The Tooney & Russo Show - Special Guest Episode: Keely Hodgkinson

Episode Date: June 6, 2025

After watching Alessia Russo and Vick Hope’s friendship blossom - and feeling a little left out in previous episodes - Ella Toone invites her old school friend, Sports Personality of the Year and 800m Olympic Gold Medallist Keely Hodgkinson, onto the pod as a hometown ally for this episode.Keely spills the secrets behind her ‘Mini Ella’ nickname from their football days at Fred Longworth High School, reignites the age-old Wigan vs. Manchester debate, and even shares her top tips on avoiding stitches while training.Plus, she takes us behind the scenes of her pre-race rituals ahead of the World Championships - think Rihanna soundtracks, game-day outfit choices, and the mindset that keeps her at the top of her game.

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cargurus.ca. BBC Sounds. Music, radio, podcasts. I have this memory of doing the 100 metres at school in 11 seconds and everyone says it can't be true. And I also remember doing the 200 metres in 16 seconds. But again, everyone's like... How small was the track?

That's a men's ball record, if that's the case. Usain Bolt on the CEO. I'm actually the fastest man in the world. Hello and welcome to the Toonie and Russo show with me, Vic Ho! I'm here with two of football's most famous friends, Ella Toon and Alessia Rousseau, to find out what really makes their friendship work. Now, if you're watching on YouTube, you'll notice we have a fourth guest. Hello!

Following on from Mary Earps and Leah Williamson, please say hello to Sports Personality of the Year, Olympic 800 metre champion and former student of the Fred Longworth School in Tiddlesley. It's Keely Hodgkinson. Welcome to the course. Thanks for having me, guys. Pleasure to be here. Oh, I know that you're friends with our good friend, Ella, who wanted to get something off her chest and felt like it was right that you would come along. It's quite 2v1, to be honest. That's why they're on that couch, I'm over here.

But I'm just glad you're here now. It's nice to be here too. And I know that Keely likes things that I like, so we're even. I'm from the right side of the country. Exactly. I've got the two mancs over there. I'm from Newcastle. I'm outnumbered really here. Yeah, you are, but Vic is a bit like,

southern and all, you know. Well, this is the thing. So I actually did want to ask you about this because you've asked me why I don't have a Geordie accent, born and bred in Newcastle. I was literally thinking the same thing. But exactly, but I mean, I maybe moved down south like 15 years ago.

Okay. It's a long time. Never really had a strong one, but you guys are from like three miles away from each other. Oh, we sound quite different. But you sound different. Yeah, we do. I do not sound like that. I don't know why I've got this mad voice.

And Keely sounds nice and posh. I've lost mine over the years. But to be fair, by the time I leave here, sat next to you, it might come back. I'll get it back. The Tillsy accent. Does that happen when you go home do you feel like it gets stronger? Yeah like I'm with my sisters or my friends my sisters have got

a bit more of a stronger. I was going to say Manchester but it's like Wigan. It's a toned down Manchester accent. Wigan. Ella will claim she's not from Wigan but you do pay council tax there. What do you think? See I don't pay council tax to Wigan. Oh, where do you pay it? Well, in Manchester now. Yeah, in Aberton. Oh, yeah, but our postcode starts with M. Yeah, that's what I said.

That's what she said. Exactly. Keely, when you drive onto Toonies Road, there's a big sign on the left saying, welcome to Wigan. Anyway. It's massive. I'm not having this argument again.

I'm in 10 episodes arguing with you about me not being from Wigan. No, I don't like the Wigan claim either. Exactly. I mean... We're from Manchester, right? We're from Manchester, yeah. Keely, we like to give our...

I say this, we've never done it before, but we're going to do it now. Oh, Mary's going to be fuming if you've got a present and not Mary. We like to give our guests a little gift. Ooh! I'm going to pass it through. Thank you. What does it say? I like what I like. when they I'm going to pass it along thank you

what does it say I like what I like I do like what I like I know thank you you're welcome I'd like to see your little spikes in that

ready for a race I didn't know if you flicked on the TV I'm in the car room just saw this I'm going to do it watch out we're champs

I did flick on the TV. I was watching one of your races and there was a VT. I can't, it must have been on the BBC. There was a VT of you and Ella together. And I had one of those moments where I was like, oh my God, it's my friend. She's on the telly. And my husband was like, yeah, obviously she plays football.

Like she's going to be on the telly. But I was so excited to see you two together how do you know each other? Ella how many times a year do you hear about us going to school together? Yeah if no one knew we went to school together Keely was in my brother's year so Keely's two years below me but I think we always got on in school because we were the sporty girls weren't we so, I came in, so you was in year nine, and I come in year seven, and I came in, and then I got the nickname of being the mini Ella at school. Yeah, the PE teachers love to do that, because there's a girl there now who's apparently the mini Ella as well.

