Sports icon completely unrecognisable in full glam transformation: ‘Is that him?’

| Assistant Entertainment Editor Published October 5, 2026 10:49am Updated October 5, 2026 10:50am Tom Daley was transformed into a drag queen by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Plastique Tiara (Picture: Getty/Instagram) Tom Daley has left fans doing a serious double take after undergoing a dramatic transformation that rendered him almost completely unrecognisable. The Olympic swimming legend, 32, swapped the diving board for the makeup chair as he tried drag for the very first time – and even he couldn’t quite believe the person staring back at him. The five-time Olympic medallist was transformed by RuPaul’s Drag Race star Plastique Tiara, whose seriously impressive makeup skills have earned her a mammoth following online. Plastique has previously worked her magic on fellow Drag Race favourites including Bianca Del Rio, Katya and Kim Chi, but this time she turned her attention to a rather different kind of famous face. At the beginning of the video, Tom revealed getting into drag was something he had ‘always wanted’ to try. ‘This is genuinely my first time,’ the former Celebrity Traitors star admitted before Plastique got to work. Fans couldn’t believe how different Tom looked after the makeover (Picture: Instagram/@PlastiqueTiara) The Olympian even knitted his own outfit (Picture: Instagram/@PlastiqueTiara) He’s won five Olympic medals in his career so far (Picture: Sarah Stier/Getty Images) By the end, however, there was very little Tom left to recognise. The diver emerged in full glam with dramatically sculpted makeup, long flowing hair and a very different silhouette, prompting stunned fans to question whether they were actually looking at him. Tom also made his own outfit for the occasion. The keen knitter and crocheter created the look especially for his drag debut, admitting he had been racing against the clock to finish it. ‘The amount of time I had to do this, there was no way I thought I was going to be able to make it,’ he said. Plastique joked that the process had essentially become a ‘mini sewing challenge on Drag Race’. Tom even came prepared with his drag name: Lady Go-diver. Tom chose the name ‘Lady Go-Diver’ as his drag name (Picture: Instagram/@PlastiqueTiara) Upon finally seeing the finished transformation, he looked every bit as stunned as the people watching at home. ‘What on earth – that is crazy!’ he exclaimed. ‘I’m, like, looking in the mirror and that looks nothing like me.’ Tom admitted he had no idea what to expect from his first venture into drag, but the finished product certainly wasn’t what he had pictured. ‘I don’t know what I was expecting to look like… but it was not this!’ he said, before deciding he could see a touch of Swedish pop star Zara Larsson in his new alter ego. ‘I actually can’t believe it.’ Neither, apparently, could Instagram. ‘I’m blown AWAY!’ one viewer declared, while another branded it the ‘best one yet’, adding: ‘I thought that was a girl HAHAH.’ Tom revealed getting into drag was something he had ‘always wanted’ to try (Picture: Patrick Khachfe/Getty Images) Someone else confessed: ‘I saw the Tom Daley tag and was wondering where he was 😭🤣🤣🤣.’ Another was so confused by the transformation they were preparing to investigate the mystery woman themselves, writing: ‘NAH, I was getting ready to google who this was, then I saw the tag, HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA THIS IS INSANE.’ ‘HELLOO?!! THIS IS WITCH CRAFT!’ another astonished fan wrote. One particularly shocked viewer admitted: ‘I just shouted “f**k off” at my phone in utter disbelief that this is Tom Daley!’ ‘I am legitimately shocked 🤯 now that’s talent,’ another added. Considering Tom spent years making impossibly complicated dives look effortless, it takes quite a lot to leave people wondering what on earth they’ve just witnessed. Lady Go-diver, though, might have managed it. Deals of the Day Kurt Geiger's new Notting Hill collection is a love letter to London's chaotic weather I’ve found the Hoover gadget that could make cleaning your floors so much easier I tried L'Oréal Paris's new PDRN serum and my skin looked glossier after one use This new Cricut gadget turns your favourite photos into stickers in minutes From kitchen hatches to burgundy walls – the biggest home trends for 2027 Switched On Get plugged into the week’s must-watch shows, unmissable moments, and expert reviews with Metro TV Editor Sabrina Barr.