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Tom Daley is a strict dad.
The 27-year-old Olympian admitted three-year-old Robbie has already learned that if the diver says no to him, turning to his other parent, Dustin Lance Black, will mean he eventually gets what he wanted.
Tom said: “I'm Pappa and Lance is Daddy and when I say no to Robbie he immediately goes to Lance and says, ‘Daddy, Pappa says no, but can I?' And Lance says yes.'
Tom admitted he gets “freaked out” witnessing his son's daredevil behaviour, even though his husband has pointed out it's something he likely inherited from the sportsman.
He told the new issue of Radio Times magazine: “He loves to find things and jump off them and scare the living daylights out of me. But then Lance says, ‘Well, what do you expect? You climb up things and jump off things for a living'…But it freaks me out. I look back and think, ‘How did my parents deal with watching me do what I do every day and not be petrified?' “
Tom named his son after his beloved father Rob Daley, who died in 2011 aged just 40, and he hopes he's a “similar” parent to Robbie in the way his dad was for him.
He said: “Robbie is named after Dad. And I do feel I'm similar to how my dad was with me. Whether I was doing well or not, my parents were always there for me. It's just about being there to support Robbie on the good days, the bad days and everything in between.”
Meanwhile, Tom – who came out in 2015 – believes there are no openly gay soccer players in the UK because they are worried about the reaction of fans, not their teammates.
He said: “It's a really hard thing and it takes that one brave person to do it first in football.
“I think it's down to the fans.
“I don't think the people in the teams will have any particular reaction to it.
“But you've seen how the England fans reacted to the Euros with racism and homophobia.
“I think it's about being brave and being able to share your personal story.”
