Tom Daley talks Game of Wool, The Celebrity Traitors, and Life Made With Love

Photographer / Creative Director: Raen Badua

Stylist: James Yardley @The Wall Group

Grooming: Emma Croft @ Exclusive Artists using Bumble & Bumble

Photo Assistants: Tawnee Keala & Kena Kapri

Words: Miles Holder

From making his Olympic debut at age 14 to becoming Britain’s most decorated diver, Tom Daley amassed five Olympic medals in his sporting career, now a year into his competitive retirement, Tom has shown no signs of slowing down. Appearing on The Celebrity Traitors this year and soon to be host of crafting competition series Game of Wool, which is set to air in the UK on Channel 4 from 2 November 2025, we caught up with Tom to discuss his transition from elite diver to broadcaster, creative entrepreneur and of course, his FAULTs.

Full Look: Boy Kloves

FAULT Magazine: Game of Wool launches this month, what are you most looking forward to people seeing from the show?
Tom Daley: I’m so excited for people to see so many different parts of knitting and crochet and the creativity that can come from two sticks or a hook. It all comes from one continuous ball of yarn that can create so many different things. It’s not just traditional knitting in the sense of making a jumper your grandma knits. This is knitting like never seen before. Some of the challenges we get the contestants to do are pretty mind-blowing, especially considering how quickly they have to complete them. There are team challenges as well as solo ones, so I’m excited for people to see it and hopefully be inspired to give it a try themselves.

Full Look: Boy Kloves

FAULT Magazine: Talent shows like this sometimes attract people chasing fame or their fifteen minutes in the spotlight, but from what we’ve seen so far, this feels very different, refreshingly genuine and full of people who just love it, right?
Tom Daley: Everyone is so passionate about knitting, and one of the biggest things that surprised me when I started knitting and created an Instagram account around it, the sense of community it brings. Everyone is so kind, helpful, and eager to share advice and tips. I think people will be really excited by this show, especially since it’s the first time knitting and crochet have been given such a big spotlight in the UK. I’m excited for viewers to get behind their favourite knitters and see all the different styles people bring.

Full Look: GAP

FAULT Magazine: Knitting has become so popular across all ages. Why do you think people love it so much, and where do you think this trend has come from?
Tom Daley: I think people are starting to see it as something that really benefits their mental health. For me, it’s my mindfulness, my meditation, my way of staying present. Honestly, I think it was my superpower and one of the reasons I won Olympic gold in Tokyo. There was so much time to overthink during a COVID Olympics, and knitting kept me grounded. I think many people see it the same way. Even beyond knitting – embroidery, cross stitch, anything handmade doing something slow and creative with your hands is really special.

Full Look: GAP

FAULT Magazine: I watched a tutorial, but my work didn’t look anything like the instructors!
Tom Daley: That’s the thing – many beginner tutorials assume you already have some base knowledge. We’re planning to create a YouTube channel for beginners to learn both knitting and crochet properly.

Full Look: King & Tuckfield

Jewellery: Brosway Italia and Pianegonda

FAULT Magazine: What was the biggest challenge for you personally while presenting Game of Wool?
Tom Daley: The yarn barn was freezing! We filmed in February in Scotland, and it was absolutely cold. Trying not to shiver on camera was a real challenge, but luckily a lot of my outfits were thick and woolly. As the series goes on, they get more interesting. Other than that, it was genuinely so fun. Being able to talk about knitting and crochet, which are both passions of mine, with other people who love it was really special. Watching their creativity and techniques taught me so much. I’m excited to see what others take away from it too.

Full Look: King & Tuckfield

Jewellery: Brosway Italia and Pianegonda

FAULT Magazine: You were a contestant on The Celebrity Traitors this year, I’ve always wondered: when the cameras stop rolling, can everyone easily switch back to normal life, or does the game mindset linger?
Tom Daley: The cameras only stop when you leave. You don’t speak to anyone until breakfast the next morning. It’s the only thing you’re thinking about while you’re there. You don’t have your phone or any connection to the outside world. I found myself journaling when I got back to my room, but otherwise, you’re completely in it…The game never really stops.

Full Look: King & Tuckfield

Jewellery: Brosway Italia and Pianegonda

FAULT Magazine: What did you find most challenging about being on the show?
Tom Daley: Not having contact with my family was really tough. I also thought I was good at reading people, but it’s far harder than you expect. You don’t see every conversation or every facial expression, and that makes it much more difficult to figure out what’s going on.

Jeans – Ashish

FAULT Magazine: Games like The Traitors, or even Monopoly or Scrabble  can feel personal because everyone’s competing. Did you find it hard to separate the game from real emotions?
Tom Daley: My whole life has been competitive , whether in diving, Monopoly, or anything else. So of course, I wanted to win. Everything I get involved in has a competitive edge to it, whether it’s diving, The Traitors, or a knitting competition!

Jeans – Ashish

FAULT Magazine: Could you tell us more about the future plans for Made With Love by Tom Daley?
Tom Daley: It’s been really exciting. We’ve got yarns in Michaels in the US and new kits in Hobbycraft for people to learn crochet and embroidery. There are lots of different things in the works. I’m also planning an advent calendar this year, with a daily knit-along from 1st to 24th December. By Christmas Eve, people will have made something festive. I’m really looking forward to that.

