Nicola Adams' 10-word confession as boxing icon tackles BBC Olympics punditry

Nicola Adams has performed in front of millions of people during her career – but she no longer has to worry about being punched in the face.

Adams, 41, is one of the most significant trailblazers in women’s sport. At London 2012, she became the first ever female boxer to win an Olympic gold medal and then followed it up by winning a second at the Rio Games four years later.

She also won the WBO women’s flyweight world championship and held onto it until a nasty injury to her eye forced her into a premature retirement in 2019. Yet, Adams is still close to the world of boxing and the Olympic Games.

In fact, she is right in the middle of the action in the French capital, working as a pundit and analyst for the BBC during the Paris Games.

In a way, live television is like being in the ring. There is nowhere to hide in front of the eyes of millions, and you are expected to function and perform in high pressure circumstances.

Instead of punches, questions will be delivered to her and she will be expected to send some back. She misses the ecstatic feeling of victory, standing on the podium with a medal around her neck or holding a world title in the air. When training is concerned, Adams wept no tears when she bid goodbye to a lifestyle of constant dieting and weight cuts.

In an exclusive interview with Mirror Sport, while speaking on behalf of Ancestry UK, Adams said: “It’s actually nice being on the other side of the ring and not having to do all the hard work and the training that goes with that.

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"I know what it’s like to go to the Olympics. I know what it’s like to compete and win. It’s going to be really nice to talk to the athletes who are there. I have a lot of friends who are going to be competing as well.

"It’ll be different as I’ll be asking the questions. I will enjoy not being hot and sweaty and out of breath during the interview. I’ll be all nice and put together."

In a crucial admission over what awaited her in Paris, she confessed: "I will be nervous but excited at the same time." And Adams continued: "It’s my first time presenting on this scale. It’s a huge opportunity for me.”

Things are now different for Adams. Videos of herself and her opponents sparring have been swapped for booklets as thick as a brick, filled with statistics and information on the fighters at the Games.

She laughed: “There’s so much preparation. I literally get given a booklet full of athletes with information of what they’ve done, what they’ve achieved, right up to the Olympics.

"Then there will be new information from them competing in the other rounds. I’ve got all that to get in as well. It is a lot of research, a lot of reading."

Adams will need to remember all of this when she is in front of the camera. She will not be reading from a booklet, with the prying eyes on the public watching on. Thinking on her feet will be the key for her. Luckily, boxing teaches you to do just that.

As daunting and scary as boxing is, many fighters have often looked more confident and comfortable facing down punches from their opponent than they have in interviews and press conferences. Many find the prospect of looking their rival in the eye and taking a punch less nerve-racking than an interview on TV.

Fortunately for Adams, she has always been comfortable doing both. Adams added: “I feel coming from a sport like boxing, it’s so intense and hard, it almost feels like everything else that you do outside is a lot easier. The first few times I did it (presenting), I was so nervous. But I feel, like anything, I always prepare beforehand, so I’ve got less to worry about in front of the camera."

Adams was speaking on behalf of Ancestry, which is inviting consumers to see how they measure up against world-class athletes with the launch of 30 new AncestryDNA® genetic performance traits that can impact physical performance. The new traits include speed, athletic ability, physical strength, physical agility, physical flexibility, quick reflexes, hand-eye coordination, and more. Brits can compare their own traits to their favourite sporting heroes this summer including Nicola Adams, Ellie Simmonds and Kriss Akabusi at: Ancestry.co.uk

Follow all the action on day seven of the Paris Olympics with Mirror Sport's live blog.