 'attention seeking' while accused her of 'disrespect.'
With the UK now in a national period of mourning, Dame Kelly said there was a special meaning behind her choice to wear a bright orange trouser suit with a black shirt underneath, as she recalled her meeting the Queen.
She said: “Her aura, every time I’ve met her - you’re just astounded by her presence.
“People might say to me, ‘why did you wear bright on television?’ Every time I met her, she had a solid block of colour on and so today, this is for Her Majesty.”
During her appearance, the Olympic gold medal winner explained why she had such a strong sense of connection to the monarch.
She said: “When it comes to sport, let's remember she’s the only person to have sworn in two Olympic Games – the 1976 Montreal Games and 2012 Olympic Games.
“As a sportsperson, everything you do is in that vein. If you have the British flag flying and the national anthem playing, I've never been so proud to stand there and sing, at the time, God Save the Queen.
“I find it very hard to change my mindset now going forward, because it’s all we’ve ever known. I was a multiple Commonwealth champion – everything I've done has been a connection.”
She continued: “From a personal point of view, it means so much to be able to talk about her and to know what impact she has had on my life – but then that’s a multitude of people that have that same connection.”
Viewers took to Twitter to debate Kelly's sartorial choice.
"We are a nation in mourning, I can't get my head around why Kelly Holmes would dress in bright orange with trainers on to take part in a new broadcast," complained one.
"How dare Kelly Holmes wear orange suit and not dress correctly for respect of the queen," fumed another.
"Someone didn't get the memo," a third chimed in, while a fourth said they were wearing black today and 'were not on the telly.'
However, after hearing Kelly's message, some fans showed their support.
"I think it shows respect in our modern society," said one fan.
"Shout out to Dame Kelly Holmes rocking the orange suit on ITV," hailed another.
The Queen's death was confirmed in a Buckingham Palace statement on Thursday evening, saying: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”
Hundreds of mourners have gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay tribute to the Queen after the monarch died, with tributes pouring in from around the world.
The Queen's eldest son Charles, the former Prince of Wales, is now the new King and head of state for 14 Commonwealth realms and will address the nation later today.
