Dame Kelly Holmes has admitted that she didn’t allow herself to get too attached to women she was dating out of fear they might "want to go public".
The Olympian, 52, who only came out in June, said it was difficult for her to both pursue and let down her guard in relationships when her sexuality was such a closely guarded secret for decades.
Appearing on Loose Women on Monday, when the topic of whether you can be too in love cropped up, she admitted that it hadn’t really happened for her because she held back.
She said: "I’ve had different circumstances as I wasn’t out, so my relationships have been...
"I didn’t know how to meet people or how I would ever meet a gay woman as I couldn’t publicly do it.
"I would circumstantially meet people through friends and convince myself they’re right as I didn’t want to be lonely, and then I would think ‘’nah no way.’’ I would think if I got too attached they would want us to go public..."
The sports star’s confession comes five months after she announced that she is gay and admitted that she "finally felt free" after decades of living a "secret life".
The gold medalist also said she was "fully aware" of the whispers about her sexuality but felt empowered coming out "on her own terms".
The star, who revealed she has a partner and how her family and close friends have known she is gay for years, told the Mirror: "There have been lots of dark times where I wished I could scream that I am gay – but I couldn’t.
"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.
"Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear."
