Former Olympic diver and super sleuth Tom Daley is back on our screens on Wednesday night as The Celebrity Traitors gets underway with its third episode.
The 31-year-old has quickly become a fan favourite on the spin-off series, having joined his fellow ‘Faithfuls’ in attempting to sniff out ‘Traitors’ Jonathan Ross, Alan Carr and Cat Burns. While, at the moment, his suspicions mistakenly lie with broadcaster Kate Garraway, he has proven a hit with viewers all the same.
Away from the famous Traitors castle, five-time Olympic medallist Daley – who shot to fame at just 13 years old – is married to Hollywood screenwriter and director Dustin Lance Black, with the couple meeting at a party back in 2013.
After falling in love with each other, the couple – who have an age difference of 20 years between them – have now been married for over eight years, and have welcomed two children – Robbie and Pheonix – together in that time.
However, Daley’s appearance on The Celebrity Traitors comes after a very difficult time in the couple’s relationship, which he himself as described as “the worst months of our lives”.
In August 2022, Daley and Black were at the Freedom nightclub in Soho when the latter become embroiled in a spat with BBC Three presenter Teddy Edwardes and was later accused of assaulting her.
CCTV captured the row between Black and Edwardes starting inside the venue, as their respective partners – Daley and former Love Island winner Amber Gill – tried to calm them down. Black is then seen walking out of the club before moments later being punched in the back of the head by Edwardes, causing a concussion.
Edwardes received a police caution for the punch, but went on to accuse Black of assault, alleging that he had twisted her wrist “very hard” and caused her to spill her drink over herself. The case went to trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in 2023, but was thrown out by a judge within hours as Edwardes’ claims were dismissed.
Black’s lawyers successfully argued that there was no clear evidence that he had touched Edwardes’ wrist and that her evidence was inconsistent. Citing those inconsistencies, District Judge Louisa Ciecora dismissed the assault case before the defence had even started, telling the court: “(Edwardes) said in her evidence at one point that she could not remember a wrist grab. She then said that she was sure that it did happen – and that was an obvious contradiction.”
While Black – who was said to have lost around £600,000 due to the case – was happy to be exonerated by the judge, he and Daley then left the UK to move to the United States as he believed the government “owed him an apology”.
In an interview with The Guardian, the Oscar-winning screenwriter said: “This is no longer, you know, do I like or dislike a place? I think that the crown, the government owes me an apology. And I have not received it. I think they also owe me a lot of money.”
Daley also spoke out about the “hugely draining” ordeal, as he said it “should never have happened” and had “taken away a sense of safety in the justice system”. In an emotional statement posted online, he praised his husband for his “astonishing resilience” having been through “some of the worst months” of their lives together.
“They say time and distance is a great healer and to a certain extent it is,” the former diving star wrote. “Seeing all your lovely comments last night to Lance and myself was a comfort, yet at the same time I can’t shake the feeling that this should never have happened.
“To be violently attacked, then blamed, dragged through a court process, having evidence lost, stories changed all for a judge to see the lies for exactly what they were and dismiss the case immediately, has been hugely draining for us as a family.
“To believe so inherently in a justice process that then took us through some of the worst months of our lives has been really hard and took away a sense of safety in the justice system. Stress that has no doubt slowed Lance’s ability to heal from his head injury.
“This unjust course of action has been of course, hardest and most damaging for Lance, whose resilience astonishes me,” Daley added. “You continue to be the best Dad to our two children and your support for my return to diving has been amazing!…Lance, I love you! X.”