Cardigan – King & Tuckfield

Boxers – Charlie by MZ

FAULT Magazine: How have you found the transition into the knitwear and fashion world? Many athletes say they feel like outsiders or guests in creative industries. Have you felt that too?
Tom Daley: As an athlete, you don’t grow up in that world, so you’re constantly learning. But you can use what you’ve learned in sport and apply it to new areas. Whether it’s fashion or anything else, it’s about transferring those skills into whatever comes next.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: Looking at Made With Love as a whole, what would you say is your main goal for the brand?
Tom Daley: I want to get as many people as possible into knitting and slowing down and away from screens. I’d especially love to get younger people into knitting. There’s a time and place for phones and screens, but it’s important to have other ways to relax.

FAULT Magazine: Do you feel pressure to make Made With Love match the vision you have for it?
Tom Daley: Not really. It’s my passion project –  something I love doing. If I make it stressful, it stops being enjoyable. For me, it’s about expanding slowly and exploring the parts I enjoy most.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: You started your career very young and achieved a lot early on. Do you ever feel the weight of being seen as a role model or having a responsibility you didn’t ask for?
Tom Daley: You never start something expecting to reach the top, so when it happens, the responsibility comes naturally. But as long as you stay true to yourself, work hard, and do your best, that’s all anyone can ask. That’s what I try to do in everything – sport, parenting, knitting, whatever it may be.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: What’s one question no one has ever asked you?
Tom Daley: People don’t often ask about my music taste. It’s quite random, for example, I often listen to intense EDM while knitting. Or I’ll have The Walking Dead on in the background while making something wholesome. I like balance!

FAULT Magazine: Looking back across your whole career, what was the most challenging hurdle you’ve had to overcome?
Tom Daley: My lowest point was after the 2016 Olympics when I didn’t do as well as I wanted in the individual event. It was a massive setback, and I had to figure out how to come back from that. But you learn the most from your failures –  they push you forward. That experience helped me go into the next Olympics with the mindset that allowed me to win gold.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: Where did you draw strength from when it was time to pick yourself back up?
Tom Daley: Becoming a parent changed everything. It shifted my whole perspective on life, on diving, on what really matters.

FAULT Magazine: Do school runs and pickups bring a sense of normalcy into your life?
Tom Daley: They actually make things easier. Before, I had to rush from drop-off to training and back again. Now, I can work my knitting projects around family life much more easily.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: What’s been the biggest surprise in yourself since becoming a parent?
Tom Daley: You become more emotional and feel things differently. I’ve also become more protective of my time, I want to spend as much of it with my kids as possible. You start cutting out the unnecessary things and focus on what truly matters.

FAULT Magazine: With so many projects going on, how do you compartmentalise your time, and do you ever worry about burnout?
Tom Daley: All my projects involve knitting, which actually helps me avoid burnout. It allows me to slow down and stay in the moment.

FAULT Magazine: Made With Love also involves business decisions and creative direction. Do you enjoy those parts too?
Tom Daley: I do. It’s fun, interesting, and new. We’re hoping to expand more over the next few years and bring more people on board to help. At the moment, I’m a one-man band on the creative side – knitting samples, writing patterns, doing everything. I love it, but if I want to grow, I’ll have to learn to delegate. That’ll be challenging for me because I work quickly, I can make and write a pattern in a couple of days. Others might take weeks, so finding that balance will be important.

FAULT Magazine: Can you knit without inspiration, or do you always need that creative spark first?
Tom Daley: I always need to be inspired by something; a word, a plant, a season, something I see in a shop. For example, I just made matching jumpers for my kids’ school photo day. Things like that inspire me.

FAULT Magazine: Having spent most of your adult life in the public eye, have you ever longed for a more private life?
Tom Daley: It’s not something I’ve really experienced, but living in LA now feels different, a slower pace of life. I feel very lucky for the opportunities I’ve had through diving, knitting, and everything else. I’m also enjoying my first year without athletic responsibilities – that’s been fun.

FAULT Magazine: How has the transition been leaving the athletic world, at least competitively?
Tom Daley: The lack of routine is strange. As an athlete, every day is structured. Now, the kids’ school schedule keeps me grounded, but it’s definitely different not having that daily training structure.

Full look: Dolce & Gabbana

FAULT Magazine: What’s the biggest misconception people have about you?
Tom Daley: People often see me as serious, focused, and goal-driven, which I am, but I also love to have fun. I hope people see through Game of Wool and The Traitors that I’m not always serious – I like to joke around too.

FAULT Magazine: When you look to the future, what are you most anticipating?
Tom Daley: I’m excited about the Winter Olympics in Milan next February, there are a few projects I’m working on around that. I’m also excited to expand Made With Love and hopefully see a second season of Game of Wool.

FAULT Magazine: What is your FAULT?  

 Tom Daley: I like control, probably from being a sports person, where you’re responsible for your own performance. I find it hard to let go of control, but my kids have taught me that you can’t control everything. Learning to let go helps you live in the moment, and that’s something I’m still working on.