Rebecca Adlington: I took up comfort eating after quitting swimming

The Olympic medallist, whose insecurities came to a head during an appearance on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here last year, said she took comfort in food after quitting the sport.

She said: “Everyone thinks that because you are a swimmer and spend your time in a swimsuit, you must feel confident about your body. You don’t think of your body that way.”

The 25-year-old, who  broke down in the Australian jungle during I’m A Celebrity, told Hello magazine: “I put on a lot of weight when I retired. When I was swimming food was fuel, so when I stopped training the weight went on and I got hips. Every athlete goes through the same thing.”