Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has sparked controversy after failing to acknowledge Olympian Adam Peaty's estranged family in a glowing social media tribute to the couple's recent wedding. Ramsay's post, which described the day as "perfect", came amid a bitter family rift that saw Peaty's mother uninvited from the ceremony.
A Wedding Overshadowed by Family Strife
Adam Peaty, 31, married Holly Ramsay, 25, at Bath Abbey on Saturday, December 27. The lavish event was notably missing most of the swimmer's family. His mother, Caroline, was not in attendance after being uninvited, and his sister Bethany was the only relative from his side to witness the nuptials. The absence cast a long shadow over the celebrations, which were otherwise filled with high-profile guests including David and Victoria Beckham.
On Tuesday, Gordon Ramsay, 59, took to Instagram to comment on a Vogue magazine photograph of the newlyweds. He wrote: "Perfect wedding and such wonderful guests to witness your beautiful wedding congratulations to you both." The post made no reference to the Peaty family, focusing instead on the couple and the other attendees.
The Explosive Speech and the Fallout
Reports suggest the TV chef did reference the family situation during his father-of-the-bride speech. According to sources, Ramsay told his daughter Holly how beautiful she looked and informed Adam he was a "lucky man". He then reportedly added, "Look at Tana and that's what you have to look forward to," in a nod to his own wife's maternal role.
It is claimed he followed this with a pointed remark to Holly: "Shame you don't have the same," interpreted as a dig at Adam's absent parents. Adam's mother, Caroline, believes the comment was "pre-planned" and deliberately cruel. A family source told the Daily Mail the remark made Caroline "sound like a bad mum" and that she was left feeling "outraged and very hurt".
In contrast, Adam Peaty appeared to sidestep the family drama in his own speech. He is thought to have praised his swim coach, Mel Marshall, for being his "everything", and for "grounding and inspiring" him. In an emotional moment, he reportedly said he saw Mel "like a mum" due to her unwavering support.
Defence and Further Division
Holly Ramsay has since defended her father's speech. In an interview with British Vogue, she shared a photo from the moment and said she felt "overwhelmed with the love and the happiness on our guests' faces". In a further move that highlighted the divide, Holly revealed her parents, Gordon and Tana, paid for the couple's honeymoon to Mauritius as a wedding present.
Meanwhile, Adam's mother Caroline, speaking from the family home in Staffordshire, expressed her profound grief. "I'm not going to be hurt like this again," she stated, having previously said she felt as if Holly and Adam "have cut my heart out". The tension was further underscored when Adam received a devastating text message from his uninvited aunt just before the ceremony, wishing him shame for the pain caused to his mother.
The wedding itself was a meticulously planned affair, with Gordon Ramsay heavily involved in designing the menu via London's Savoy Grill. Holly, the first of Ramsay's six children to marry, noted her father was often emotional in the lead-up to the big day.
