Olympic diver, LGBTQ+ advocate, and beloved British icon Tom Daley is known for making waves in and out of the pool. But in a candid new interview, the recently retired Olympian is pulling back the curtain on a much more personal struggle—one that many queer people will relate to: body image.
Daley, 30, who won silver in diving at the Paris 2024 Olympics before retiring from professional sport, spoke vulnerably with The Times ahead of the release of his upcoming documentary 1.6 Seconds, which premieres June 1 on Discovery+. The title refers to the short amount of time divers are in the air during a competition—but the documentary dives far deeper, exploring identity, pressure, and mental health in the world of elite athletics.
Despite his success, Daley revealed he has long battled body image issues—issues that have only intensified since leaving behind the strict physical regime of Olympic training.
“I Hate the Way I Look”
In the interview, Daley admitted that even during the accompanying photo shoot for The Times feature, he felt deeply uncomfortable.
“I hate the way I look,” Daley said. “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.”
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He added, “I know if I’m rational about it, I should be completely happy. But seeing videos of what I looked like in the Olympics, I’m like, why can’t I look like that again?”
This struggle, he explained, is not new. Daley traced his complex relationship with body image back to the lead-up to the 2012 London Olympics.
“I remember looking in the mirror in, say, 2016, and hating the way that I looked,” he said. “And then you flash forward ten years and you’re, like, I wish I looked like that. Why didn’t I just appreciate it?”
Social Media, Gay Culture, and Unrealistic Standards
Daley also pointed to the impact of social media and cultural expectations within the gay community as contributing factors to his body image struggles.
“Growing up in the initial ages of social media and gay culture, being held to such a high standard—it’s really difficult,” he said. “Now I need to just have a healthy relationship with my body.”
As a prominent gay athlete who came out publicly in 2013 and married screenwriter and LGBTQ+ activist Dustin Lance Black in 2017, Daley has long been in the public eye—not only as an Olympian, but also as a queer role model. That visibility, while empowering to others, has sometimes come with intense scrutiny.
“For so long, I was praised for my body,” he noted. “But praise can turn toxic when it becomes the only way you feel validated.”
From the Pool to the Small Screen
Daley’s vulnerability is central to 1.6 Seconds, which he describes as a deeply personal project aimed at shining light on the mental health struggles many athletes—especially queer ones—face behind the scenes.
The documentary also explores how diving became both a passion and a pressure cooker for Daley, who has navigated the challenges of grief, identity, and body dysmorphia in parallel with global fame.
Outside of his documentary, Daley is far from slowing down. He’s set to host a new BBC game show Game of Wool, which has already been described as “Bake Off meets knitting.” The show leans into Daley’s long-standing love of crafting—a hobby he says helped him manage anxiety throughout his athletic career.
Fans will also see Daley on the upcoming celebrity edition of The Traitors UK, where he joins an all-star cast that includes beloved queer icons like Stephen Fry, Clare Balding, and drag royalty. The reality competition will bring together a mix of strategy, deception, and British camp—all set in a gothic Scottish castle.
A Queer Voice Breaking Barriers
Daley’s openness is a reminder that body image issues and eating disorders don’t discriminate—and that queer men, in particular, often face immense pressure to conform to narrow ideals of beauty and masculinity.
By sharing his story, Daley is helping to destigmatize mental health challenges within the LGBTQ+ community and the athletic world. His story is one of resilience, vulnerability, and the ongoing journey to self-acceptance.
“I may not dive competitively anymore,” he said, “but I’m still diving into who I really am.”