I think they're just the loud ones who love sport. Yeah, so then I think, I don't know, we can't pinpoint when we actually met, but, yeah, I was at school, and then we obviously bonded through sport, and, like, we didn't play netball we played football team yeah I was set up

our women's football team at Fiddle Longworth you were a fast striker could it have been could it have been another I did always say if I get asked if I did another sport

I actually I did like playing football I can't say I was very good though she was fit she had the stamina to be a footballer yeah I just ran around not. I can't say I was very good though. She was fit. She had the stamina to be a footballer. Yeah, I just ran around. Not sure about the final product.

There was one moment I remember we played on the field at Freddy's and I'm running for this ball on pelting. I go to stick my foot out, completely miss the ball and just slid straight on the floor and all the boys were there. Embarrassing.

So embarrassing. Les, if you weren't competing as a footballer, is there an Olympic sport you would have liked to have done? I did used to run, but I used to be sick before every race. Yeah, it's nerve-wracking. I got so nervous, yeah. Yeah, it is. Because you're on your own.

It's bad. At least with a team sport, you're in it together. I always used to get a stitch me. You get stitches now still? Yeah, I do, still. But I used to get bad stitches before cross-country and that. Running is a pain for stitches If you get one you just can't get rid of them

Do you still get stitches? Rarely I don't know Nobody actually knows the reason why stitches happen I don't think there's actually any scientific thing behind them But not so much anymore, no I don't run far enough 800 isn't actually that long

You say that You say that Were you in that game where I got a stitch in the middle of the game? I went down like I'd been shot. I was like this. And all the commentary were like, oh, we think Ellison's been hitting the ribs. Really, I had a stitch,

but I dropped my red ball ten minutes before I went out. Big error. I actually do suffer from stitches. I don't know what it is. I've always had them bad. You should breathe through your stomach. How do you do that? Everyone just takes a second like push your

stomach out that's supposed to help all right i'll try that one again having a match though is that's actually rough it's horrible yeah it's horrible i do need to ask you actually keely very quickly do you like country music it wouldn't be my go-to. Woo! Keeley. I've heard there's a love of country music on the other side of the couch. Yeah, on the side over here. We're big fans. Yeah. One day I will get Toonie to like at least one song.

But they all sound the same to me. What's classed as country music? Who's that artist that you love? Luke Combs. Do you know who that is? Like one of his songs maybe. Beautiful, crazy. I know that one.

I can't help her. Amaze me. We'll show you after. Ellie, you reached for the mic there. It was really powerful. Oh, we've been doing this thing. I've been crying at her while we've been away because she does this thing at the moment

where like she loves to sing these songs, but she doesn't know any of the lyrics to them. So she just made me own up, but it sounds better because I did it to Esme morgan the other day and she said wow i think those lyrics actually are better than the original so i could maybe start writing my own songs at some point no you definitely should so if i was to give you a lyric you could just finish it it doesn't have to be i'm not sure about that no there's only a few songs that I do it to. And sometimes I just go over the same, like I'm in the same chorus like three times

before I remember that there's another verse, you know? You're feeling it. Yeah. I'm just going for it, enjoying it. Can I get an example? What's the one that we did the other day? There's one lyric that I do. I hopped off the plane at LAX

with my dream in my car again. Welcome to the land of the fame XX. Whoa, I'm a gonna fit in. Hopped to the cab, here I am for the first time. Looked to my right and I see the Hollywood sign. This is all so crazy. I know these words now. My tummy's tickling.

My tummy's tickling and I'm feeling kind of homesick. Apparently it's not tickling, it's turning. Tickling's a while better, in my opinion. You made it better. No, I think that's a talent and I think you should pursue it. Yeah, I've got a few talents hidden. No, I know. What do you listen to before a race?

What gets you in the zone? Rihanna. Oh, nice. Rihanna's always a slay, isn't she? She's a go-to. My favourite one's Rihanna, always a slay, isn't she? She's a go-to. My favorite one's Rihanna, a bitch but I have my money. I feel like that's a hype song.

Yeah. I love a bit of Tyler. Everyone likes Tyler. She's kind of new on the scene, but yeah. Can't say country music is. No. Maybe I'll listen to Ella. Can I get that in recording?

No, Rihanna's a good one actually. I listen to Rihanna when I've got to clean the house which is very different activity to running 800 meters but it gets you going yeah it makes you feel yourself you know yeah yeah I feel myself um we have spoken to the girls about what they like to get up to in the dressing rooms or the training ground what it's like in you know that that sort of atmosphere before you're about to play what's the atmosphere like in the stadium before a big race? I reckon you guys have way more fun than I do. Because you're all in your roles.

