Tom Daley

[Mark81]

I feel bad for saying this but..... there is something i actually want to come to his defense on.

People on reddit are slagging off the new show Tom will he hosting, A Game of Wool, without even seeing it because.... how dare they cast a young white man as the host as it is not diverse enough.


I feel like this is a bit silly and performative complaint tbh. He seems like an obvious choice as he has presenting skills ,a lot of people like him and the general public generally know that he enjoys knitting. 4 does actually want people to watch the show at the end of the day, and he will bring in the viewers.

I am not a knitter, but crafters have pointed out some of his work is messy and his jumpers are unshaped and box like.

I think it is fair to question his fitness to host on the basis of his skills, and the fact that he presents himself as an expert when making beginner like projects..... but it seems very silly just to say he shouldnt host because he is a white guy.

I agree on the race element, its a ridiculous complaint. They dont complain about other white hosts.

Don't agree he has presenting skills though.

But hes the only famous person that knits sooooo...

Although none of the other shows like sewing bee, bake off etc are presented by people who can actually do the skill they are presenting about. Thats where the judges come in. So they didnt actually need to go for Tom

 

[Lola123]

I agree on the race element, its a ridiculous complaint. They dont complain about other white hosts.

Don't agree he has presenting skills though.

But hes the only famous person that knits sooooo...

Although none of the other shows like sewing bee, bake off etc are presented by people who can actually do the skill they are presenting about. Thats where the judges come in. So they didnt actually need to go for Tom

I suspect he’ll last the first series and then if it’s successful they’ll get someone in, I think they’re just trying to get the “youth” back to telly and have picked him due to his expose lately

 

[Eye_Spy]

He starts most sentences with the word ‘So’ and says ‘Yeah’ an awful lot. I don’t think he’s a natural tv presenter, but there are worse than him getting paid work and it’s an obvious career move for him. He’ll get plenty of tuition on the job and he’s very determined to succeed so I think he can pull it off.

The race argument is ridiculous. They’ve chosen someone who clearly has a passion for knitting, he will be there as the celebrity presenter and they will then likely have at least one actual knitting expert involved in advising/judging. I’m not really aware of any other celebrity who has put their passion for knitting all over Instagram and got so much attention on their hobby…it wouldn’t be logical not to choose him. Are there really people out there who expect, in a majority white country, that every tv presenter job shouldn’t go to a white person?

The other issue, that the race complainers won’t mention, is that Tom (and more likely his agent) may have been involved with this project from its concept, he may have been pitching it to a tv company…so it may never have come to fruition without him, and so then the point is moot…if he hasn’t actually been selected in competition with other presenters.

I don’t actually like Tom, and won’t watch a knitting show…but unless they are incorrectly presenting him as an ‘expert’, I think he has every right to the job, as a ‘celebrity enthusiast’.

Did any of the Bake Off Hosts, Mel, Sue, Noel and Sandi…have any specific knowledge or even interest in baking? I think they just got picked for presenting work due to their ability to show a bit of enthusiasm. At least with Tom there is some logic to him working on a knitting show.

 

[girlinbrum]

I started learning to knit two months and I actually like that his knitting isn't perfect. I joined so many online "beginners" groups and they're anything but!

 

[Mark81]

Body dysmorphia story out again

Yet he continually wears clothes that do anything but hide any part of his body. Whether in at media events or just out and about in London with friends

Nothing he says ever seems genuine

 

[VC10]

Body dysmorphia story out again

Yet he continually wears clothes that do anything but hide any part of his body. Whether in at media events or just out and about in London with friends

Nothing he says ever seems genuine

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What a load of rubbish he spouts - he really is a dreadful little frog

 

[Metropolis]

Body dysmorphia story out again

Yet he continually wears clothes that do anything but hide any part of his body. Whether in at media events or just out and about in London with friends

Nothing he says ever seems genuine

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bull that he finds going to the gym intimidating. He loves showing off his body and comes across as incredibly vain.

