Friends and family gathered to congratulate the Olympic star

After landing at Gatwick with the rest of Great Britain's Olympic stars, she was whisked off to the Hilden Manor pub, in the Kent town of Hildenborough.

Holmes won the 800m and 1500m in Athens, becoming one of the stars of the games, which closed on Sunday.

She said it was nice to be with people she had known for years and who had been through ups and downs with her.

'It's really nice'

Holmes, 34, had only decided to run both events in the days leading up to her races but recorded personal bests in both finals to become the first British runner to win two golds in one Olympics since 1920.

After her second triumph on Saturday she admitted she was struggling to come to terms with the enormity of what she had achieved.

These are the people it all started off with and who have followed me through the ups and downs of being Kelly Holmes Double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes

She probably had more idea after she was asked to carry the British flag at the closing ceremony and when thousands of fans were at Gatwick to welcome Holmes and her fellow stars back from Athens on Monday.

And friends and family crammed into the Hilden Manor to congratulate her at Monday night's private party.

She told the BBC: "This is really nice because it's all my close family and friends and people I've known for absolutely years.

"So it's really important for me because these are the people it all started off with and who have followed me through the ups and downs of being Kelly Holmes and being an athlete."

Young fans were able to get the double champion's autograph

Her mother Pam Thomson could not travel to Athens to watch the moments of triumph because she has no passport.

She met her daughter at the airport and at the party said: "Now that everything has gone right for her and she's won two gold medals you just think 'well, what happens now then?'

"It's just a really peculiar feeling - but a lovely one."

Holmes' grandfather, Geoff Norris, said: "We knew she'd make it in the end, she had to this year, it's her final year for the Olympics, so it had to be.

"But we knew it would happen - we were that confident."

The double champion will get another rousing reception on Wednesday afternoon - when she takes part in an open-to bus parade through Hildenborough and nearby Tonbridge, expected to attract huge crowds.