Michael Gunning, Adam Peaty's former GB teammate, has spoken publicly about the end of their friendship, insisting there is "no bitterness" between them. The pair were once close, but their relationship reportedly soured, with Gunning said to have been uninvited from Peaty's wedding to Gordon Ramsay's daughter Holly last year.
Therapy helped process the pain
Now 32, Gunning has revealed he is happy for Peaty, though he admits he has been in therapy to help him process the pain of people leaving his life. "I have so many happy memories, and I wouldn't be where I am today without having him as a friend," Gunning said.
"I've always found it hard when people leave, and that's probably why I've never been in a relationship, but therapy has helped me process that better and understand that people come and go from your life, and you've just got to be grateful for the time you had with them."
The friendship's breakdown
The pair were best mates and trained together as part of Team GB, although Gunning went on to represent Jamaica later in his career and narrowly missed out on making the Olympics. His closeness and loyalty to Peaty's estranged mum Caroline was said to be the final straw for Peaty, who struck Gunning off the invite list when he wed Holly in December.
At the time, sources told The Sun: "Michael is feeling very hurt by the couple, especially Adam, given how publicly supportive he was of Adam when he went through a rough time in 2023. Given how close they once were, Michael never would have seen this coming."
Family fallout and moving forward
Gunning was not the only person caught up in Peaty's family fallout. His sister Bethany was the only member of the Peaty family to attend the wedding - and now she too has cut ties with him. Earlier this week, it was revealed that she had stopped speaking to Peaty after messages telling him she was expecting a baby girl - just like Peaty and Holly - went unanswered.
The Ramsay family have thrown their support behind Peaty, 31, as he continues to compete in the run-up to the birth of his second child, his first with Holly, but sources say Bethany was left feeling "used and upset" by the snub. Gunning, meanwhile, appears to have made peace with the breakdown of their friendship, wishing Peaty, Holly and their unborn child all the best. "I have no bitterness, and I genuinely wish him, Holly and their baby daughter nothing but happiness," he said. "I'll always be grateful for the good memories."
