Tom Daley Discuss Family Life, Knitting, and Nail Polish

Tom Daley's 5-Year-Old Son Can Already Crochet: "The Dream Would Be to Knit Together"

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18 July 2023 by Gabriella Ferlita

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Tom Daley inadvertently made himself the face of knitting when he was pictured at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, knitting needles in hand. The diver was spotted knitting in the stands in his Team GB vest top while watching the competition, and the rest is history. On top of his diving success, he has since launched his Made With Love by Tom Daley brand, and released a book with a guide to getting started.

And the dad-of-two has revealed that he's already passed down his love of the craft to future generations, admitting that his five-year-old can already crochet. "I've taught [Robbie] how to crochet, he can crochet a chain," the 29-year-old tells POPSUGAR. "He did 10 chains and then he was like, 'that's enough, papa', and I said, 'okay' because I don't want him to hate it. The dream would be amazing to just sit on the sofa and chat and just be knitting and crocheting [together]. It'd be so fun."

"Robbie is such a protector of Phoenix, it's so sweet to see."

But for now, the athlete is still navigating the newborn stage with his newest arrival, Phoenix Rose. The Olympian and his husband, Dustin Lance Black, welcomed their newborn on 28 March, 2023. They initially revealed the news in The Times newspaper before Daley made his own post on Instagram, gaining an outpouring of love and support from celebrity friends and fans alike.

Speaking about how they have adapted since becoming a family of four, Daley said that "a lack of sleep" has been the most difficult adjustment. "Sometimes when Phoenix is napping, I go out for a coffee with friends and we're walking around… I think that it is important for parents to be able to feel good about themselves as well. I feel like it's nice to be able to [do that]," Daley says.

His eldest is taking being a big brother in his stride, too. "Robbie is such a protector of Phoenix, it's so sweet to see," Daley explains. "Even in the back of the car, [when] Phoenix starts crying, Robbie is there consoling him, and puts his dummy in or whatever it may be. It's really sweet."

Image Source: Rimmel London

Of course, the young family don't always always make it out of the house, but Daley is finding new ways to bond with his children and incorporate self-care even when they do stay in. "It does change because you don't get to go out that much when we're in the newborn stage, but at the same time, when I do get to go out, I like to make an effort," said the diver, who has just launched the "Made With Love By Tom Daley" nail collection with Rimmel London. "I have done the whole Phoenix [lying] on me and painting my nails. Lance looks at me and is like, 'Tom, do you want me to hold him?' And I'm like, 'no, this is fun… A bonding activity!'"

We're seeing a growing trend of men taking pride in their nails, and even opting for manicures – including the likes of "Love Island"''s Dami Hope and Måneskin's Damiano David – which Daley puts down to healthy masculinity boundaries. "I think that men [are] feeling comfortable with their masculinity and are able to not worry so much about what anyone thinks [of them]," he says. "If it makes you feel good to paint your nails, do it!"

Daley's new collection includes fun pun names of the varnishes around his two passions: diving and knitting. Shop the nail varnishes, which have names like "Gold Medal", "Divers Blue", and "Crochet Kiss", below.