Adam Peaty: Family ‘Ashamed’ After Olympic Success

Adam Peaty has admitted his family were ‘ashamed’ of him and wished he’d spent more time with them after he ‘changed’ following his Olympic success.

The gold medallist, 30, was the first male British swimmer in 24 years to secure the win for the 100m breaststroke at the 2016 Olympics. He retained the title at the Tokyo Olympics five years later. 

Adam came from humble Staffordshire beginnings born to his mother Caroline and father Mark – but his Olympic success propelled him into the world of fame of fortune. 

In September 2024, Adam got engaged to Gordon Ramsay’s daughter Holly, 25, however he found himself at the centre of a media storm last week when a volatile family row surrounding their upcoming wedding was revealed, with his family allegedly claiming he had distanced himself from them after being seduced by fame and the Ramsay clan.

And an excerpt from Adam’s 2021 autobiography The Gladiator Mindset has now been unearthed, in which he very candidly exposes his own flaws and how being ‘super focused’ on his career in swimming impacted relationships.  

He wrote: ‘Some of the closest people to me take it personally and despite my reassurances that I really do care, they think that I’ve changed through success and as a result I am ashamed of them and that I should spend more time with them.’

Adam went on to share that he can sometimes lack ’empathy’ and branded himself a ‘selfish athlete’.

Elsewhere in the book Adam says he has ‘a bit of a split personality’ and goes as far to say that one side of him is ‘unpleasant to be around’.

It comes after Adam broke his silence amid the toxic family rift that has overshadowed his upcoming wedding to fiancée Holly Ramsay. 

The Olympic swimmer took to Instagram on Wednesday as he insisted there are ‘two sides to every story’ and that he, Holly and his sister Bethany ‘will get through’ the ‘challenging times’. 

He penned: ‘For those who know me personally, you know that I work so hard on trying to improve myself as a person who wants to contribute to making the world a better place. 

‘I am continuing to learn about myself and how I can be the man I want to be; a worthy partner, father, businessman, friend and athlete; even through these challenging times. 

‘Bethany [his sister], Holly and I will get through this – we do not ask for sympathy. We just need people to be aware that there are always two sides to every story. 

‘To those of you who have reached out and shown kindness and understanding – thank you. It is deeply appreciated.’ 

He also explained that he cannot go into detail due to ‘an ongoing police investigation into serious matters that arose long before recent events’.  

Last week it was claimed Holly and Adam have banned his mother from their wedding after an astonishing family row over Holly’s failure to invite her future mother-in-law to her hen party.

The influencer daughter of fiery chef Gordon Ramsay welcomed her own mother Tana, family friend Victoria Beckham and Adam’s sister to her pre-nuptial celebrations at the celebrity hotspot Soho Farmhouse.

A source close to Adam’s working-class family claimed the apparent snub happened after the swimmer, who was once close to his mother, had distanced himself from her after being seduced by the fame and glamour of the Ramsays. 

When the row came to light, Adam’s aunt Louise blasted her nephew and his fiancée Holly in a series of Instagram comments, where she also detailed what she claimed was the reason why her sister was not invited to the bride’s hen party.

Over the weekend, Caroline also broke her silence on the rift in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, breaking down in tears as she claimed Holly’s family are ‘pulling him away from her’. You can read the full interview here.

In a post on Instagram, Caroline shared the quote: ‘The moment you realise: The little sister who once drove you crazy is now the one who keeps you sane – your loudest supporter and forever best friend.

‘She eventually becomes the comfort zone which every elder sister secretly needed all along.’

Caroline added the caption: ‘Louise I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my protector through this difficult time x.

‘To the people who are being so cruel to my sister, please stop! Sadly you obviously don’t understand the bond of sisters.’

Adam hunkered down at his father-in-law Gordon’s home after the feud intensified when his brother James was arrested over claims he sent Adam a barrage of verbal threats while the swimmer was celebrating his stag weekend in Budapest.

It’s understood that Adam’s brother James, who works as a builder, was questioned for two days before being released on conditional bail. 

A family source told the Daily Mail: ‘The boys have always been close, and Jamie, who is a builder, even helped Adam renovate his house.

‘They’ve always got on, but Adam has changed with his new celebrity lifestyle and family. 

‘Now James has a potential charge hanging over his head and his parents have the headache of being disinvited and banned from their son’s wedding. 

‘This is so hurtful and distressing for our family.’