You guys are together, like team sport, that must be really nice. I get to the track like two hours before, everyone's warming up, doing their own thing, but I like to just get there and focus on my thing, really. There's not really much else going on. Do you just sit and listen to music? Yeah, I'll have a chat with the people around me but everyone everyone's different some people like go hibernate in the corner some people are overly chatty yeah and then some people are just do you usually know everyone you race in you get to know them because i race them kind of

like week in week out yeah so you get yeah it's weird isn't it because you it's probably the same if you guys you play for different teams and then you come together on the same team but then you're all kind of friends and you're all racing against each other

it's weird well I was going to say because you race against other British athletes don't you yeah so they're your mates are not

they're not are they it's a fight no they are I get on with the British girls fine and the international athletes I bet they don't like you though Because you're going to win

I don't know about that But No you kind of have to Because sometimes you end up Sharing rooms with them Really? Yeah And then race against them the next day

They tend to try and keep Same discipline Athlete support So I might go share With like one of the 1500 girls Or Now you're an Olympic medalist Get your own room So it's like one of the 1500 girls or now you're an olympic medalist get your own room so it's one of the perks one of the perks is i've actually never shared a room so

that's so good that is yeah so you don't have to share your shower gel no no that's a big thing for me i don't like sharing my shower gel i did use less your shampoo and conditioner but less is a it's different you can because i, you can have whatever you want. If I'm giving a bit, I'm giving a bit back. Although I did get absolutely ripped off with that shampoo and conditioner. Yeah, she went and bought shampoo in the hotel the other week and it was like 70 quid.

What? For shampoo and conditioner. What was it? Was it one of those massive... I was expecting my hair to come out dead long and gorgeous this morning when I woke up. 70 quid? 70 pounds?

No, it was completely unintentional. We stayed at this hotel in Portugal and it had like a hair salon in it. So I just went into the salon with Toonie, got it. Then I checked on my bank after. I was like, 70 quid? That's just cost me for shampoo and conditioner. Yeah, you need to put palm on next time.

Yeah. Well, anyway, this shampoo is going to last me for the rest of the year. Yeah, and she's on beans next time. Yeah. Well, anyway, this shampoo is going to last me for the rest of the year. Yeah, and she's on beans and chalice. Now, you both competed in the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. What was that experience like for you? Because it was your first Olympics.

You won silver, Keely. No, it was fun. Yeah. It was really fun. Olympics in Tokyo was kind of like a bit of a bonus for me because Paris was kind of the one I was kind of really aiming for. It's, I wouldn't say rare, but not the norm to make an Olympics in track and field as a teenager.

So to go there and get a medal was, yeah, it was pretty sick. I remember we all had it on the telly. So I think when we'd be getting massages or whatever, we'd always have the other sports on the telly and yours came on. And everyone was like, Toonie, it's your mate, she's'd always have the other sports on the telly, and yours came on, and everyone was like, Zuni, it's your mate, she's racing. So we all stood around the telly watching, I was buzzing. Loved it.

I always cry when, like, she runs and wins and that. I'm like, oh, my God, I can't believe it. Emotion. It's so nice. It's like pride, though, isn't it? You're proud of your friend, you're proud of where you come from, and, you know, you're in it together. Yeah, and you've seen, like, the sacrifices yeah she's made like over the years and i remember we had sports day and i used to run the 800 meters for the green team were you green team i was yellow team oh we

had like teams so i would have been game over if we were on the same team green team always won every year and i remember running the 800 meter buzzing like Laptim and all that And then Keely came on and just did it even faster And I was like, wow I'm not used to losing But Keely was on another level So to see her now go and compete at these races It's just dead nice

So did you get to see each other or was that sort of not allowed? It was funny actually We weren't meant to see each other We weren't meant to see each other or was that sort of not allowed? It was funny, actually. We weren't meant to see each other. We weren't meant to see each other. I think we got knocked out and that day after, we'd gone to the Olympic Village for the first time. Did you know there weren't at all apart from that? We'd never been in it, no.

Anyway, we were in this big, like, food area. There was, like, this food area, wasn't there? And then Leah said, Toonie, I'm sure that's your mate over there. And, yeah, Keely just walked past and we got a picture and sent it to our PE teachers. I walked in. Ac yn siwr, roedd Keely yn mynd i'r llaw, ac wedi cael ffoto a'i gwasgaru i'n hyfforddwyr P. Fe wnes i fynd i mewn ac yn clywed, Keely! Keely! Ac rwy'n meddwl, rwy'n hir-deff, felly rwy'n meddwl, beth sy'n digwydd? Ac fe wnaethon i weld y bobl hyn yn sgwrsio fy enw i.

