Tom Daley Is Rimmel London's First Male Global Ambassador
Tom Daley on Confidence, Crocheting, and Cosmetics: "Men Can Wear Makeup, Too"
Image Source: Rimmel London
Tom Daley is a successful Olympic diver with an OBE, a dedicated advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and a knitting extraordinaire — not to mention gorgeous IRL — but when POPSUGAR sat down for a chat with him, we didn't expect him to be so warm and welcoming.
"So good to meet you", he says as he envelopes us into a surprise hug, immediately making our standard handshake seem pitiful. His latest endeavour sees him tackle the beauty industry as the first ever male global ambassador for Rimmel London. Perhaps an unexpected move for the athlete, but one that fits with his dedication to promote inclusivity. "The thing that I love about it is that it wasn't a separate product for men", he tells us as he fronts the popular Match Perfection foundation range. "I think there's something that was really special about breaking down those boundaries, those gender norms of what is okay for men to wear [and] what is it okay for men to do."
"I think there's something that was really special about breaking down those boundaries, those gender norms of what is okay for men to wear [and] what is it okay for men to do."
Before this, Daley's only exposure to makeup came while getting groomed for photoshoots or events, but soon realised it was these little touches that made him feel most confident. "It got to a point where I was like, 'Oh, actually, if I am going out for dinner, I want to feel my best and I want to feel confident and not look crazy shiny'", he explains. Although, he's keen to point out it's not about masking who you are or striving to look perfect, "but just little things that might give you extra confidence if something comes up, whether it's concealer, whether it's a little bit of foundation, if you're feeling a little bit red or whatever it may be."
While Daley is far from a pro on the beauty front — he had to learn all the tools, tricks, and tips himself after asking multiple questions to the glam squads on photoshoots — he does hope his honesty about using foundation will encourage others to embrace their individuality. "If you look at men on TV or footballers, they're all wearing it," he says. "It's just not talked about. Which I think is why this is even more important for Rimmel to be able to put a male at the front. Men can wear makeup, too!"
Daley is all about making small changes to help you feel your best. From using beauty products to give his skin a little glow, listening to music ("Good Time" by Jodie Harsh is his most-played song this month), or using his platform as a force for good. However it's knitting that has become his most famous hobby. While diving was his first love, shooting to fame at the age of 14 at the 2008 Beijing Olympics competing in 10m platform, there is a genuine fervour as he talks excitedly about his newer pastime, which all began with a need to be calmer. "Well, initially it was because, one, my coach said that I'm terrible at sitting down, resting, and recovering, so I needed to find something to do that I could just sit still," he declares. "Then it was my husband who said people on film sets knit squares to pass the time. So I was like, 'Right, okay, I'll give it a go. Why not?' Not thinking really that much of it."
Image Source: Rimmel London
Much to his surprise, fans couldn't get enough of the gold medallist crocheting poolside. Memes from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics of Daley knitting in the stands in his Team GB vest top went viral and soon inspired him to set up the Made With Love by Tom Daley Instagram account. Knitting kits were sold in John Lewis earlier this year to inspire others to get out the needles and calm the mind, and his first knitting book launches later this month. "Each project I did, I learned a new stitch, a new skill, and then I gradually taught myself how to crochet. And then I started designing my own stuff, and slowly but surely developed Made With Love, which started as an Instagram page, so I didn't bore people on my main page with all my knitting. But who knew that it wasn't going to be boring?" he jokes.
With more projects in the pipeline, the dad-of-one even hints that his designs could be made into a clothing line. "It's not just about being able to push my boundaries and what I like to wear. It's just now I'm able to and have the opportunity to leave the house and not just go to the pool and wear sportswear," he reveals. "So that kind of thing has been really nice to be able to explore that side of me and being able to be a bit more expressive."
"I've realised that there's actual power and strength in taking a step back to allow your body to heal, your mind to heal."
While it might seem that Daley is constantly positive and motivated, he's had to learn to lean into the quieter days. "As I've got older, I've realised that there's actual power and strength in taking a step back to allow your body to heal, your mind to heal, and move forward from that," he explains. "It's not every day that you wake up and you're like, 'I'm going to go and smash this, this is my day.' But of course, there's days where I feel like, 'Ugh'. But for me, it's about showing up, being kind to myself on the days where I didn't feel like I was in the best place, and maybe changing and adjusting what I was doing."
Some of that adjustment has come from his relationship with social media. With over 3 million followers on his Instagram and 1.4 million on Tiktok, he is mindful of the content he puts out and the content he is exposed to. "I just try to curate my platform to be something that inspires me, that motivates me, makes me laugh," he says. "And if ever I see anything that doesn't make me feel good and is negative, whatever it may be, I just unfollow . . . I'm constantly checking that."
Family is undoubtedly Daley's main focus, as he talks of his next knitting task for husband Dustin Lance Black and 4-year-old son, Robbie, but there is a determination to succeed in the fashion world, too. "I would love to be a fully fledged knitwear designer," he admits. With Daley's growing popularity, there's no doubt it would fly off the shelves. With sport, beauty, wellness, and activism now covered, it makes sense for him to dominate the fashion industry, too. "I'd love to one day have a Fashion Week show . . . I bloody love knitting."
Watch Tom Daley play Perfect Match with POPSUGAR UK below.
