WHO IS OLYMPIAN TOM DEAN? MEET THE GOLD MEDAL-WINNING SWIMMER WHO IS THE 'LATEST STAR TO SIGN UP TO STRICTLY COME DANCING'

Swimmer Tom Dean took the spotlight alongside his teammates at the Olympics after winning gold in the Men's Freestyle Relay on Wednesday.

And the athlete, 24, already his eyes on the next challenge as he has reportedly signed up to Strictly Come Dancing

Tom, who is also known by fans as 'Deano', will swap the swimming for sequins to take part in the 20th anniversary show after his Paris triumph. 

So who is Tom Dean? And what are the rumours about him joining Strictly? Here is everything you need to know...  

Strictly signing 

Bosses are said to be thrilled to have secured an Olympian who is a firm fan favourite.

At the relay, Tom's family wore T-shirts with his nickname Deano emblazoned on the front. 

A source told The Sun: 'It's quite a coup for the producers to bag an Olympian fresh from winning gold in Paris, and swimmers have been shown to be great contestants.

'They tend to be a sensation as a result of their fitness, competitiveness and sheer determination to win — and Tom will still be pumped from his victory in France.  

'He doesn't quite have the same profile as other top-level swimmers yet but that's likely to drastically change after his time on Strictly .'  

Journey to Olympic medalist  

Tom grew up in Maidenhead, Berkshire with his four siblings and attended his local school where at the age of eight he had his first taste of swimming. 

The now-24-year-old was set for stardom when he won gold in the 200m Individual Medley at the 2017 European Junior Championships before going on to win gold medal in the 200m Individual Medley the following year, breaking a European Junior record in the process.

He also won two bronze medals, in the 400m Individual Medley and the 4x200m Freestyle relay.

In 2022 he was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours. 

His Olympics success has made Tom the first male British swimmer to win two gold Olympic medals at the same games in 113 years.

Tom, who lives and trains in Bath where he also completed his degree in mechanical engineering, has been supported by his family who weren't able to watch pool-side in Tokyo due to Covid restrictions. 

But they were out in force in Paris, cheering him on from the side. 

His mother, Jacquie Hughes shared her pride and told the BBC she had 'never seen him beaming from ear to ear as much as he was' in Paris.

His sister Connie, who was also cheering in the stands, explained: 'You don't see all the work that goes on in the dark. This is just the light. To see him do that after decades of work, it's indescribable,'.

'It's a gruelling sport: you're waking up at 5am; you have to go to bed at a certain time every day; you have to eat right.'

Training regime  

Although Tom may be less comfortable on dry land, his strict training regime may give the athlete an advantage over other stars reportedly lined up including the likes of Pete Wicks and DIY SOS star Nick Knowles.

The swimmer, who revealed that Michael Phelps is his idol, has a strict training regime and revealed in an interview with GQ he has had to put his social life on the back burner to maximise his swimming potential.

Tom explained he has to 'live like a robot, train consistently and not let anything distract you'. 

He added that he considers any socialising with friends carefully to make sure it doesn't interrupt his training regime.

The swimming star also revealed while others may feel awkward, he doesn't mind wandering around in his Speedos and no doubt the BBC producers are hoping he'll feel just as comfortable in a sparkly outfit or two.

The 6ft 4in-tall athlete already sounds as though he'll be right at home on the Strictly dance floor after telling the magazine that he enjoys a dance along with his teammates.

He said: 'Every time we go on a night out, we go straight into our individual strokes and just start stretching out. It attracts quite a bit of attention.

'We'll see a bit of that in London for that closing ceremony watch party. Everyone will be busting out a few different moves – backstroke down the dance floor.'

The medal-winning athlete is not the first swimmer to join the Strictly Come Dancing line-up.

Mark Foster competed in the 2008 series before Adam Peaty took to the floor in 2021 followed by Ellie Simmonds in 2022. 

While Tom may not be as well-known as some of the other names on the Strictly bill right now, his reputation could give some of the big names a run for their money after his Olympics success.

Rumoured line-up 

Other names reportedly confirmed for the anniversary show include TOWIE star Pete Wicks, despite the news his close pal Zara McDermott was physically and verbally abused by her professional dance partner Graziano Di Prima last year.

Meanwhile ex Arsenal player Paul Merson and DIY SOS star Nick Knowles have also reportedly put on their dancing shoes.

According to a Reddit post seen by Metro, all 15 stars set to compete have been leaked in an 'alleged list'.

The post reportedly included a screenshot from an Instagram Story shared to someone's close friends, suggesting it wasn't meant for public knowledge.

Famous names on the list included Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati, Loose Women presenter Janet Street-Porter, Blue singer Duncan James and Tracy Beaker Returns star Kia Pegg.

The caption reportedly read: ‘Got this off of a friend, this seems so exciting! Can’t wait for this, especially Hannah Waddingham!’

Chris McCausland was also on the list, after the comedian failed to deny the Strictly rumours last month during an interview with Gyles Brandreth, who also made the 'leaked list'.

Elsewhere Olympic legend Dame Laura Kenny, Outnumbered star Tyger Drew-Honey, Sarah Millican and Doctor Who star Pearl Mackie also appeared on the list.

The final names were reportedly actor Sunil Patel, radio presenter Jordan North, former professional footballer Jermaine Jenas and EastEnders star Shona McGarty.

Meanwhile Death In Paradise actor Ralf Little has also been rumoured to be joining the lineup.

When contacted about the alleged list, Strictly representatives at the BBC told MailOnline that celebrity contestants for this series will be announced in due course

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2024-08-01T10:49:56Z