[3] Since retiring as a competitor, she has worked for BBC TV as a swimming pundit at the Olympic Games and World Aquatics Championships, and made various other media appearances.

Adlington is also one of a number of former sports stars behind a commercial group dedicated to providing coaching and leisure outlets.

[4] In 2009, she was one of 94 from "the world of aquatics" to benefit from the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence award (AASE), intended to recognise potential elite athletes with the opportunity for integrated academic achievement whilst continuing with training for competition.

[12] On 11 August 2008, she won an Olympic gold medal in the same event, with a time of 4:03.22, overtaking Katie Hoff of the United States in the last 20 metres.

[14] She was the first British swimmer to win more than one gold medal at a single Olympic Games since Henry Taylor won three in 1908.

[15] In 2009, Adlington said she suffered with the expectation placed on her ahead of the World Aquatics Championships in Rome, and although she swam a personal best she won only bronze in the 400-metre freestyle.

In the 400-metre freestyle, Adlington won comfortably to earn a second gold medal and repeat her Olympic double.

[18] Adlington set a new British, Commonwealth, European and Olympic record of 8:18.06 in the preliminary heats of the women's 800-metre freestyle on 14 August 2008.

[20] In 2008 after her post-Olympic homecoming, in a special ceremony at Mansfield's Civic Centre headquarters, Adlington was presented with a pair of gold-coloured Jimmy Choo shoes by Tony Egginton, then the executive mayor.

[21][22] In November 2008, Adlington was named as the Sports Journalists' Association's Sportswoman of the Year, receiving her trophy at a ceremony in the City of London from the Princess Royal, herself a former winner of that award.

Adlington was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours list,[23][24] which she received from The Queen at Buckingham Palace in June 2009.

[25] In December 2009 she received an honorary Master of Arts degree from the University of Nottingham in recognition of her outstanding contribution to British sport.

[34] One of the Class 395 high-speed trains operated by Southeastern, used to provide a 140-mph London-to-Kent link and the Javelin shuttle service for visitors to the 2012 London Olympic Games, was named after Adlington.

[36][37] Adlington was a guest panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women on 25 March, 17 April and 22 May 2014.

[38] At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Adlington formed part of the BBC presenting team for the swimming events, along with Helen Skelton and Mark Foster.