Britain’s most successful diver, Tom Daley, is in Tokyo for his fourth Olympics. This could be his last chance to win a gold medal – but, win or lose, he will have people keeping him grounded. “When I won bronze in London, my two younger brothers came up to me and went ‘Ha-ha, third place, third place’,” he told Lauren Laverne on Desert Island Discs in 2018. “I was, like, OK, thank you.”
From the moment he was born, Daley was destined for the pool. “I had such big hands and feet that the midwife said, ‘Aw, this one’s definitely going to be a water baby.’” She was right. At 14 he competed in the Beijing Olympics – making him Britain’s second youngest male Olympian. Still, life on a desert island would be tough: “I’m not that strong a swimmer, believe it or not.” So no escape from the island, says Laverne. Absolutely not, says Daley. I’m a diver – I can swim to the edge of the pool and that’s it.
🎵 Proud, Heather Small
🎵 Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
🎵 Dry Your Eyes, the Streets
🎵 Top of the World, Carpenters
🎵 Peaceful Easy Feeling, Eagles
🎵 How Long Will I Love You, Ellie Goulding
🎵 Angel, Shaggy (feat Rayvon)
🎵 Levels, Avicii
📕 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, JK Rowling
🎁 An oven
Listen to the episode here.