Tom Daley has admitted that he is no longer a fan of Harry Potter in view of JK Rowling‘s views on Transgender People.

Until recently, the Olympic diver was a big fan of the Harry Potter world and even voted “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” as his favorite book on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio 4 in 2018.

But the gold medal-winning sports star says he has stopped enjoying the books since the author repeatedly expressed her views on the trans community and gender identity issues.

Tom Daley (Photo: John Phillips via Getty Images)

“I loved JK Rowling’s books,” he said The times“But it always leaves a little…” At this point, according to the newspaper, he seemed to want to say “bad taste.”

The 26-year-old also acknowledged the support he received from the author after evangelical Christians took to Twitter to claim he had made a bad jump at the 2016 Olympics because he is gay.

“So the thing is, she has stood up for me in the past,” he said, adding that he was grateful for it at the time.

“But then what she said about transgender people… It’s one of the hardest things to understand, how transgender people think and feel, because she’s never had that experience, just like white people trying to understand the black experience will never understand.”

JK Rowling (Photo: Stuart C. Wilson via Getty Images)

Tom said he would now change his Desert Island Disc book selection and A New Earth by Eckhart Tollea “spiritual manifesto” about a life without anger, jealousy and unhappiness.

When asked what he would say to Rowling if they met in person, he replied: “It’s difficult because I’m not a person who likes conflict, but I have strong views and convictions.

“I think it would be more of a conversation than a war of words. I always try to listen and understand first, and then I try to share my point of view and opinion and show how things (said) can hurt other people to get the best result.”

Last week, Graham Norton deleted his Twitter account after His comments on so-called “cancel culture” at the Cheltenham Literature Festival went viral.

​“That’s the wrong word,” Graham explained. “I think the word should be ‘accountability.'”

“John Cleese has been very public about what you’re not allowed to say recently. And it must be very hard to be a man of a certain age who has been able to say whatever he wants for years and now suddenly you have to be held accountable for it.”

He added: “Freedom of speech is possible, but it is not without consequences. I am aware of what I say.”

The interviewer then brought up JK Rowlingwhom Graham did not name in his response.

“I feel weird about it because if I’m asked about it, I become part of that discussion,” he said. “And I’m also painfully aware that my voice doesn’t contribute anything to that discussion. And I’m kind of embarrassed that I’m somehow being dragged into it.”

“If people want to bring these issues to light – and I hope they do – then they need to talk to transsexuals. To the parents of transsexual children. To doctors, to psychiatrists, to anyone who can shed some light on this.

Graham’s comments received a wave of support onlinewith many praising the way he addressed the “cancel culture” debate, especially with regard to sensitive topics.

However, it wasn’t long before Rowling sharply criticized his remarks on Twitter, claiming that “bearded men” had opinions.

Retweet a post by Sänger Billy Bragg in support of Graham, the Harry Potter The author tweeted to her 14 million followers on Thursday: “I’m really enjoying the fact that so many bearded men are confidently getting on their podiums lately to define what a woman is and supporting rape and death threats against those who dare to disagree.”

“You can mock, but it takes real courage to come out as a prophet of the Old Testament.”

Help and Support:

• The Gender Trust supports everyone affected by gender identity | 01527 894 838

• Mermaids offers information, support, friendship and shared experiences for young people with gender identity issues | 0208 1234819

• LGBT Youth Scotland is the largest LGBT youth and community organisation in Scotland. Text 07786 202 370

• Gires provides information for transsexuals, their relatives and the professionals who care for them | 01372 801554

• Depend provides support, advice and information for anyone who knows or is related to a transgender person in the UK

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.

Related…