The personal turmoil surrounding Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty has reportedly extended beyond his family and into his friendship circle, with claims a close friend was left feeling 'betrayed' and 'broken' after being uninvited from Peaty's recent wedding.
A Friendship Fractured Before the Big Day
Peaty married television personality Holly Ramsay, daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, in a ceremony at Bath Abbey on Saturday, December 27, 2025. The event was notably missing several of Peaty's family members, following a publicised feud with his mother, Caroline.
It has now been reported that fellow Team GB swimmer Michael Gunning, a friend and former training partner of Peaty's, was also uninvited from the nuptials. A source told The Sun that Gunning 'never would have seen this coming' and that Peaty's actions had 'broken us all'.
Following the reports, Michael Gunning shared a reflective social media post, stating he had been 'dropped by friends and left broken by them' as he looked back on the year. It is alleged the snub came after Gunning remained close to Peaty's mother, Caroline, during the family's wedding drama.
The Saudi Arabia Deal That Cut Deep
This wedding invitation controversy is said to be the second major blow to the friendship. According to reports, Gunning first felt a profound sense of betrayal in 2024 when Peaty's swim academy, AP Race, expanded its operations into Saudi Arabia.
Michael Gunning, who came out as gay in 2018 and is recognised as the UK's first openly gay, mixed-race competitive swimmer, is a vocal advocate for LGBT+ rights. Same-sex relations are illegal in Saudi Arabia, with punishments that can include the death penalty.
'Michael fights so hard for LGBT rights, so the Saudi Arabia move was a dagger to the heart,' a source claimed. 'It left him feeling devastated and betrayed. Many of those within the swimming community were so upset to not have Michael part of the AP Race team anymore.'
Since AP Race's acquisition of the Wave Swimming Academy in Saudi Arabia in August 2024, Gunning has reportedly ceased his role as an outspoken ambassador for the brand.
Family Estrangement and Cryptic Messages
The fallout with his friend mirrors Peaty's strained relationship with his family. His mother, Caroline, was disinvited from the wedding, and his father, Mark, was reportedly told he could attend but had to 'sit at the back'.
On New Year's Eve, Caroline Peaty shared cryptic posts that appeared to reference the rift. One stated, 'I lost a piece of myself this year that I will never get back,' while she concluded she would be 'praying for peace... the kind that lets me breathe without fighting for it.'
Speaking to MailOnline just before the wedding, Caroline expressed her deep hurt: 'I don’t think they understand how much they have hurt me; it’s as if they have cut my heart out.'
The combined reports paint a picture of significant personal conflict for the gold medalist, impacting both familial and long-standing professional friendships in the lead-up to one of his life's milestone events.