Ac wedyn, fe wnaeth ei ffosgo, roedd yn dda oherwydd doedd hi'n amlwg. Ie, beth yw'r cyfleoedd o ddod i'r un i gyd yn y Gwlympig? Roeddwn i'n mynd i mewn i gael sniac yn gyflym, roeddwn i'n barod i fynd, oeddwn i'n meddwl. Ie. Roeddwn i'n ll a snack. I was like, I was like ready to go, wasn't I? Yeah. I was literally about to get on the bus and go. So, you know, universe works in wonderful ways. Yeah. But did you, so you didn't get to stay in the Olympic Village?

No, we didn't stay in the Olympic Village. No, we were in hotels. You missed out? No. Yeah. I mean, I think just the whole pandemic was just a bit crazy and probably wasn't the Olympic experience that we'd have wanted. Did you have to do the COVID test every day?

Every morning. Shove a stick up your nose and that. What is it like in that village? I mean, is it as fun as we kind of imagine from the outside? It is fun. It's just intense. It's so big. There's every single country's in there.

And the accommodation's like, it's fine. It's pretty basic. I mean, the beds were literally cardboard. And they were cardboard in Paris as well. Were they? Yeah's like recycling there are reputations like for example i've heard the swimmers are big partiers because they finish in the first week yeah exactly and then do they stay there you can stay there but then they like the people that finish they stay there like watch the rest of the game, just go out and get pissed.

Oh, nice. But, like, everyone's still competing. You can hear them. Who's, like, the best person you've bumped into, apart from me, at the village? Nobody. Maybe Andy Murray. He was in the village.

I bumped into him. He's obviously a bit of an icon, so... Yeah, just a bit. Does anyone else have a bit of a reputation in the village? Are there any other, like, tribes amongst the different sports or disciplines all i can think of i'll tell you i'm surprised you're not asking the question about um the sex yeah well that's kind of what i'm getting i don't know i don't partake in such activities in the village. In the village. And you know what? Fair enough.

Like, if that's what you want to do. Well, you've got to think, I guess it's a load of athletes who come, they spend all year training hard. They finish, they're all just going a bit rife, aren't they? Right. And doing what they want.

It's a lot of hormones, you know. There's osteo. Yeah. Did you get to properly celebrate after your golds in Paris yeah I did um the first like couple hours is a bit so my race is at like nine ten o'clock at night and then after that you've got to go to drug testing and then by the time you've left the stadium it's like 1am saw my family out in Paris was like 50 of us there so that was really cool oh that's nice um've left the stadium, it was like 1am. Saw my family out in Paris. There was like 50 of us there, so that was really cool. Oh, that's nice.

But then the next day, it was like I did seven hours of media, lost my voice, and then I went to Malbea after that. So I was living up in Malbea. That was nice. You had that less as well after the Euros, where you couldn't properly celebrate because of the anti-doping. It just ruins it, doesn't it? It was horrible.

So do you get tested after every race? It's up to them when they come, don't they? But they tend to do top three. When you win gold, you definitely get top three. They tend to do top three, yeah, at the championships. Yeah, I got tested after the Euro finals. So everyone's celebrating in the changing room and I'm sat in the flipping doping room.

That was sad, actually. That was sad. Did they only take some of you? Two of us. Yeah, so everyone else is On the beers In the changing room Or whatever

But it was okay Were you quite quick after I really struggled Fairly to be fair I guess because You're only How long did you race Like two minutes

It was less Hopefully less than two minutes Yeah exactly She's going to win it Yeah True Because we're running around For like 90 minutes

You don't intake as much liquid No no It takes a while When you stop you you can't wake. You can't be dehydrated. Oh, it's so bad. And sometimes when we play in the heat as well, it's horrible. Yeah, I really struggle.

Exercising in the heat is no joke. No. Yeah, you train in mad hot places though. Where was you not long ago? South Africa. Do you train when it's really hot or do you train in the morning before it gets really hot? I train in the morning, but it's 30 degrees by 9am. Oh, no.

So even when we get to the track at like 8.30, you acclimatise though because I spend like three, four months there in the year. So I'm going back there in April for another month. That's not bad. Better than training in Tilsley, isn't it? Just a bit. Do you like it?

Do you enjoy being away, being able to focus? No. Well, yes and no. I've probably said to you, when you travel so much, you like being away being able to focus well yes and no I I've probably seen you travel so much you like being at home it's nice to be at home friends and family there it's really it's really nice so I spend a lot of time away it's good for focusing they don't really get distracted or anything but it's a long time to just be in like one place even by the fourth week people saw you and really like it's very cold because we all live together and you know guys not in like one place and by the fourth week people start arguing. Oh really? Arguments break out

because we all live together and... Do you know guys that get on top of each other? Or do you have that friendship where you can go? I suppose after a month like we would only spend

that long together in a tournament. Yeah. So it would either be Euros or World Cup and I don't think me and Les would ever get like that but I can imagine

