Tom Daley has once again reminded the internet that retirement from Olympic diving does not mean retirement from tiny swimwear.
The openly gay Olympic champion sent fans into a frenzy after sharing a series of photos from a boat trip while wearing little more than a pair of black swimming trunks by queer designer Patrick Church.
Across the back, the trunks carry one very specific instruction:
“Dance Gayboy Dance For Champagne.”
Daley captioned the post with just three emojis — 🕺🥂🪩 — apparently deciding the photos required no further explanation.
Judging by the comments, his followers agreed.
Tom Daley Lets The Swimwear Do The Talking
The three-photo carousel sees Daley posing aboard a boat, showing off the glittering slogan across the back of the trunks before offering fans an even closer look.
Naturally, the comments quickly became thirsty.
“I suddenly crave champagne,” one follower joked.
Another admired what they called a “fine set of cakes”, while someone else simply declared: “I could look at you all day.”
Subtlety was apparently not on the agenda.
The photos were taken during a family holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with husband Dustin Lance Black and their children.
And while Daley may have officially left elite diving behind after the Paris 2024 Olympics, he clearly remains extremely comfortable around water.
The Trunks Come Courtesy Of Patrick Church
Daley tagged Patrick Church in the post, and the slogan is part of the queer British-born designer’s wider “Gayboy” universe.
Church has used “Dance Gayboy Dance For Champagne” on swimwear for several years, turning the cheeky phrase into one of his recurring motifs.
Daley and Church have also recently collaborated on a separate fashion collection.
Their capsule range draws heavily on Daley’s diving career and includes pyjamas embroidered with divers, underwear, T-shirts, knitwear, socks and accessories.
Several pieces feature the phrase “Head Over Heels”.
The pair also produced limited one-of-a-kind works combining Church’s hand-painted artwork with knitting and crochet created by Daley.
The now-viral black swimming trunks, however, are from Church’s own line rather than the collaborative collection.
From Olympic Diving To Knitting Mogul
Daley officially retired from competitive diving following the 2024 Paris Olympics after an extraordinary career that included five Olympic medals.
Since then, knitting and crochet have gone from a much-loved hobby to an increasingly significant part of his professional life.
Daley became famous for knitting in the stands during the Tokyo Olympics, but his enthusiasm for fibre crafts had begun well before the cameras caught him with his needles.
He has since built his own Made With Love brand, selling yarn, knitting patterns and crochet projects.
Speaking previously about the business, Daley said he wanted to make knitting and crochet an increasingly substantial part of his career.
His ambition is to create yarns and patterns that are accessible to a broader range of people.
Game Of Wool Is Coming Back
Daley has also turned his passion for knitting into television.
He hosts Channel 4 competition series Game of Wool: Britain’s Best Knitter, which premiered in 2025.
The series brings knitters together in Scotland to tackle increasingly ambitious challenges in the hope of being crowned the country’s top knitting talent.
Following the success of its first season, Channel 4 officially commissioned a second series in March 2026.
Daley will return as host.
The broadcaster said the new season would place an even greater emphasis on knitting skill, creativity and technique following feedback from viewers.
For a man who once spent his working life jumping from ten-metre platforms, hosting a prime-time knitting competition might sound like quite the career pivot.
For Daley, it seems completely natural.
Queer Fashion, Craft And A Little Bit Of Thirst
Daley has long blended sport, fashion, craft and queer visibility in ways few elite athletes have managed.
His knitting became part of his public identity without ever diminishing his status as one of Britain’s most accomplished divers.
Likewise, his willingness to wear unapologetically queer fashion — whether that means a “Gayboy” swimsuit or one of Patrick Church’s colourful designs — turns something as simple as a holiday photo into a small celebration of visibility.
Sometimes queer representation is an Olympic champion talking openly about family and equality.
Sometimes it is launching an accessible knitting range.
And sometimes it is a very small pair of swimming trunks promising champagne.
There is room for all three.
