Olympic Champion Tom Daley Teams Up with TikTok Star Ollie Muhl for Viral Diving Collaboration
Source: Ollie Muhl / TikTok

Olympic Champion Tom Daley Teams Up with TikTok Star Ollie Muhl for Viral Diving Collaboration

READ TIME: 6 MIN.

Olympic champion Tom Daley and TikTok sensation Ollie Muhl have captured widespread attention with a pair of viral videos that merge athletic instruction with entertaining social media content. The collaboration, which has circulated across multiple platforms, showcases the unlikely pairing of Britain's celebrated five-time Olympic medallist and the 22-year-old American influencer in a series of playful, shirtless performances.

The videos feature synchronized choreography interspersed with genuine diving instruction, creating content that balances athletic expertise with entertainment value. In the first video, both Daley and Muhl appear shirtless before dramatically removing their trousers in perfect synchronization to reveal minimal swimwear, generating enthusiastic responses from followers across social media.

The second video transitions from choreography to actual diving tuition, with Muhl introducing the concept by stating, "Olympic medallist Tom Daley is going to teach me how to dive." What unfolds is a blend of professional instruction and comedic mishaps, as Daley attempts to convey proper diving technique while Muhl enthusiastically—if unsuccessfully—attempts to execute the movements.

The diving lesson begins with Daley providing technical guidance from his swimming pool in Los Angeles. The Olympic champion instructs Muhl using precise coaching language: "Hands up, no gap. Hit the water, flick your wrists, vacuum, no splash. " Muhl's initial confidence wavers after his first attempt results in a belly flop that leaves his chest visibly red, prompting Daley to quip from the sidelines, "The sign of a true champion. "

As the lesson progresses, Muhl's technique gradually improves with each attempt. However, the comedic centerpiece of the video occurs when Muhl's speedo fails to survive the final dive, with Muhl joking that he has lost his swimwear in the water. Throughout the instruction, Daley remains visibly amused, at one point blurting out a playful criticism: "You're like a twat!" The moment generates laughter from both participants as they continue their attempts.

Tom Daley, now 31 years old, has established himself as one of Britain's most recognizable and celebrated athletes. His Olympic achievements span multiple decades, with medals earned across several Olympic Games. Daley won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics before announcing his retirement from competitive diving.

The 31-year-old officially retired from competitive diving following the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Since stepping away from professional athletics, Daley has diversified his career pursuits, transitioning into social media content creation, fashion, and advocacy work. His personal life includes his marriage to screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in 2017, and the couple share two sons, Robbie and Phoenix.

One of Daley's most notable post-retirement ventures has been his involvement in knitting content creation. His viral knitting videos during the Tokyo Olympics cemented his status as a beloved public figure both within and beyond athletic circles. This interest has evolved into a television project: Daley now hosts his own knitting competition show titled "Game of Wool" on Channel 4 . The program, which first aired on November 2, 2025, features 10 crafters competing to become the UK's first television knitting champion.

As an openly gay athlete and public figure, Daley has become an outspoken LGBTQ+ icon, using his platform to advocate for inclusivity and representation within sports and entertainment. His willingness to engage in collaborative content with fellow LGBTQ+-affirming creators reflects his continued commitment to visibility and community engagement.

Ollie Muhl, 22, represents a new generation of social media influencers who have built substantial followings through dance routines, lip-syncs, and authentic personality-driven content. The American content creator has accumulated millions of followers across multiple platforms, establishing himself as one of TikTok's most recognizable personalities.

While Muhl maintains privacy regarding his personal life, he has demonstrated LGBTQ+-affirming values through his content and engagement with community-related hashtags. His participation in this collaboration with Daley represents part of a broader trend among younger influencers who reject rigid labeling and embrace fluid, inclusive approaches to identity and community engagement.

The collaboration between Daley and Muhl has resonated with audiences due to the apparent chemistry and authentic enjoyment both participants display throughout the videos. The pairing combines Daley's Olympic expertise and established celebrity status with Muhl's contemporary influencer appeal and comedic timing, creating content that functions simultaneously as athletic instruction and entertainment.

The videos deliberately blend elements of flirtation, humor, and genuine skill demonstration, creating multifaceted content that appeals to diverse audience segments. The synchronized choreography and playful physical interactions generate the type of engaging content that drives social media virality, while the actual diving instruction provides substantive value beyond mere entertainment.

The collaboration also demonstrates how established athletes can maintain cultural relevance and audience engagement following retirement from competitive play. Rather than disappearing from public consciousness, Daley has strategically leveraged his celebrity status and personality to create diverse content opportunities that align with contemporary digital media consumption patterns.

The visibility of two LGBTQ+-affirming creators collaborating on widely-circulated content contributes to broader representation within entertainment and sports media. Both Daley, as an openly gay man married to another man, and Muhl, as a creator who embraces LGBTQ+ community values, represent models of authentic self-expression within mainstream digital spaces.

The playful, shirtless nature of the content—while primarily comedic and entertaining—also normalizes the presentation of queer bodies within mainstream media, contributing to destigmatization and increased visibility. The collaboration demonstrates that LGBTQ+ creators can generate significant cultural impact and audience engagement through authentic, personality-driven content that reflects their identities and values.


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