The upcoming wedding of Olympic champion Adam Peaty and influencer Holly Ramsay should be a joyous celebration of their shared Christian faith, but a developing family dispute has cast a shadow over their nuptials.
From addiction to devotion
Both Peaty and Ramsay have been remarkably open about their difficult journeys with alcohol and mental health before finding solace in religion. The couple, who describe themselves as born-again Christians, have incorporated their faith into every aspect of their relationship, including their wedding announcements which featured Bible verses.
Holly Ramsay, 25, marked two years of sobriety in December 2022, sharing on Instagram that she had reached "rock bottom" before deciding to stop drinking alcohol at just 21. Her decision came after developing post-traumatic stress disorder following two sexual assaults when she was 18, which led to her dropping out of university and spending three months at the Nightingale Hospital mental health facility.
During a 2022 Q&A, Holly explained how sobriety had positively impacted her mental health, noting that "cutting out alcohol has made me so much more present" and allowed her to be in control.
Athletic struggles and spiritual awakening
Adam Peaty, 30, experienced his own downward spiral after the 2018 Commonwealth Games, where he suffered a disappointing loss in the 50m race. The swimming champion confessed to reaching his "deepest low" during this period, turning to partying and alcohol when his motivation for swimming disappeared.
In a 2020 interview, Peaty revealed, "When you involve off-season and you involve partying and drinking, that's a depressant in itself, so I was doing that a lot." He described feeling unable to enjoy anything during this difficult time.
The Olympic gold medallist's transformation began after meeting Berlin-based clergyman Pastor Ashley Null in Melbourne. After attending his first sermon in Nottingham upon returning to Europe, Peaty found the spiritual guidance he had been seeking. He now regularly attends an evangelical church and has a cross tattooed on his torso as a permanent symbol of his faith.
Family tensions overshadow wedding plans
Despite their spiritual rebirth, the couple currently faces family challenges as they prepare for their Christmas-time wedding at Bath Abbey. Reports indicate that Peaty's mother, Caroline Peaty, who used to wake at 4am to drive him to swimming training, has been excluded from both Holly's Soho Farmhouse hen do and the wedding itself.
The situation has drawn criticism from family members, including Peaty's aunt Louise Williams, who publicly questioned whether the couple were following Christian teachings about honoring parents. On Instagram, Louise pointedly asked, "Where is 'honour thy mother and thy father', where is the forgiveness?"
Meanwhile, Holly's famous family appear fully involved in wedding preparations, with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay attending the stag do and mother Tana Ramsay joining the hen party celebrations.
The Mirror has contacted representatives for both Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay for comment regarding the family dispute.
