Loose Women is to get a new full-time panellist in the form of Dame Kelly Holmes.
The legendary sports star has signed up for the ITV show as a full-time panellist alongside the likes of regulars Nadia Sawalha, Kaye Adams, Judi Love and Charlene White. Stacey Solomon, Linda Robson and Denise Welch also make regular appearances on the show.
Kelly is looking forward to being her "authentic" self on the show now she has come out as gay. She revealed all to The Mirror earlier this year, describing how she can now be herself completely.
She will appear on the show for the first time on Monday.
"I am extremely excited about joining Loose Women," she said to The Sun, "Having met a few of the panellists recently, I know that the shows will be full of energy, smiles, tears and lots of laughs.
"I hope I can bring my energy to the show and I will be up for doing any mad experiences that they throw at me."
She added: "It will be so different to anything I have done before in my career, but now I have found my authentic voice since the airing of my documentary, I will join in on many conversations that I felt I never could before."
When Kelly came out, she admitted she was "crying from relief".
"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, "Sometimes I cry with relief. The moment this comes out, I’m essentially getting rid of that fear."
Loose Women’s editor Sally Shelford added: "We are thrilled and honoured to have Dame Kelly Holmes join the Loose Women panel. She is a national treasure and an inspiration to us all. We can’t wait to get her take on the topics of the day.
"Plus, she has already set us the challenge of taking her out of her comfort zone and putting her sense of adventure to the test."
*Loose Women airs weekdays at 12.30pm on ITV.
