DIVE star Jack Laugher admits he LOVES the fact that people are paying to ogle his body on Only Fans.
The Sun revealed how Laugher and team-mate Noah Williams have turned to the subscription site to raise cash.
And Laugher, who was awarded the MBE after winning springboard gold, silver and bronze across the Rio and Tokyo Games, has no embarrassment at all about showing off his pecs.
Yorkshireman Laugher, 29, said: “Obviously, I’ve got something people want, and I’ll happily cash in on that – I don’t care.
“I have done other side-hustles. I’ve done underwear modelling calendars. I’ve done other bits and bobs to try and just make some more cash basically.
“Of course I understand the way it’s perceived, I get it. I understand that people might look at it negatively.
“But I know what I’m doing. I’m comfortable with what I’m doing.
“It clearly states on my profile there is no nudity and I’m not trying to put anyone in a bad light and not kind of make myself out to be something I’m not.
“It’s just I’ve always liked modelling. I’m about a foot too short to be a proper underwear model, probably about five out of 10 missing on the scale of how good-looking I am as well.
“But I’ve always liked doing it. I like to show myself off and that’s what I’m doing but this way I can just make myself a little bit of cash and set myself up for the future a bit better.”
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Laugher said he is now being approached by other divers – and athletes from different sports – seeking tips about following him into the Only Fans deep end.
He said: “Just like most Olympic sports, there isn’t a lot of money in diving.
“We’ve all just seen Wimbledon. The prize pot for winning that is extraordinary. If you go out in the first round you get more than I make in a whole year as a funded athlete.
“When I was younger, my dad would say ‘if you win an Olympic gold medal, that’s worth £1m’.
“But it’s not. It’s nowhere near that – and I can tell you that as someone who HAS got an Olympic gold medal.
“The funding hasn’t changed since I went on in 2011. So when I first went on, it was £21,000 for the top eight in the world. And at the time, as a 16 year old, I was buzzing with that.
“I’m almost 30 now, I’m top three in the world, and it is £28,000 a year, which is obviously a very good salary and it’s a very livable one.
“But it’s not a commonly perceived sporting salary, as it were.
“So yes, I try and make extra money. I’ll do anything to hustle for some more.
Laugher added: “There’s loads of us, not just me and Noah, although we are the big two right now on it.
“I’ve had other athletes from other nations message me about it as well and I saw Nick Kyrgios doing something on it as a partnership with them.
“They’re trying as a platform to potentially try to change the way they’re perceived.
“But there’s a lot of athletes on this team, some of them will never make that top rung or make the top three in the world.
“For a lot of athletes across a lot of sports that’s the reality. And in Olympic sport, you might never even get to that funding position.
“I’ve got friends that are at University having to work jobs in bars until 3am in the morning and having to come and then trying and be an Olympian.
“And that is difficult. So look, we all try and make cash as we can. We all know it’s tight right now.
“I love what I do and I love this sport and I’m so grateful for the position. But who doesn’t like a bit more money if you can get it?”
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
Paris 2024 Olympics – Day -1
Women’s handball and archery gets underway today while the Rugby sevens continues with some quarter-final action.
Spain, Brazil and Germany are all in action in the women’s football as well.
Click here for all the events taking place at Paris 2024 today.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
