BBC pundit Denise Lewis quits role live on TV

Born in 1972, brought up by her mum in Wolverhampton and attending Woden Primary School, Denise first competed at the heptathlon in 1989 and achieved a best of 5277, two years before finishing fifth at the European Juniors, in Thessaloniki, Greece.

By the time she had laced up her her last pair trainers, she was covered in accolades including being a Commonwealth Games champion, winning World Championship silver medals in 1997 and 1999, was the 1998 European Champion and won gold in the women's heptathlon at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

She was honoured an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours, was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011 and has been twice runner-up in the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards most recently in 2000, but also two years before in 1998.

She then announced her retirement five years later at the age of 32 in 2005, before embarking on a media career that has lasted for well over a decade.

But yesterday, August 11, the 51-year-old sporting hero - who was born in West Bromwich - dropped a bomb on the nation as she announced her retirement from TV screens live at the close of the Paris Olympics, 15 years after first sitting in the studio.

The news was shortly followed by an incredible compilation of the start's best bits as she announced that she will now be taking up a new job as President of UK Athletics.

She was given a send off by co-hosting colleagues Gabby Logan, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Michael Johnson, who presented her with a huge bunch of flowers as she coolly dropped her microphone in front of her signalling the end of her media milestone.

Speaking on the show, Lewis, said: "It's a sad farewell, honestly, the best team. Gabby at the helm, Jess, MJ and the whole production team, they are all here.

"They make this programme what it is, all the runners over the years, they have been the most supportive, our fantastic editors, it has been a journey."

She will now head up UK Athletics, explaining that 'it's time to try and help develop the sport' that has been 'so amazing to her'.

She went on to say that she would not be where she is had she not had the a club, its volunteers or the drive pursue her dreams.

On the show, she said: "I will be working with the membership, predominately grass-roots as that is where the work needs to be done.

"We need to make sure the pipeline to events like this.

"We need to encourage local communities to get involved with athletics."

At the desk with Denise during the reveal, Jessica Ennis Hill, added: "We love you and we are going to miss you. It's been amazing working with you."