Tom Daley has opened up about his body image issues (Getty)
Olympian and former diver Tom Daley has opened up about his body image issues, saying that he ‘hates the way he looks’.
Recently retired Olympian Tom Daley, who snatched silver at Paris 2024, is no stranger to strutting about in skimpy speedos.
That’s why is might be surprising that the nation’s sweetheart, who came out in 2013 and married husband Dustin Lance-Black in 2017, has suffered, and still suffers with, some pretty severe body image issues.
Speaking in a feature for The Times to promote his new documentary 1.6 Seconds, which will hit discovery+ 1 June, Daley has shared that he “struggles” with his body image, especially post-Olympic training.
After admitting that he “struggled” in the photo shoot that accompanied the feature, he added, “I hate the way I look,” continuing, “I’ve always had such horrible body issues going through my diving career. Now I’m not an athlete that trains six hours a day, I especially hate it.”
“I know if I’m rational about it, I should be completely happy,” Daley added, “but seeing videos of what I looked like in the Olympics, I’m, like, why can’t I look like that again?”
Later in the feature, the dad of two shared that his eating disorders stemmed back to 2012, saying, “I remember looking in the mirror in, say, 2016, and hating the way that I looked. And then you flash forward ten years and you’re, like, I wish I looked like that. Why didn’t I just appreciate it?
“Growing up in the initial ages of social media and gay culture, being held to such a high standard, it’s really difficult,” Daley continued. “Now I need to just have a healthy relationship with my body.”
Aside from his upcoming documentary, Mr Tom Daley is next due to be seen on his own game show Game of Wool (think Bake Off with knitting) and in a trip to the Traitors castle on the celeb edition of the show – alongside Stephen Fry, Clare Balding and more queer icons.
1.6 Seconds will be available on discovery+ 1 June.
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