Olympic diver Daley has revealed he is in a relationship with a man. The London 2012 bronze medalist has decided to use YouTube as the means to out his narrative. This is an impressive example of strategic control. Daley demonstrates why celebrity brands must quickly embrace transparency in an open and candid way, before a high-profile TV vehicle catapults them to prime time.
Daley is a celebrity brand embedded into the nation's heart and has a unique brand truth. Clearly the much discussed narrative surrounding Daley has been a speculated on for months. So Daley has taken the step to shape the narrative in advance of a high-profile TV format, ITV entertainment show Splash!, returning to our screens. It suggests the recent Sunday tabloid editorial return to kiss-and-tells has influenced his decision to stop all the hyped hypotheses. Clever. Brands (and individuals in the public eye) require a longer-term view with the ability to react in real time. With a believable narrative, agility, flexibility, a willingness to exercise judgment and a skill for improvisation. Today's world of over-abundance, excess, data and a dizzying array of social technology requires celebrities and brands to produce compelling explanations and demonstrations of truth. It's a fast-moving – a crazy world – it's difficult to succeed. Failing to project the real you will only lead to a painful deconstruction of a spun truth. Daley teaches us some valuable lessons.
Tom Daley is billed to be the top earner from Team GB going by social media.
In a five-and-a-half-minute long video Daley came out, telling the world he was currently in a relationship with a man. The most telling aspect was the description underneath – “This has been a hard decision to make, but I wanted you to hear this from me.”
Daley’s coming out is in stark contrast to previous, PR organised, press on the issue of his sexuality and private life. Only in September he said in a interview with the Daily Mirror headlined Tom Daley: I am NOT gay.
Daley does not reveal the identity of his boyfriend in the video, clearly indicating that while he is happy to come out, he still wants to maintain some level of privacy.
Welsh rugby captain Gareth Thomas, who came out in 2009, said Tom Daley had wanted to quash speculation about his sexuality, and had chosen ''a very personal message'' to do that.
The 19-year-old bronze medallist sat his final exams at Plymouth College in June.
His tweet read: "Got my A Level results!! Now officially have an A* in photography, A in Spanish and A in maths :) so happy!!!!"
A pair of Tom Daley's Team GB swimming trunks have sold for £540 at an auction of items from the London 2012.
A footballer arrested after an abusive Twitter message was posted about Olympic diver Tom Daley has been suspended for one match and fined £500.
This shows the negative side of social media and the impact with over 31,000 thousand people retweeting this tweet.
A 17-year-old boy has been arrested over a string of malicious tweets he allegedly sent to the teenage diver Tom Daley over his failure to win an Olympic medal in a case that has raised fresh questions over the policing of comments on social media.
