Fred Sirieix's sweet bond with daughter Andrea as she wins Olympic bronze

Fred Sirieix had the ultimate proud dad moment as he watched his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix win bronze at the Paris Olympics.

Team GB star Spendolini-Sirieix and her diving partner Lois Toulson won their medals for the women’s synchronised 10m platform event, with First Dates star Sirieix – who has been signed up as the BBC's new sports reporter for the Olympic Games – looking on from one of the best seats in the house.

Sirieix described himself as "bursting with pride" and looked tearful as his daughter realised she had won an Olympic medal. Fans were delighted for both of them as their emotional moment aired on the BBC's Olympics coverage – here's all you need to know about their special bond and high-profile careers.

Fred Sirieix in tears as Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix wins Olympic bronze

It was an emotional moment for proud dad Fred Sirieix on Wednesday as he watched his daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix win an Olympic bronze medal in his native France. The reality TV star said there were "many tears" following his daughter's incredible achievement.

Sirieix is serving as a BBC sports reporter at the Paris Olympics, where the French star is also supporting his daughter who is a Team GB diver.

On Wednesday morning, she and diving partner Lois Toulson secured the bronze medal for the women’s synchronised 10m platform event. And of course, Sirieix was there watching.

He was shown looking tearful at the Olympic pool and later posted on X: "What emotions! What a beautiful moment! How many tears!!!! I’m bursting with pride, joy and happiness. Well done and congrats @andreassirieix and @LoisToulson."

Spendolini-Sirieix and Toulson had a hard-fought battle in the event, where at one point they were in fifth place. However, Toulson said: "We knew our last two dives were the hardest degree of difficulty, so if we got those down we’d be back up at the top. We never gave up or thought it was over, we really kept pushing."

Spendolini-Sirieix added: "First off we didn’t look at the scoreboard, so we didn’t actually know how close it was. But our back twist, as Lois has said, a lot of times is our strongest dive and we just wanted to be strong on our last dive, finish strong. Whatever happened I was proud to represent Great Britain alongside Lois."

Fans react to Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson's bronze

People have been celebrating another medal for Team GB at the Paris Olympics - as well as enjoying the special family moment for Sirieix. One person wrote on X: "Awwwww that is toooo cute that makes sense why he was watching on the sidelines awww." While another fan commented that it was a "special moment".

Someone else watching added: "It was brilliant. That final dive was stunning. Nerves of steel." Another wrote: "They held their nerve. So gutsy, so cool."

Congratulating Sirieix, one fan commented: "So happy for her you must be so proud. Dad bragging rights for at least the next year. To have so much success so young she's amazing."

Another viewer wrote: "Congratulations to them both. You are rightly bursting with joy and pride." Someone else added: "The most incredible proud Dad moment for you! Both Andrea and Lois were incredible - what a dynamic duo! Many congratulations."

What has Fred Sirieix said about his daughter?

The TV star is hugely proud of his diver daughter, who took part in the Tokyo Olympics aged just 16 where she reached the 10m platform final.

Spendolini-Sirieix went on to become world junior, two-time European senior, two-time Commonwealth Games and two-time national senior champion in 2022 for the 10m platform and 10m synchronised platform events and in 2018 she was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year.

Talking to Aimee Fuller’s Monday Mile podcast, dad Sirieix said: "She’s got a will of iron, her mind is just incredible."

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, Sirieix told the Radio Times: "I’ll be at the pool, watching Andrea, not working, I don’t want to comment on my daughter diving. It’s too close to my heart. I’ll be speaking and commentating post-event, when everything’s done. I want to enjoy it. Regardless of what happens, there will be tears."

Meanwhile, his Olympian daughter previously told the BBC: "Every competition I do, my family's always in my heart. I always do my best to make them proud. He's just my dad. I don't really see him as Fred Sirieix the maître d', I don't see him as anything other than my dad."

Who is Fred Sirieix?

Sirieix, who is from Limoges, France moved to London to work in the city's top Michelin-starred restaurants - but found fame on the Channel 4 series First Dates. He is known for welcoming singles to the First Dates restaurant as the maitre d' and introducing them to their dates, while offering viewers his advice on love.

The TV star, who has worked at restaurants including Le Gavroche, Brasserie Roux and Galvin at Windows, went on to land further broadcasting work including Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip, a travel and food series with Gordon Ramsay and Gino D'Acampo.

His other TV appearances include Remarkable Places to Eat, Snackmasters, Celebrity Gogglebox, Ultimate Wedding Planner as well as being a contestant in the 2023 series of I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!

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This article originally appeared on Yahoo TV UK at https://uk.news.yahoo.com/fred-sirieix-andrea-spendolini-olympics-124749863.html