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Tom Daley has been named Rimmel's first ever male global ambassador.
The Olympic gold medallist joins the ranks of fashion tour de forces like Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne becoming an international face of the drug store cosmetics giant and sharing how to “get the London look”.
Of the news, the 28-year-old diver told GQ that the offer to work alongside faces like supermodel Adwoa Aboah “came as a total shock”.
He continued: “I had to take a moment to sit down and really take in what the team had proposed to me. It'll be interesting to see what the reaction to Rimmel having a man in their campaigns will be, but I really hope it's a positive one.”
Tom – who has four-year-old son Robert with his husband Dustin Lance Black, 48 – says his previous endorsement deals with brands such as Adidas are “nothing compared to how big this is. This is a global campaign that will be blasted onto everyone's TVs.”
The ‘1986' founder – a knitting line created after he was seen doing needlework poolside at the Tokyo Olympics – is “hopeful” his role can show men that makeup is for them.
Tom said: “I'm hopeful that the campaign, and myself as a man fronting it, can help men realise that make-up can be something they can incorporate into their everyday lives, without the fear that many of them have. It's incredibly exciting to see that beauty is diversifying and becoming fully inclusive, no matter someone's gender.”
Rimmel – which is sold all over the world – believes Tom represents “a powerful role model” for his work in both sport and LGBT activism.
Sarah Al Shohaib the beauty company's senior vice president said: “Rimmel's partnership with Tom Daley marks an exciting new era for the brand. We are proud of our mission to prioritise diversity and inclusion. As a world-class athlete and an advocate for mental health and LGBTQI+ rights, Tom is a powerful role model.”
