Adam Peaty, a shining light for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has opened up about how Gordon Ramsay helped him out of a “deep, dark hole” when he began dating the renowned chef’s daughter.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist, now 29, demonstrated his athletic prowess on the global stage in Rio and Tokyo. Yet, even against this backdrop of success, a series of personal challenges knocked him off track.
A loss at the 2022 Commonwealth Games brought an end to his eight-year winning run and coincided with a painful split from the mother of his son, reports Wales Online.
This difficult time, which the swimmer describes as “three years of hell”, was only eased when he started a relationship with Holly Ramsay, whom he met on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.
Peaty revealed how Ramsay, an eight-Michelin star chef, sparked his return to competitive strength from a life clouded by alcohol and partying. Under Ramsay’s influence, he swam back to being a driven Olympian, according to the Mirror.
He disclosed to The Sunday Times in April 2024, “He [Ramsay] is an incredible energy to be around and an incredible person to have that guidance from. Gordon is a high performer.”
“He worked his way up to the upper echelons of his industry and works in a place where there’s no bulls**t. I take a lot from that and from the professionalism he has every single day with a relentless pursuit.”
“So, when I see that, I’m like, ‘Yeah, why can’t I work like this? Why can’t I do this every single day? Why do I have to be so emotionally engaged with things?”
Peaty and Holly Ramsay confirmed their relationship in June 2023, after starting to date the previous month. By December, they showcased matching tattoos as a mark of their love.
Peaty, who secured his ticket to Paris following a win in the British 100m men’s breaststroke, recording his fastest time since 2021, seems to share a rather friendly banter with his potential future father-in-law. The athlete couldn’t help but laugh when Ramsay threw one of his notorious jibes at him during a chat prior to the Olympics.
Ramsay was curious about Peaty’s plans post-Olympics. Responding to this, the Team GB star didn’t give much away, saying: “Who knows? You’re smiling, I’m not going to give you the pleasure. I’m not going to do it. You’re trapping me.”
The culinary icon from Hell’s Kitchen retorted in his typical colourful language: “You’re full of s**t! You are definitely not retiring. Absolutely, definitely not retiring.”
He even squeezed in another rib-tickling pun, further adding: “Very best of luck. Don’t f*** this up.”
