Pregnant Kate At Sports Personality Of Year

The Duchess of Cambridge has made her first public appearance since leaving hospital over a week ago, as she attended a TV sports award show.

She presented the main prize to cyclist Bradley Wiggins at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in London's ExCel centre.

Kate, who attended as an official ambassador of Britain's Olympic and Paralympic team, also gave the lifetime achievement award to 2012 chairman Lord Coe.

The pregnant Duchess had not been seen in public since leaving the King Edward VII Hospital in London on December 6 after three days of treatment for severe morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum.

Kate was then told by doctors to have a period of rest at her home at Kensington Palace.

However, she said she was now "very well" when asked about her condition by show presenter Gary Lineker.

After the ceremony, Kate met some of the award winners backstage, including unsung heroes Sue and Jim Houghton, and Martine Wright, who won the Helen Rollason accolade.

The Duchess admitted to Wright - a Paralympic athlete and July 7 bombings survivor - that her time on stage had been "well scary".

Prince William was not at the event as he remains in Anglesey in his role as an RAF search and rescue helicopter pilot, St James' Palace said.

Kate was recently forced to miss three royal engagements - a Centrepoint Royal Albert Hall fundraiser, the British Military Tournament and The Hobbit film premiere.

Wiggins picked up the most public votes after his historic triumph in the Tour de France and gold in the Olympics time trial.

Heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis was second while US Open winner and Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray came third.