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Tom Daley opens up about loss of father and finding love

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In a new documentary following the life of champion diver Tom Daley, the 22-year-old opened up about his personal life, and how the death of his father in 2011 has changed him as a person. 

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In the documentary, titled Tom Daley: Diving For Gold, the star said: "Losing my dad has made me think about life in such a different way. It's been weird adapting to life without him but all the lessons that he's taught me, I’ve tried to live by. I think he’s really shaped me into the person that I am today.

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tom 1© Photo: Getty Images

Tom opened up about his relationship with Dustin

"I would love for him to be able to say to me what he thinks about what I've been doing over the last few years because he didn't get to see me win my Olympic Medal and he won't get to see me compete in the next Olympic Games either. 

"He always knew what to say to make me feel better. He was always just there to be supportive." 

Tom's fiancé, Dustin Lance Black, also appearing in the documentary, speaking about Tom's chances in the 2016 Olympics in Rio. He said: "I know Tom can win the Gold. His coach knows he can win Gold. There’s no question Tom can win Gold in Rio. The question is, does Tom believe it? There are days he does and there are days I’m not sure he does yet." 

tom 2© Photo: Getty Images

Tom will be participating in the 2016 Olympics

He continued chat about their relationship after getting engaged in 2015, saying: "It's really amazing to be in love with someone who you also admire and who you can be dazzled by. It makes me want to be a better person. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world." 

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The Olympic diver also opened up about his relationship with Dustin and coming out as gay to his mother, saying that his engagement to the director "means everything" to him. He said: "It means everything to be engaged to Lance because he has been so supportive of me. I have Lance to thank for so many things. I don't think I would [still] be diving if I hadn't met Lance. 

"When I told my mum for the first time, we were all having a barbecue and Lance was over in the UK and I brought my mum into the kitchen and went 'What do you think of Lance?' She was just really accepting of it. It literally was over in the matter of four or five minutes." 

Tom Daley: Diving For Gold will air on Saturday 30 July, 8pm on ITV.