when there's 23 girls constantly on top of each other. But I think towards it's nice because you can literally just go up to your room and stay in there. You all live together in like a hotel or in like a villa or something? No, so I've got a house out there. So that sleeps five

including me, so some of the girls will rent a room or whatever. Do you cook for them all or do you get someone to cook we take it in turns i'm working on that i need a chef too fair my boyfriend's my chef yeah we take it in turns one night a week so you have to cook like one night a week yeah it's quite nice um but then by week four like some of you my best friends have had a couple arguments by week four so you're all in a house like you're training during the day coming back in the evening what else do you like get up to what what does your downtime look like oh yeah we play card games oh nice i've made a lot of games rooms i've got a

pool table oh nice darts board some if we can be bothered yeah we'd in there we'd be in there wouldn't we yeah we like a little card game board game it's just like getting the timescale by isn't it yeah no it is

we're like that on camp yeah but what do you how long is like your training sessions like what do you do run just run around

yeah what do you do for training just run around every day looks different so the 800 is like a mix of so many different things

like speed power endurance gym sessions that's a lot but is there something Every day looks different. So the 800 is like a mix of so many different things, like speed, power, endurance, gym sessions. But is there something that you don't like? Because when we're training and say we're doing defending 1v1s, that's just not a bit of me. But if we're doing finishing, I'm all for it. I don't know what any of that means. Like shooting.

Yeah, you do. You've got United out on you. Shooting's fun. Anything I don't like? I mean, training. Like shooting. Yeah, you do. You've got United out on you all the time. Shooting's fun. Anything I don't like. I mean, training's not always fun, is it? No. Sometimes you've just got to get it done half the time. It's that consistency of backing it up that you just know you want to do it.

You've just got to get it done. But it's hard work. Track and field is horrible. Hearing about each other's training camps and what you go through, what do you think the transition would be like each way? Do you feel, Keely, like you could do a football training camp? Or, guys, do you feel like you could do Keely's training camp?

I would hate to know that I'm going to just run. Do you know what I mean? When it's pre-season and I know I'm running, I hate it. If there's a ball involved and it's disguised, I can do it. But when I'm just running around, no, I don't like it. Yeah, that's fair. It is hard. What's like if you look at your schedule and you've got a certain session that you think,

oh, God, what would it be? It would be track, even though, to be fair, they're the hardest days, because sometimes I'm even throwing up. I can't get off the floor for 25 minutes. It's like that lactic acid burn. Yeah, that's hardcore. Yeah. Probably how you guys are feeling pre-season, especially when you're unfit. up I can't get off the floor for 25 minutes it's like that lactic acid burn yeah like yeah probably how you guys have been feeling pre-season especially when you're unfit

and then because with my event it's very like lactic tolerance event so we're constantly working to just basically build up that tolerance all the time and at the beginning of the season it starts off with a lot of being sick by the end of the season it's starts off with a lot of being sick. By the end of the season, it's good times. And I like a session that's going to tell me I'm in good shape. So I can go and race. I'm like, let's go. And how do you keep yourself sustained? Like you said that you're obviously, you're cooking for each other. What snacks?

What's your favorite dish? Like how many calories do you need to be taking in? I'll tell you what, the hardest thing about being an athlete is having to eat so much. Yeah. Like I swear, 3,000 calories a day I'm meant to eat anyway. Wow. And it's just, you're having to eat even when you're not hungry. Yeah.

Just to get it in. Are you superstitious? Before a race, I'll take my rings off. Where did that come from, taking the rings off? Honestly, if you hold them on one hand, they're actually quite heavy. Right. You need to be streamlined. I don't know what it is.

And I train in them all the time so i'm like it literally makes no difference but i just have to take them off did you ever run vick well i feel like you could be a runner i i have this memory of doing the 100 meters at school in 11 seconds and everyone says it can't be true and i also remember doing the 200 meters in 16 seconds but again everyone's like how small was the track well I'm so sure I did but it has been pointed out to me by many people it just can't have been the case and my memory must be wrong that's even that's a men's ball record I'm actually the fastest man in the world I don't know. I used to do the high jump. I didn't like high jump.

That is one that scared me, actually. High jump is scary. I was going to triple jump, but high jump couldn't do it. You did triple jump. Yeah, only in school. We didn't have triple jump at school. We had long jump, but it wasn't... Yeah, long jump.

Yeah. We had to do a track and a field at sports day remember no what did you do you must have done 800 i think i got out of sports that's why yellow team didn't win i did that i did my event but i was like no i can't do the field event guys can't get injured and they just used to roll with it. Oh, and I was doing triple jumping sandals. You said about taking your rings off. I have always been really fascinated by sprinters and runners' outfits in the Olympics and all the championships. Like, do you get to choose what you wear?