 

[Lola123]

bull that he finds going to the gym intimidating. He loves showing off his body and comes across as incredibly vain.

I think that’s part of the point, he’s claiming he’s struggling with no longer being in his “peak” condition because he isn’t hard training any more and he thinks people expect him to look a certain way. Which if he had properly planned his retirement, loads of other athletes recommend sports psychologists for this reason

 

[YeahBrackie]

Tom often talks about Dustin helping him through dark times. I imagine he thinks it'll be seen in a positive way, but considering Tom was 19 and in a bad place when they met, and Dustin was 39, it makes the whole thing seem rather creepy and exploitative.

Although, I find Dustin creepy in general. Bloke looks like the Victorian death mask version of Barry Keoghan.

 

[girlinbrum]

Everytime I see that age gap written down it gives me the ick esp as Tom was so young.

 

[VC10]

Tom often talks about Dustin helping him through dark times. I imagine he thinks it'll be seen in a positive way, but considering Tom was 19 and in a bad place when they met, and Dustin was 39, it makes the whole thing seem rather creepy and exploitative.

Although, I find Dustin creepy in general. Bloke looks like the Victorian death mask version of Barry Keoghan.

Very odd and creepy. That Dustin was sniffing round him and made sure he got hold of him....

 

[Disneylover_89]

Body dysmorphia story out again

Yet he continually wears clothes that do anything but hide any part of his body. Whether in at media events or just out and about in London with friends

Nothing he says ever seems genuine

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What on earth is he wearing?!

 

[TheStrawberryThief]

In some of the Game of Wool Promo he appears to be wearing..... a wool toga? Poncho? Blanket with a hole for the head? Over a dress?

It is probably all made by some famous designer or other.

I will belive this is his usual attire when he gets papped wearing it, whilst hung over on a Sunday morning and trying to buy a pack of lucazade and some painkillers.

----

Seeing a lot of promo with him and discuss his family and husband. I am sick of the fact no mainstream publication questions the creepily large age gap between the pair, or the fact his husband was in his late 30s when Tom was 19.

I feel Dustin has swept in and taken advantage of Tom when he was at a very emotionally vulnerable stage of life so he could lock down a ' hot young twink'.

If they met at current age, that would be fair enough as Tom would be a mature adult.
It is so creepy and inappropriate to enter a relationship with someone nearly half your age when they are a teenager who has just lost a parent.

 

[Disneylover_89]

In some of the Game of Wool Promo he appears to be wearing..... a wool toga? Poncho? Blanket with a hole for the head? Over a dress?

It is probably all made by some famous designer or other.

I will belive this is his usual attire when he gets papped wearing it, whilst hung over on a Sunday morning and trying to buy a pack of lucazade and some painkillers.

----

Seeing a lot of promo with him and discuss his family and husband. I am sick of the fact no mainstream publication questions the creepily large age gap between the pair, or the fact his husband was in his late 30s when Tom was 19.

I feel Dustin has swept in and taken advantage of Tom when he was at a very emotionally vulnerable stage of life so he could lock down a ' hot young twink'.

If they met at current age, that would be fair enough as Tom would be a mature adult.
It is so creepy and inappropriate to enter a relationship with someone nearly half your age when they are a teenager who has just lost a parent.

Yes and the whole discussing future children's names on the 1st or 2nd date. That feels really off to me.

 

[TheMiceInTheShed]

Am watching Game of Woll now - it's not impressive (not to me anyway). TD comes across as a twit, IMO and the whole programme lacks something

 

[Heidi88]

Am watching Game of Woll now - it's not impressive (not to me anyway). TD comes across as a twit, IMO and the whole programme lacks something

I watched it too. There was no need for Tom to model the tank tops and introducing himself as the special guest...he is so full of it.

I think some of the contestants were a bit standoffish with one another. Two wouldnt join in a team hug after the team challenge and one got snippy when Tom asked a question. I get they are under time pressure but you agreed to be on the show. You dont see that too much on shows like bake off...they all laugh and joke with the hosts.

