The Olympic gold medal-winning diver, Jack Laugher, has revealed that he is part of a group of British athletes who have signed up to the raunchy online platform OnlyFans to help fund their Paris dream.
“Yes, I try and make extra money,” Laugher said. “Obviously, I’ve got something people want, and I’ll happily cash in on that. I’m a bit of a hustler and I want a bit more money if I can.”
Users can post images of themselves on what is an adult-only platform, with Laugher’s home page showing him seated on a sofa with a union jack pillow and just a tiny pair of black swimming trunks.
Subscription to Laugher’s personal page – which stresses that there will be no nudity – costs $10 per month, although loyal fans can buy a year of content at a reduced annual price of $102.
Noah Williams, who will partner Team GB’s opening ceremony flag bearer Tom Daley in the 10m synchronised platform at the Paris Olympics, is another diver who posts on the site, while tennis player Nick Kyrgois has also signed up, albeit with a fully clothed photograph.
Laugher, who is 29 and will compete in two diving events in Paris, has been among the world’s best for more than a decade but earns no prize money in the Olympics despite his previous three medals.
Users can choose what they post on OnlyFans, but the site more widely includes sexually explicit images and concerns have been raised at the degree to which children are protected from the 18+ platform. But UK Aquatics are aware of content being posted by their divers and are understood to be relaxed about the situation.
OnlyFans says that it hosts numerous professional sports people and Laugher confirmed that other divers joined in after hearing about the earning potential. “I was the first person to do it in our team,” he said. “Dad was saying to me, ‘You put stuff out on Instagram for free – but when the product is free, like Instagram is, you are the product’. So now I’m giving people stuff which is very similar to what I post online, but it’s for a small subscription fee.
“There’s loads of us – not just me and Noah – [but] myself and Noah are the big two right now on it. All of us are in the same position. It’s actually quite nice to all be on board together. And I’ve had other athletes from other nations message me.
“I love what I do and I love this sport and I’m so grateful for the position. But who doesn’t like a bit more money? I understand that people might look at it negatively. I understand the way it’s perceived. I get it. But I know what I’m doing. I’m comfortable with what I’m doing. It clearly states on my profile there is no nudity. I’m not trying to put anyone in a bad light and not kind of making myself out to be something I’m not.”
Athletics is the only sport awarding prize-money at this year’s Olympics ($50,000 per gold) despite the billions that the International Olympic Committee generates in broadcast and commercial revenues. As an athlete with Olympic podium potential, Laugher does annually receive £28,000 in funding domestically, largely from the proceeds of the National Lottery.
“Just like most Olympic sports, there isn’t a lot of money in diving,” said Laugher. “We’ve all just seen Wimbledon. The prize pot for winning that is extraordinary. If you go out in the first round you get more than I make in a whole year as a funded athlete.
“The funding [in diving] hasn’t changed. When I first went on [in 2011], it was £21,000 for the top eight in the world. And at the time, as a 16-year-old, I was buzzing. But I’m almost 30 now, I’m top three in the world, and it is £28,000 a year, which is obviously a very good salary. It’s a very liveable one. I’m in such a lucky, lucky position.
“British sport, because of the funding that we have, is at the level we’re at now. But it’s not a commonly perceived sporting salary, as it were. When I was younger, my dad would say, ‘If you win an Olympic gold medal, that’s worth £1 million’. But it’s not. It’s nowhere near that – and I can tell you that as someone who has got an Olympic gold medal.
“I’ve done underwear modelling calendars. I’ll do anything to hustle for some more money. It’s a really, really good way for me to make some extra cash and just try and set myself up for the future a little bit. I’ve never had to do a job, to work at a supermarket or anything.
“I’ve got friends that are at University having to work jobs in bars until 3am in the morning and having to come and then trying to be an Olympian. We all know it’s tight right now and it is difficult.”
Laugher stressed that he is careful to regulate what he posts and says that his experience of the platform has been positive. “If you want to subscribe to it you can and it’s a bit more of a community feel, rather than Instagram being a bit cold and a bit stale, just posting pictures,” he said.
“When people are willing to just give that little tiny bit, I know that they’re actual fans of me as a diver and what I give. I’ve always liked modelling and I’m about a foot too short to be a proper underwear model – probably about five out of 10 missing on the scale of how good-looking I am as well. But I’ve always liked doing it. I like to show myself off.”
Laugher, who won gold and silver in Rio followed by a bronze in Tokyo across the 3m individual springboard and synchronised events, will again compete in both events in Paris. He will be supported by his mum and brother among others after family and friends were unable to travel to the Covid-affected Games of 2021 in Tokyo.
“If I look all the way back to being in London 12 years ago, I have changed massively,” he said. “I’m a lot more rounded and a lot more complete as an athlete and as a person. I’ve changed a lot of my lifestyle, and I’m extremely comfortable with where I am. I’m always so, so happy and so honoured to be able to represent my country.”
“We are proud to support all of the athletes who join our platform,” said a spokesperson for OnlyFans. “A significant number of professional and amateur athletes across a wide range of sports have joined OnlyFans to help them to pursue their sporting goals by monetising their content, offering their fans access to exclusive content and behind-the-scenes insights.”
Source Agencies