Or is there like a catalogue they give you? And they're like, these are the styles you can go for. I mean, we're basically naked out there. It is, it's not to wear, you're wearing knickers. We wear the briefs or the shorts. You can wear shorts. You have long top, crop top, sprinter's top, distance top and a leotard. Leotard have made a comeback this last couple of years.

They were kind of a thing in the 90s. I like to switch up every round just to, because we all wear the same thing and it's a little bit boring, like all looking the same, the same colours. so you'll see a lot of people like big on the makeup or changing their hair like some of the sprinters like to wear wigs and like colorful wigs and yeah it's fun it is a bit of fun do you feel i mean i can't imagine you do at this stage but conscious of the fact that you're basically in your pants because the guys are not wearing knickers I know I apparently the science is something like it's meant to be free-flowing for the hips right or something but you do have the option to wear shorts which is great I wear the briefs why not why not why not if you've got it makes you faster

well exactly like you know Ella you always say, look good, feel good. Play good. Play good. You got it. Play good. I say look good, feel good, do good. I was thinking, look good, feel good, play good. It feels like there should be another bit.

Feel good, race good. Yeah. I say do good, but we can go race good. So you have the same kind of mentality around it. Yeah. Yeah, I get ready for a race that I'm going out. It's my only venture out. I don't get out much. Do you put loads of makeup on. Yeah. Yeah, I get ready for a race that I'm going out. It's my only venture out. I don't get out much.

Do you put loads of makeup on? Yeah. That's nice, you know. Yeah, no, I get it. Because I think when, I mean, my warm-up's like an hour, but you guys are running around a bit more.

Yeah. Do you wear much makeup? I don't put any on. I wear a little bit. Toonie always baffles me with changing the subject a little bit with skincare because she

has such nice skin but all she uses is water that is it yeah maybe that's the secret no are you charlotte tilbury special water no to be fair yeah i don't i don't but i don't put makeup on either unless i'm going out yeah i'm so the opposite mine's extreme my skincare team how many steps can we talk you through it yeah okay so you start wash the face when in the morning or night both wash the face i just got in bed oh nice straight after washing yeah yeah it's best time to um then toner mist then serum then moisturiser then SPF oh wait no

I do LED face mask in between that wait which bit do you do right over my eyes after the gua sha like when my face is like clean and dry

but nothing else on it yet nothing else on it yet and how long do you do the face LED face mask it's like set time it's like three minutes right

so it's not long I don't know if it does anything no it does yeah I've heard really good things about the LED face mask I had one of them it gave me a dick oh the lights were so bright yeah you can't see anything out of them when you're doing it i think it's very effective the red light and then you can do the blue light as well so do you red light in the morning blue light wow you love it don't you on that note i brush my teeth and get in bed I always so love

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reckons i feel like they always go for it when it comes to, like you said, the wigs, the hair, the makeup, the embellishments on their kids. Do you feel like the different countries tend to have some different sort of little flares that they put into how they approach? Everyone's just making their mark a little bit. But it's kind of fun. It's fun to travel and see all these different cultures. I've probably got friends in every continent, which is so nice. That's what sport's given me, so it's great. Have you learnt any languages? No, I've been trying to learn every continent, which is so nice. That's what sport's given me, so it's great. Have you learnt any languages?

No, I've been trying to learn French, you know. Really? Because some of my training partners are French. Well, Ella can speak Spanish. Can you actually? Remember Miss Slack at school? Love Miss Slack. Yeah.

She's back, you know. Yeah, I know, I did know, yeah. I went for dinner at Miss McPhail and Mr McPhail's not long ago. Anyway, I... LAUGHTER We're mates for the teachers, aren't we? Yeah. They went to my sister's 18th.

Did they? That's so funny. But I did the Spanish exam. Did you do Spanish? Yeah. Yeah, and you learn them like eight paragraphs. For some reason,

I always remember my paragraph. Is that the one you come out with? And so I say, hi hi my name is Ella and I am 15 years old I was 15 when I wrote that paragraph the mislap would be behind like mouthing every word yeah you're doing it it feels like running is really having a moment I mean it has been for a long time but it's really cool a lot of people are working out this is how they feel good both physically and mentally there's a real sense of community there's lots of run clubs they've been popping up everywhere I've heard of people getting married because they met their partners at run clubs

apparently it's the new dating scene it's the new dating site especially in London I've heard like people going to the run clubs just to see the guys there for any singles listening or watching who are joining a run club with the hope of finding love, any tips, like what warm-ups would you do? What lingo should you use? Oh my gosh. Just get your drills right.

Act like you know what you're doing. It's going to be fine. Wear your brooch. Wear a leotard. That was definitely a try. No shot. In the freezing cold winter of England. Turn up to your

first run club at like London Fields in like a tiny... I used to love getting a pair of spikes, man. I used to get them from Decathlon.

