Tom Daley is every inch the family man, having become a father for the first time in 2018 and loving every moment of parenthood since.
SEE: Tom Daley's confession about his son's birth is heartbreaking
The Olympic gold medalist is a doting father to son Robbie, who he welcomed via surrogate in 2018 with his husband Dustin Lance Black. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! at The Fashion Awards on Monday, Tom gushed over his son, describing him as his "little buddy".
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"He's so amazing. He's three and a half now, coming up four. It's so special to have a little buddy that you can just take with you to do things and see things through a new set of eyes", said Tom.
"I'm loving doing things I would have never been able to do without our son - things that perhaps may look a bit weird doing as an adult - but if I take my little buddy along I can get away with anything!"
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Tom spoke to HELLO! at The Fashion Awards 2021
Having returned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics with a gold and bronze for Britain, Tom revealed on Instagram: "Getting back from the Olympics and being reunited with my family was the BEST part of my year!
"They have been my biggest supporters to help me fly higher than I ever thought might be possible."
When asked if Tom expects his son to follow in his footsteps, the Olympian replied: "If he wants to get involved in sport and I'll support him, but if he wants to do music, or be creative - whatever he wants to do I'll support him! At the moment he just loves trucks, space, and dinosaurs, so that's where we're at."
Tom said he'd support whichever career path his son Robbie decides to take
The 28-year-old diver, who married husband Dustin in 2017, reflected on his experience of fatherhood in an interview with The Times last year.
He admitted being met with some homophobic comments came as a "shock", especially since he had always dreamed of becoming a dad. Tom said: "It was a shock at the beginning, the negativity. I always desperately wanted children. I’ve been collecting baby clothes for years.
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