Show notes
CW: This episode touches on some difficult topics including: mental health self harm and suicidal ideation.
Kelly Holmes has been the face of strength for decades - a double Olympic gold medalist and one of Britain’s most celebrated middle-distance runners.
On the outside: unstoppable and a national hero.
Behind it? A breakdown no one saw. Self-harm. Silence. A mind at war with itself.
In this Chat with Josh, Kelly drops the polished version and goes deeper than ever before - into the fear, the identity she hid, and the pressure to always appear “strong,” no matter the cost.
This episode isn’t about medals - it’s about survival, vulnerability, and knowing when to ask for help.
00:00 – Teaser
00:13 – Intro & Call to Action
00:32 – Content Warning
00:44 – Greatest Chat: Kelly on talking to herself in dark moments
02:05 – Breakdown, injury & self-harm during her career
03:39 – Winning silver while silently struggling
04:50 – From breakdown to Olympic champion mindset
06:12 – Building a support system (without opening up)
08:25 – Opening up for the first time in her autobiography
10:23 – Why speaking out is strength, not weakness
11:15 – How to actually ask for help (5 support systems)
12:14 – Strength, vulnerability & survival
12:45 – Childhood, identity & feeling different
15:19 – From outsider to national hero
16:04 – Fame vs hiding her true self
17:46 – Coming out later in life & internalised fear
20:46 – The toll of hiding your identity
21:12 – “I couldn’t do it anymore” – coming out at 51
22:29 – Living freely & letting go of fear
23:15 – No regrets & becoming her true self
24:11 – Embracing change & starting again
26:15 – The power of listening (to yourself & others)
27:03 – Final question: what we should talk about more
28:05 – Outro & Call to Action
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Great Chat Show - @joshsmithsgreatchatshow
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Guest- Kelly Holmes @kellyholmes
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About Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show
Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show is a podcast built on one belief: connection comes first.
After decades as a journalist interviewing some of the world’s most recognisable faces - from Jennifer Aniston to Timothée Chalamet - Josh has learned that great conversations don’t just happen. There’s an art to a truly great chat, and when you join the conversation, it might just spark something in your own life.
Each week, Josh sits down with actors, musicians, athletes, creators and cultural voices for honest conversations about resilience, identity, ambition, advocacy, mental health and the moments that shape who we become. Guests drop their guard and open up about the setbacks, breakthroughs and defining experiences behind the public persona.
If you’re looking for depth, vulnerability, reinvention and meaningful human connection, you’re in the right place.
Fancy a chat? Hit subscribe and join us every week.
Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show (@joshsmithsgreatchatshow)
Brought to you by Next Chapter Studios (@theNextChapterStudios)
Host: Josh Smith (@joshsmithhosts)
Creative Director: Carrie Rose
Senior Producer: Bella Neale
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