Yeah, I used to love my spikes. And when I'd line up for like a cross-country event and stuff, I thought, I looked around at everyone's shoes

and I thought, I'm going to win this. I've got my spikes on. No, that's actually a real thing because when I used to run and I didn't have spikes yet, I wasn't good enough for the spikes, I used to look at other girls in line and be like,

oh my gosh, they've got spikes, they're going to win, they must be really good. Outside of the sport, say you have a day off from training or camp, you're not at an event, you're not doing this, what do you like to do? What's your way of relaxing? My favourite thing to do is honestly just spend time with friends and family. Sundays are my rest day, so I'll go down to my parents' house, have a nice time there, catch up. I'm from a big family. I've got two sisters and a brother, so it's nice to see them.

And they all look the same. Yeah, we do all look the same. My sisters look just like me. Yeah, strong and clean. Have you seen my brother? Yeah, he looks exactly like you as well. Yeah. Okay.

So I like to just spend time with them, really. Like, they're the people that support you, aren't they? If you and Toonie both had a day off, locally, you were both home, what would you do? Hmm.

Go bowling. Bowling? Are you good at it? Yeah. Alright. Les is good at bowling, actually. I love bowling. I like bowling.

Yeah, I'd come bowling. Maybe we could go Mayhap for some brunch. I've not been there. You've not been Mayhap? Mayhap. It's not called Mayhap anymore. It's in Tilsley. Yeah. I know what bowling. Maybe we could go Mayhap for some brunch. I've not been there. You've not been Mayhap? Mayhap. It's not called Mayhap anymore. It's in Tilsley? Yeah.

I know what you're talking about, that breakfast place. Yeah. It's kind of good there. It's too good to be in Tilsley. It's a bit far away from me. It's kind of hidden away, but it's nice. What were the spots that everyone would hang out after school or the places that you would go?

Tilsley Park. Mackey's. Macley Park. Maccies. Maccies. Maccies right on top. When you left the school, Maccies was right on top of that. And then in year 11, you could leave at lunchtime

to go out and get dinner. That was like special. But everyone would just go, Maccies is the top of the road. Yeah, Maccies every day. Not great. Tilsley Park. Tilsley Park.

You swang out Tilsley Park at the weekends. TPM. No, Tilsley, it's a small town really, isn't it? Everyone knows everyone. So you'd probably just say you'd hang out at Tilsley Park with your mates and have some fun there. Sounds absolutely lovely. Probably a typical British upbringing, isn't it?

Like go to a park. You go and get a Chinese from Wox and then walk down to the park with it. Unreal. Do you get recognised a lot when you go back? Down in the hometown, yeah. I mean, it was really nice. I got a lot of support from, like, Atherton during Paris. They put little posters up around their hometown,

which was really nice. Yeah, and now there's a massive mural up of Keeley on the wall. There was a massive one of Ellen in it still. I was going to say, you've got a mural too. Yeah. No, it's nice. It's cool. It's really cool.

I just wonder when they're going to cover it up I did think that about mine as well it could just be forever it could be so the next one comes along yeah you know no it's you know it was really nice it's cool people have been aware of how good you are for for time you know but it is fair to say that there's been an explosion after the olympics did you feel that What was it like kind of being thrust into the spotlight in that way? I think for me it was probably more pre-winning the Olympic like I did feel the pressure going into it like the build-up was kind of I think because of the history of like me getting silver in Tokyo at the previous world championships I got silver both

times so it was kind of like this whole I was very vocal about wanting to win in Paris which was fine because it gets people excited it gets people watching it um but I say I definitely felt the pressure and like going into that final it was all like let's just be the first one over the line so I could definitely feel that but afterwards it's just been nice I got to do some really cool things post the Olympics um traveled out to Milan spent some time in the fashion weeks like did some really cool things um but my main focus will always be the chat because that's where the other opportunities come in there yeah you sat was it like front row at Giorgio Armani yeah that was really cool that's very cool yeah you have done some cool stuff haven't you oh do you like getting glammed up yeah would you go to any fashion shows I won't you can't

you're too busy yeah we don't really get to do that do we? But yeah I would like to one day. Would you like to walk on the fashion show? Yeah definitely. No they are good fun, it's good fun, well the fashion shows make me laugh because you spend like two three hours getting ready, hair, makeup, cute pics, you sit there for 15 minutes. Is that how long it is? That is how long it is. Not even that sometimes. And the second it's done, everyone just runs up out of the room and it's just done.

Goes to the next one. And then it's just, life goes on. You just sit on a bench. Yeah. You just sit really close together. I thought you'd be there for ages. Nice, nice, nice. I'd be sat like that, me.

I can't wait to see you on the front row Ella. You're so good. It's just and the opportunity to do new things really isn't it? Yeah it's so fun and also like meeting

people from different industries and stuff like you just meet actors and singers and even other sports stars as well. Who's the best person you've ever met?

