Tom Daley trims his body hair in a thirsty new ad campaign

British diver Tom Daley is gearing up for his fifth — and likely final — Olympic Games in Paris later this month. The 30-year-old will defend his 10m men’s synchro title with partner Noah Williams.

Daley, one of the most prominent gay figures in sport, has been sharing videos of his progress on social media. This week, he also shared a different sort of video. 

It’s actually a new advert for Gillette. The shaving brand has chosen Daley to be the face, or rather the body, of its new intimate grooming range. 

Daley, of course, is famously smooth all over. Like other professional swimmers and divers, being hairless helps you cut through the water that fraction quicker. 

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You can watch the advert below. There are lots of shots of Daley’s washboard abs. He also uses a clipper to trim the hair just above the waistline of his Speedos. 

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Commenting on the partnership, Daley said, “How many times do we hear the phrase feel good, play good? I’m no different. Feeling smooth and knowing you’re ready to make that perfect rip entry helps to get you into the competition mindset, so partnering with Gillette Body & Intimate just made sense.”

In a press statement, Callum Wood, Gillette Brand Director for UK & Ireland, said, “We’re excited to have Tom join the Gillette family. More and more guys are grooming their body and intimate areas as part of their routines to help look and feel their best. We know that one of the main reasons why guys body groom is for sport and performance – for when it really, really matters. This is true for guys in all sports at all levels, but the stakes are at their highest in Olympic level sport.”

This is not the first time Daley has advertised grooming products. Back in 2017, he signed up with UK high street health and beauty retailer Superdrug to be its ​​‘male grooming ambassador’. 

Standing up for queer rights

Daley met his partner, Dustin Lance Black, in 2013, aged 18. Black was 38. Their romance blossomed quickly. 

In December 2013, Daley came out by posting a video on his YouTube channel. He told the world he was in a relationship with another man. Four years later, in 2018, he and Black married. And one year after that, in 2018, they welcomed their son, Robbie, born via a surrogate. Last year they welcomed another son, Phoenix. 

Since coming out, he has also not shied away from talking about his sexuality. He’s very aware that many countries in the world have anti-LGBTQ legislation

In 2018, after winning a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, he called on Commonwealth countries to drop their anti-LGBTQ laws. After winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he dedicated it to queer youth everywhere.

“I feel incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion,” he said. “I hope that any young LGBT person out there can see that no matter how alone you feel right now, you are not alone. That you can achieve anything and that there is a whole lot of your chosen family out here, ready to support you.”

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