Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has publicly doubled down on his controversial father-of-the-bride speech, describing it as 'perfect and warm', despite reports it left the groom's mother feeling 'outraged' and 'hurt'.
The TV personality made the comments during an appearance on ITV's This Morning on Monday alongside his younger daughter, Tilly, 24. He was reflecting on the wedding of his daughter Holly, 26, to former Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty, 31, which took place at Bath Abbey on December 27.
The Speech and the Fallout
The lavish ceremony and reception at the upmarket Kin House venue occurred against a backdrop of a bitter family rift. Adam Peaty's mother, Caroline, was notably uninvited from the proceedings.
According to reports, during his speech, Ramsay told his new son-in-law he was a 'lucky man' and remarked on Holly's beauty. He is then alleged to have made a pointed comment, telling Holly, 'Shame you don't have the same', in an apparent reference to Adam's absent parents. He also reportedly said that by looking at his wife Tana, Adam could see 'what you have to look forward to'.
A source close to Caroline Peaty told the Daily Mail she was 'horrified' and believed the jibe was 'pre-planned', 'cruel', and 'very hurtful'. The comment about Tana reportedly made Caroline, who was not present, 'sound like a bad mum'.
Ramsay's Unwavering Defence
On This Morning, however, Ramsay stood firm. 'The speech was perfect, it went well,' he told hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley. He described the task of giving the speech as a 'tough gig', requiring warmth and emotion.
His daughter Tilly backed him up, revealing she had heard a rehearsal on Christmas Eve. 'No tweaks were needed, it was perfect. It made everybody cry,' she said.
Bride Holly Ramsay has also defended her father. In an interview with British Vogue, she said she felt 'overwhelmed with happiness' listening to his words. In a further apparent nudge at the Peaty family estrangement, she revealed her parents paid for the couple's honeymoon to Mauritius as a wedding present.
A Deep-Rooted Family Rift
The conflict predates the wedding. Adam Peaty's mother, Caroline, who supported his early swimming career, was also not invited to Holly's hen do at Soho Farmhouse. She told the Mail on Sunday she felt as if the couple 'have cut my heart out'.
On the wedding day, Caroline, who considered attending anyway, stayed at home in Staffordshire after her husband Mark advised it would be 'too upsetting'. Had she gone, she would have encountered security at the abbey doors.
Only Adam's sister, Beth, attended from his immediate family as a bridesmaid. His father, Mark, was reportedly told he could attend but would have to sit 'behind the plus ones'.
In a sign of the deep alienation, Adam's aunt sent him a devastating text message moments before the ceremony, expressing hope he would never suffer the pain he had caused his mother. Adam has since changed his social media name to Adam Ramsay Peaty.
Despite the controversy, Holly shared joyful images from the day, including a father-daughter dance she called 'so special', and confirmed their first dance was to George Michael's 'A Different Corner'.
