TOM Daley built on his impressive professional diving career to become one of the nation’s most beloved TV personalities.
The Tokyo 2020 gold medallist, who came out of retirement to defend his title at Paris 2024, is a proud father — here’s everything you need to know about his family.
Tom Daley and Lance Black — his American screenwriter and director husband — have two children together.
On Valentine’s Day 2018, the couple announced that they were expecting their first child on Instagram.
They shared a picture of them hugging and holding the baby scan out to the camera along with the happy news.
In March 2018, Tom revealed the sex of the baby, confirming the couple would have a boy, and also said he would be born via surrogacy.
Their first child Robert Ray Black-Daley was born June 27, 2018.
Robert was also the name of Tom’s late father, who sadly passed away from a brain tumour in 2011.
Tom and Lance welcomed their second son with an official announcement in the Times on April 5, 2023, reading: “Black-Daley on 28th March to Thomas Robert Daley and Dustin Lance Black, a son, Phoenix Rose.”
In July 2021, Tom explained how becoming a parent had changed his outlook on life, telling SunSport: “I think any athlete would be lying if they said they didn’t want to win an Olympic gold medal.
“But at the end of the day, I am a father, I am a husband and I think a massive shift in perspective has happened for me over these last couple of years.
He added: “My son is the most important thing in the world for me.
“I wanted to go into these Olympic Games being the best prepared I could be, knowing I have no regrets whatsoever.
“Once I stand on the board, I will have prepared everything I possibly can. And, most of all, to enjoy it.
“Most athletes have spent years and years training for that moment to get to the Games.
“Then you torture yourself through the experience because you’re so nervous or put too much pressure on yourself.
“And, actually, being able to just enjoy it and having that perspective, knowing my son and my husband are going to love me regardless of how I dive, allows me to perform my best and be able to enjoy it.”
For as long as I could remember, I have wanted to be a parent
Tom Daley
He said how he would fill the void by keeping Robbie entertained — from 6,000 miles away.
He explained: “I take a little photo frame away with me, so he’s always on my bedside table.
“I wake up and see his face every morning.
“I’ll take one of his toys with me and take photos of it in various places for him. We get into a routine of FaceTime, while I also do a lot of treasure hunts, leaving little chocolates and notes around that he can find in random places.
“You know that some days he will want to speak to me and really be there and that some others he won’t. That’s totally fine.
“But Lance, or my mum if she’s around, will take videos so I get to be there for certain parts of it.
“I know he loves me, regardless, and it’s one of those things you just have to deal with.
“And the reunions when you go home are just magical, the best thing ever.”
“With Robbie being born, then the pandemic, you realise what matters most. I think that is something that is really important knowing, going into the Olympic Games.
“Previously I used to define myself by how well I did in the diving pool.
“But there are other things to life and in my life that I find equally important.”
In June 2022, Tom discussed his desire to be a dad and the struggles he faced in fulfilling his dream on the Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, saying: “For as long as I could remember, I have wanted to be a parent.
“I think because of the relationship with my mum and dad, we were so close and then, when I lost my dad, it was like, I want to be everything that he was to me to someone else because every child deserves to have what I had with my dad because it was such a special relationship, we were so close.”
Tom also revealed he is still close to Robert Ray’s surrogate, as he opened up about his journey.
“Once I started to realise that I was gay, it was like, how am I going to have children in the future? What does this look like for me? What are the options?” he said.
He continued: “It is a lot more complicated for same sex parents to have children and you have to really think about it…
“[We] had lost so many people in our families and there was something about surrogacy that we were drawn to that just meant that we could pass on the people that we’d lost, their genes and their thoughts, their feelings, their personalities… that felt so extremely special.”
And announcing the birth of his second son on Instagram, he posted: “Our family has grown in the last week, we welcomed Phoenix to the world on 28/03/23 and he’s just perfect 
Robbie is loving being a BIG BRO! 
.”
At Paris 2024, Tom is competing in the 10m synchronised platform event with Noah Williams.
It will be his fifth Olympics, where he will be hoping to repeat his golden triumph at Tokyo 2020.
“The Chinese diving team is the strongest diving nation, unquestionably on paper,” said the 30-year-old at a World Aquatics press conference days before the opening ceremony.
“The women are absolutely incredible, and I can’t imagine that they will let go of any medals.
“But in the men’s diving, I think it is possible to try and make it so that they don’t get an eight gold medal sweep.”
China has won seven out of eight diving golds at the last two Games.
In Paris the 10m synchronised platform event starts on Monday, July 29 at 10am, with a preliminary round being held on Friday, August 9 at 9am.
The semi-finals commence at 9am on Saturday, August 10 at 9am, and the final kicks off at 2pm on the same day.
