The upcoming wedding of Olympic champion Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, has been overshadowed by a deep and public family rift. With the ceremony just one month away, the majority of the swimmer's family have been disinvited, a situation that reportedly traces its origins back to the couple's engagement party.
The Party That Started It All
Tensions between Adam Peaty and his family are said to have first erupted at the couple's lavish engagement celebration in London last December. The event was attended by the Ramsay family and Adam's mother, Caroline, with whom he is now estranged. The party was filmed for Gordon Ramsay's documentary series, Being Gordon Ramsay, which followed the chef over nine months as he opened new restaurants and navigated his personal life.
According to a source, the festive atmosphere was underpinned by strict rules. Guests were required to sign non-disclosure agreements and hand in their phones due to the filming. It was here that Adam's mother, Caroline, expressed her disappointment that more of the Peaty family had not been invited to the bash.
A Growing Chasm
Caroline Peaty revealed that she texted her future daughter-in-law, Holly, to voice her concerns about the guest list, stating, "You know how important family is to you, as it is to me. My sisters are not coming to the party, they have been there all through Adam's life..." She claimed that "Adam didn't take kindly to me sending that message." Caroline also attempted to reassure Gordon Ramsay at the party that her messages were not intended to be hurtful.
The disagreements did not stop there. Further conflict arose when Caroline discussed her potential wedding attire, specifically her wish to wear a cream dress. The tensions reached a boiling point ahead of Holly's hen party, to which Caroline was not invited. The public criticism from Adam's aunt, Louise Williams, who called the snub "divisive and hurtful," only served to widen the family divide.
Class Divide and Personal History
A source close to the Peaty family has suggested that the underlying tension may stem from the contrast between their working-class background and the affluent world of the Ramsays. Adam was raised in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, as one of four children in a family that he described as living on the 'poverty line'.
His mother, Caroline, made immense sacrifices for his swimming career, waking at 4 am to drive him to training and working full-time as a nursery manager. In past interviews, Adam has been surprisingly open about the resentment he felt growing up, acknowledging a "relationship with suffering" that drove him, while also expressing gratitude for his parents' efforts.
The couple, who met on the set of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021 and announced their engagement in September 2024, will now marry at Bath Abbey on 27 December. It is believed that only Adam's sister, Bethany, has been invited from his immediate family.
In a statement addressing the feud, Adam Peaty said the reporting had been "deeply hurtful and upsetting" and was "encouraged by members of my family." He also referenced an ongoing police investigation into serious matters that arose long before recent events, noting that he, Holly, and Bethany could not go into further detail.
