Olympic diver Tom Daley, a name synonymous with gold medal-winning performances, is now channelling his passion into a radically different pursuit: inspiring the nation through knitting and crochet.
Having retired from the diving board last year after a glittering career that yielded Olympic, World, European, Commonwealth, and British medals, Daley has launched a new range of craft kits designed to encourage novices to pick up hooks and needles.
Teaming up with Hobbycraft, Daley has created the ‘Made With Love by Tom Daley’ kits, hoping to capitalise on the ‘Daley effect’ that saw a surge in crafting interest after he was famously spotted knitting in the stands at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – the games where he secured gold in the men’s synchronised 10-metre platform event.
Reflecting on his new direction, Daley shared: "All the time I spent when I was diving is now being spent on Made with Love, which I just love being able to do. I feel very lucky to have found a second passion in life."
Now residing in Los Angeles with his Oscar-winning filmmaker husband Dustin Lance Black and their two sons, Robbie, seven, and Phoenix, two, Daley admits the shift from elite athlete to crafting icon still feels somewhat surreal. "When I was diving, if anybody had said I’d probably be more known for knitting than diving at this point, I’d say it was kind of crazy," he confessed. "The whole thing still seems slightly absurd."
Despite knitting often being perceived as an older person’s pastime, Daley wasn’t taught by his grandmothers, though he notes both have since picked up their needles again.
"Since I started, they’ve picked the needles back up again," he said with a laugh. His own journey into the craft began just before lockdown, learning through YouTube tutorials and tips from fellow crafters.
"I was a late bloomer," he explained. "I started knitting just before lockdown, so I’ve only been doing it for five years. It came into my life at a time when I was trying to find something to do – I had a lot of spare time with waiting for the Olympics, and lockdown, and it gave me my little creative outlet. I was able to take my mind off everything and just focus on the stitches in front of me. So it was something I picked up quite late in life, but became obsessed pretty quickly."
The 31-year-old, who hasn’t dived since winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, now dedicates at least an hour a day to knitting. His crafting prowess has also led him to host Channel 4’s new show, Game Of Wool, which seeks to find Britain’s best knitter. More recently, he appeared as one of the faithfuls on the BBC’s hit reality TV show Celebrity Traitors, where he was ‘murdered’ in episode three by traitors Jonathan Ross, Cat Burns, and Alan Carr.
Daley, who admitted to constantly knitting when not filming for Celebrity Traitors, highlighted the mental health benefits of his hobby. "I got into knitting and crochet and all of the different kinds of crafts mainly because it was a great way for my mental health to be in the moment, be present and be mindful about lots of different things. I’ve always wanted to try and make it accessible to as many people as possible, so they’re able to slow down and sit and do something slowly with their hands."
He continued: "I think it’s an important skill, and it’s very rewarding. It’s also something people love, when you’re able to make something and gift it to somebody else."
Daley’s favourite creations are clothes, having recently made matching jumpers for his sons’ school photo. He is keen to challenge the perception of crafting as an older person’s hobby, aiming to attract a younger generation.
"I want to try and reach a younger audience, so I’m trying to make things with more fun colours, and create patterns that are slightly different to what might be out there already," he explained. "Compared to the historical audience for knitting and crochet, I think there’s starting to be a younger skew now, and that’s something that’s really quite exciting."
He envisions knitting and crochet being taught in schools, noting: "It’s a great tool to be able to unwind and be mindful and as a form of meditation. And I think people are wanting to be able to do things and make things by hand a lot more, because it’s good to the environment, and it’s also very rewarding."
While his husband, Dustin Lance Black, hasn’t taken up knitting, they share quiet moments together. "Sometimes we do sit down together and because he has to catch up on his work, he reads while I knit, and it’s our way of being together, but being separate at the same time," Daley revealed.
Knitting and crochet aren’t Daley’s only wellbeing practices. He maintains an active lifestyle, incorporating regular exercise and walking. "I retired last year," he said, "but I still do exercise all the time, and that’s always formed part of my day-to-day life. I like taking workout classes, and I go hiking with my husband every morning. There’s all kinds of different things I do."
He relishes the freedom to engage in various physical activities without the constraints of professional training. "I enjoy being able to go and have the freedom to do all of the different exercises that I used to never be able to do when I was training because of the fear of serious injury. But I find myself enjoying workout classes more than anything, because it pushes me in the same way as when I used to train with the GB team."
Despite his love for diving, Daley has completely stepped away from the sport. "I’ve not actually set foot on a diving board since the Paris Olympics," he stated. "Diving is one of those hard sports to gain access to – it’s not like a swimming pool where you can go and do a couple of laps. It’s a very different scenario, because with diving you have to book things out in advance, and it’s not always as easy as just turning up."
He concluded: "There’s always that part of me that misses diving – it’s something that’s been such a huge part of my life, and I feel very fortunate that I’ve had something to transition into afterwards."
The ‘Made With Love by Tom Daley’ kits are now available from Hobbycraft, with prices starting from £4.
