Olympic diver Tom Daley: ‘I’m dating a guy and I couldn’t be happier’

MANILA, Philippines – British Olympic Diver Tom Daley, one of the “poster boys” of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, revealed he’s dating another man.

In a Youtube video posted Monday, December 2, he said: “Come spring this year, my life changed massively when I met someone and it made me feel so happy, so safe and everything just feels great. And that someone is a guy.”

Daley added, “It did take me by surprise a little bit. I mean, it’s always been in the back of head that something like that could happen. But it wasn’t until spring this year that something just clicked. It felt right… And like I said, my whole world just changed right then and there.”

Tom Daley has amassed a huge follower online due in part to his presence in social media, where he often posts photos of himself shirtless or in his diving attire. (Photo from Tom Daley's Instagram account).

The diver said he still “fancy girls” but “right now I’m dating a guy and I couldn’t be happier. It feels safe and it just really does feel right.”

While admitting that he’s dating a guy, Daley never used the terms “gay” or “bisexual” to describe his sexuality.

As of this writing, Daley’s video admission has garnered more than three million views on Youtube.

'I've always been honest'

The 19-year-old athlete’s sexuality has always been the subject of speculation, especially after the 2012 London Olympics (he won a bronze medal) when he became an online sensation.

Daley previously laughed off gay rumors. In an interview with UK newspaper The Mirror, he said: “I think it’s funny when people say I’m gay… I laugh it off. I’m not. But even if I was, I wouldn’t be ashamed. It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest what people thought.”

He further said, “But I can understand why I have a massive gay following – I spend most of my life half naked in trunks on a diving board showing off my bare chest.I often joke I wear more to bed than I do to work. But I’m cool with my gay following. It’s great to have gay fans even though my friends gently take the mick.”

But in the Youtube video, Daley said he’s always been honest and that he was only willing to talk about things he was comfortable with.

Watch his emotional Youtube confession:

“For me, honesty is something I do believe in and I’ve always been honest. I may have been vague… but I’ve always been honest,” he said.

Daley joins celebrities like Zachary Quinto, Anderson Cooper, and Wentworth Miller, among others, who came out of the closet recently.

Earlier this year, Filipina singer Charice Pempengco also revealed she is a lesbian after years of speculation about her sexuality.