Adam Ramsay-Peaty’s mother has appeared to extend an olive branch to her estranged son after his emotional interview at the Commonwealth Games.
The 31-year-old swimmer won bronze in the men’s 100 metre breaststroke in Glasgow, but shared his disappointment at the result when tearfully reflecting on his performance afterwards.
Adam admitted his family feud had ‘taken a toll’ on his career following his marriage to Holly Ramsay-Peaty, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, in December.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist excluded his parents and other relatives from their wedding, with only his sister Bethany present at the ceremony in December.
It was reported that the family falling-out stemmed from Holly not inviting Adam’s mum Caroline to her hen do party, with later social media activities and family comments to press seeing them reportedly ‘banned’ from the big day.
Mum Caroline subsequently claimed that the couple had ‘cut my heart out’, with relations remaining strained.
‘It’s hard because I know how hard I work. I know the s*** I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own, but it does take its toll,’ an upset Adam revealed after winning the bronze medal on Saturday, having been beaten by Australia’s Sam Williamson and 18-year-old Filip Nowacki of Jersey.
Wife Holly had been there to cheer him on in the stands, with the athlete kissing her on the stomach as they are expecting their first child together.
He continued: ‘I’m not crying because it’s bronze instead of gold. I’m crying because I know I am better than that.
‘I feel like I couldn’t have put any more in and that’s where it hurts, because I’m like ‘what’s the point of all the metres every day, what’s the point of being exhausted all the time?’
‘What’s the point of having to say no to family events because you can’t go to training’? It has to mean something and for me it has to be human excellence and that is not excellence for me. So that’s the emotion that is unfortunately coming out.’
Caroline then took to Instagram after Adam’s interview, first sharing a black and white shot of Cillian Murphy from the BBC period drama Peaky Blinders, with the words: ‘I forgive people but that doesn’t mean I accept their behaviour or trust them. I forgive them for me, so I can let go and move on with my life.’
She then posted a statement which read, per The Mirror: ‘We continue to support Adam from afar. He’s our son who we love, whom we supported to reach his aspirations. Our love, our time, our sacrifices were given freely with no expectation of financial reward just genuinely given with the love as any mother and father would do for their child.’
She continued: ‘We are strong, we love and are always there for each other. The very nature of our strength as a family has helped us move past the nastiness, the lies that have been told about us.’
However, a family source speaking to The Daily Mail on Monday painted a different picture, suggesting that not all members of the Peaty family may be as keen for a reconciliation, insisting: ‘The hurt you feel over a medal does not compare to the hurt you have caused your mother.’
The insider claimed that the Olympian was ‘playing the blame game now’ and ‘the “woe is me” card’.
‘Just take accountability for your own actions for once, Adam, instead of blaming us,’ the source hit out with, in a message addressed to the swimmer. ‘The hurt you feel over a medal does not compare to the hurt your mother felt when she said she did not want to be on this planet any more…’
‘The hurt you inflicted on her when you stopped her from seeing her grandson [from a previous relationship] out of spite, who she loves with every fibre of her being, and stopped from watching you marry.’
The source also alleged to the publication that Adam had previously ‘made comments to friends that we would try and disrupt your games’, but as they hadn’t been there, ‘to blame us for your failure is not right’.
‘Don’t blame your family for your bronze. You need to look closer to home and in the mirror.’
The family source suggested that Adam was ‘having a crisis of conscience’ and should ‘blame himself’ for isolating himself from the support network ‘that has been there since you were born’.
They also claimed that becoming famous and meeting Holly had ‘changed him’, adding: ‘We don’t like who you have become.’
Adam also posted an impassioned statement on Instagram on Monday about his performance, calling his bronze medal ‘bittersweet’ as he knew ‘in my soul that I am capable of much more’.
He vowed to ‘keep fighting, learning, adapting and striving for excellence until I can no longer give anymore’.
He then added: ‘To the people out there who want to hurt me and my family with comments, I have seen this story a thousand times with other athletes from many sports. We are athletes, doing something we love and that is our deepest passion. As it’s said, be the change you want to see in the world, and, I want a better world for the next generation of athletes. Love always wins.
‘I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to race again at this level. Thankful for my wife, my friends, my team, and the people in the stands who cheer my name. Racing with my countries’ [sic.] flag on my cap is the greatest honour.’
‘So proud of you, always ❤️,’ commented wife Holly, in response.
The couple first got together in 2023. Adam also shares son George, five, with ex-girlfriend Eirianedd Munro, whom he met while training at Loughborough University.
Metro has contacted reps for Adam Ramsay-Peaty for comment.