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Former Olympic diver Tom Daley has opened up about his body image issues, reflecting on his battle with body dysmorphia and bulimia. In an interview with Radio Times, The Celebrity Traitors star opened up further about this struggles with body image, noting that his husband, filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, has been his anchor through turbulent times. In his 2021 memoir, “Coming Up for Air”, Daley shared that he developed body dysmorphia and bulimia in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The 31-year-old shared: “My husband’s been a huge support in that. I think it’s a big thing in the gay world. Some people have very unrealistic body expectations.” Daley continued: “As an Olympian, I go to the gym and I hate it because I’m like, ‘Oh my God, everybody’s judging me for how I’m doing this.’ I find it intimidating.” The Celebrity Traitors star linked his body image issues to being told by his diving performance director that he was overweight when he was just 17. “I had absolutely no idea what I was doing at that time, so I just cut out food,” he said. “I used to get so hungry that I’d binge. Then when I binged, I’d feel so bad that I was bulimic for a while. “It was a dark time because I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. Men weren’t meant to talk about their eating disorders back then.” According to the NHS, body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person overly worries about flaws, which are often unnoticeable to others, in their appearance. In Tom Daley: 1.6 seconds, Daley opens up about when his body image issues began. “At the end of 2011 I was told that I would have to lose weight by our performance director at British diving. And that I was overweight and that I needed to look slimmer, leaner and more like I did in 2008.” He said of being critiqued over his weight: “It was the first time where I felt that I was being looked at and judged not for how I did in the diving pool, but for how I looked. I took some quite drastic measures to make sure the food didn’t stay in my stomach. It was all that I could think about in the lead-up to the Olympic Games. “I still feel ashamed talking about it now. Once you’re on the other side, it feels so easy to stop and ask for help. But when you’re in it, you feel like you can’t be helped. In an interview with The Times to promote his documentary, he said, “I hate the way I look.” Daley isn’t alone in battling mental health struggles and eating disorders. Strictly Come Dancing’s John Whaite, Olly Alexander, and Demi Lovato are just a few of the celebrities who have spoken openly about their experiences. If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat during the week between 3pm and 8pm on 0808 801 0677 in England, 0808 801 0432 in Scotland, 0808 801 0433 in Wales, and 0808 801 0434 in Northern Ireland, or at beateatingdisorders.org.uk For readers in the US, the National Eating Disorders Association has collated a directory of national and regional support providers. Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