I met Gordon Ramsay. That was a good one. I feel like he's quite you never know what he's going to be like because you always a good run. I feel like he's quite good. You never know what he's going to be like. Yeah, that I know. He was shouting on the TV.

He was quite into sport as well. So he was on the Jonathan Ross, that was cool. Oh yeah, I saw you on that couch. I tell you, I did meet Chuck Bass. Wow.

Oh, nice. Yeah, I met his wife, she was in Milan with Armani, I think she's an ambassador. She was so nice,

nicest person ever and he was with her and I was like, my gosh Chuck Bass I used to love Gossip Girl yeah you did do you ever get nervous going into the green room of like backstage at Jonathan Ross or whatever or about to hit the red carpet does any of that I mean you're used to pressure but is that a different kind of pressure yeah it's definitely a different kind of pressure but I think the more you like to throw yourself in front of the camera and like just say things you get a bit more confident with it yeah um so now it's just it's quite fun that I enjoyed me a year ago probably would have been really

nervous to sit on the couch at Jonathan Ross I mean now I kind of enjoyed it it was a nice little chat sat there for two hours though it was a long not so long one yeah this is the this is a better couch anyway it is a better couch we've talked about the attention that you guys got um following the euros obviously Ellie you were caught eating a pasty outside green arches yeah I'm in Tilsworth yeah nobody knows what that is you know I know you don't know what it is it do you? It's a North Westie. It must be, yeah. It's not anywhere else. You what? Never heard of it? You never heard of Green Arches?

Yeah. Scooby-Doo Gingerbreads? It's like Greggs, but... Better? Yeah, it's better. Fresher? I think it's better, yeah. Yeah. But anyway, yeah, I got paps outside Green Arches having a pasta.

In Tilsley? Yeah. There was a cameraman in Tilsley. Can you believe that? That's jokes. Oh, that's so funny funny have you found at all that it's ever got too much or you've felt a little bit like your privacy has been intruded on or it's it's overwhelming I think it's more just a bit weird isn't it and straight after an

event probably the same you guys you're like you guys massive like everywhere you say perhaps in Tilda that's not that's not where you expect them to be and when I was in Marbella there was um I couldn't see no photographers, but then there's like pictures of me in a bikini with my dad. And I was just like, not really. The headline was like, Kiwi skips the Paris closing ceremony for Marbella. And I was like.

Just trying to enjoy some family time. Enjoying some family time. You've got your friends, your family, your support network. That's what keeps you grounded. Yeah, a hundred percent. My family's mad. They're so loud. So they definitely keep me grounded. And like, I feel like with sport, it's always keeps you grounded. Yeah, 100%. My family's mad. They're so loud. So they definitely keep me grounded.

And I feel like with sport, it's always the next thing. Probably the same with you guys. You win a match, it's like, okay, the next one. Championship's the next one. Where are the World Championships? Tokyo. Oh, no. At least you can do it properly, though, this time.

Do you like sushi? Love sushi. You're going to have some good sushi out there. Not that I've ever been, but I can just imagine. No, Tokyo was nice at the Olympics, but obviously you didn't get to see anything. Yeah, exactly. So at least you can do it proper.

And their vintage shopping is apparently insane. And skincare and stuff, I can imagine. There's one of those facials there. They do everything. Whether it's putting salmon sperm in your face. What is the salmon sperm? I don't know. I don't feel like we should do it. What? Sal salmon sperm in your face or like... What is the salmon sperm? I don't know. I don't feel like we should do it. What?

Salmon sperm in your face. Even though salmon's had sperm. They don't have sex. So fish, they reproduce outside the body. That's mental. How does that work? I think they release the eggs and they release the sperm and then they meet in the water.

Wow, so clever. Jeez. Yeah, fair enough. Keely, it's been such a pleasure to have you on the pod today. Thank you so much. I hope that you've enjoyed having some Wigan, Mancunian back up on your couch. Thank you so much for being our guest.

Thank you for having me. Thank you, Keely. Thanks, Keely. Thank you, Keely. She's the nextelan. Thank you, Keelan. She's the next thing sitting on the front row of the team. Kelly Hodgkins, everyone. Thanks, guys. On BBC Sounds, this is Sports Strangest Crimes.

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involved for as long as they live. A trillion dollar takeover which never took off. Broadsters of this level, they will never stop. The mysterious death of a superstar cyclist. Entering the world of professional cycling was like joining the mafia. And teammates becoming bitter enemies

at one of the biggest football clubs in the world. Betrayal. Plot. We've gone beyond women's football in France. Sports. Strangest crimes. Listen on BBC Sounds. With CarGurus, you don't have to wonder. They have hundreds of thousands of cars from top-rated dealers and advanced search tools, deal ratings and price history. So you know a great deal when you see one. That's cargurus.ca.