I have followed Simon (the guy from the army) on instagran for a while and he comes across as a nice guy and he seemed to be one of the only ones talking to the other knitters and trying to crack some jokes.

I am a knitter myself so I know how hard it is and to get a tank top done in 12hrs is amazing. They must have been exhausted afterwards with sore hands and pain in their backs and necks too.

 

[TheMiceInTheShed]

I watched it too. There was no need for Tom to model the tank tops and introducing himself as the special guest...he is so full of it.

I think some of the contestants were a bit standoffish with one another. Two wouldnt join in a team hug after the team challenge and one got snippy when Tom asked a question. I get they are under time pressure but you agreed to be on the show. You dont see that too much on shows like bake off...they all laugh and joke with the hosts.

I have followed Simon (the guy from the army) on instagran for a while and he comes across as a nice guy and he seemed to be one of the only ones talking to the other knitters and trying to crack some jokes.

I am a knitter myself so I know how hard it is and to get a tank top done in 12hrs is amazing. They must have been exhausted afterwards with sore hands and pain in their backs and necks too.

I am a knitter myself so I know how hard it is and to get a tank top done in 12hrs is amazing. They must have been exhausted afterwards with sore hands and pain in their backs and necks too.

Same - I also thought that physically that length of time knitting - especially with such chunky and many-stranded wools - would be terrible. Large items like the panels for the sofas would have been terribly heavy.

And I agree that it was very ungracious to snub the "group" hug - I felt so sorry for the girl who suggested it and was so publicly humiliated. I'm not.a hugger myself, so I know where the non-hugger (I don't know their names - sorry) was coming from, but she didn't have to be so very brusque, and nor did the one next to her who also refused to hug. (Mind, I did get the impression that the "group hug" thing might have been engineered by the TV people - the other team's leader Holger (only name I can recall) also suggested one, but he didn't look terribly enthusiastic about it.

There isn't the warmth and camaraderie of Bake Off, Sewing Bee or Pottery Throwdown. I will probably give it another episode and if I can't get into it, that'll be lit. The judges aren't very telegenic either. I'm sure they're lovely ladies, but they don't have TV presence. Nor does that wick Daley - he is just meh.

 

[Archduchess of Luxembourg]

Am watching Game of Woll now - it's not impressive (not to me anyway). TD comes across as a twit, IMO and the whole programme lacks something

I know what it needs!

Switching off

 

[Notworthy]

I am a knitter myself so I know how hard it is and to get a tank top done in 12hrs is amazing. They must have been exhausted afterwards with sore hands and pain in their backs and necks too.

Same - I also thought that physically that length of time knitting - especially with such chunky and many-stranded wools - would be terrible. Large items like the panels for the sofas would have been terribly heavy.

And I agree that it was very ungracious to snub the "group" hug - I felt so sorry for the girl who suggested it and was so publicly humiliated. I'm not.a hugger myself, so I know where the non-hugger (I don't know their names - sorry) was coming from, but she didn't have to be so very brusque, and nor did the one next to her who also refused to hug. (Mind, I did get the impression that the "group hug" thing might have been engineered by the TV people - the other team's leader Holger (only name I can recall) also suggested one, but he didn't look terribly enthusiastic about it.

There isn't the warmth and camaraderie of Bake Off, Sewing Bee or Pottery Throwdown. I will probably give it another episode and if I can't get into it, that'll be lit. The judges aren't very telegenic either. I'm sure they're lovely ladies, but they don't have TV presence. Nor does that wick Daley - he is just meh.

I'd snub it, I absolutely hate being hugged by anyone including my family.

 

[AngryBird]

Both the young non huggers appeared to be Autistic. The girl Meadow said she was autistic for sure at one point. Knitting isn't usually a group event unless you are a stitch n witch type so being thrown onto a sofa for 10 - 12 hours being filmed with a bunch of strangers competing against you is a lot to deal with if you are usually quietly knitting in your own home alone. I liked it. I don't know much about TD generally except he knits and was briefly on Traitors.