Britain’s triathlon brothers Alistair and Jonny Brownlee admit that their lives have changed forever after their London 2012 Olympic heroics turned them into household names.

The Bramhope brothers, who took gold and bronze in the triathlon, took part in the parade of Olympic and Paralympic athletes through the centre of London and found themselves once more stunned by their new-found fame.

Alistair, the older at 24, said: “It feels like life has changed for ever, and it did after the race.

“We came down from Leeds to London on a train but we went home in a helicopter.”

His 22-year-old brother Jonny, the bronze medallist, added: “During the race we didn’t have time to take everything in, so to come round here and have people chanting your name is pretty amazing.

“In the week after the Olympics we couldn’t really go out to restaurants because people were wanting pictures but it has quietened down a bit now.

“When we go out training we go out in the woods near our house and we never used to get recognised, but now everyone is cheering you on.”