CELEBRITY MasterChef 2017 has put together one of the most star-studded lineups in its history – and things are going to get competitive.
One person used to elite competition though is Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington – here’s what we know about the double gold medallist who reached the finals…
Who is Rebecca Adlington?
Rebecca Adlington OBE is a retired swimmer who represented Great Britain in two Olympic games, four World Championships, two European Championships and one Commonwealth games.
In a short but successful career she claimed 35 medals across all competitions.
She is regarded as one of Team GB’s greatest ever athletes and broke numerous records in the pool from a young age.
Becky was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in 1989.
She began her career in swimming aged nine after joining the Sherwood Colliery Swimming Club where she was selected and competed for the Nottinghamshire County Elite Squad.
The talented swimmer has gone onto do numerous TV appearances, including being on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!
What are Rebecca Adlington’s biggest career achievements?
Aged just 19, Becky was selected for Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and won gold in the 400m and 800m freestyle event.
She became the first woman to win swimming gold for GB for 48 years, and the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a games for 100 years.
Over the next two years she would go on and win a further three bronzes and one gold in European championships in Rome and Budapest.
Then at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, she repeated her Olympic double with two golds and was ranked no.1 in the world in her discipline.
In her Olympic swansong, Becky became a part of GB folklore after winning bronze in the 400m and 800m freestyle at London 2012, before announcing her retirement from the sport aged just 23.
Becky’s sporting achievements did not go unnoticed, and in 2008 she claimed the Sports Journalists’ Association’s Sportswoman of the Year award and the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award.
She was also awarded an OBE in 2009 for her work both in and out of sport.
Is Rebecca Adlington married?
Rebecca tied the knot with former swimmer Harry Needs in 2014, and the couple had daughter Summer in 2015.
However, their relationship broke down after 18 months and the pair announced their separation in March 2016.
Speaking frankly about the split, Rebecca said her ex “idolised” her and questioned his motives for getting down on one knee.
She added: “He wanted to make sure he was with me for the right reasons.”
The star appears to have moved on from her marriage split though, and was pictured topless on holiday with fellow swimmer Thomas Haffield.
What has Becky Adlington been up to since retirement?
Since leaving the pool, Becky has kept herself busy in the TV limelight with appearances on Loose Women, A Question of Sport, I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
The Olympic legend was then part of the BBC punditry team for the 2016 Rio games alongside former swimmer Mark Foster.
She also made headlines after appearing on the celebrity skiing competition The Jump, but had to withdraw after dislocating her shoulder.
What is Celebrity MasterChef?
Celebrity MasterChef is a star version of the original MasterChef.
The shows sees famous faces compete against one another to win in the ultimate cooking competition.
This season started on Wednesday, 16 August, with episodes airing at 8pm on BBC One.
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