Adam Peaty didn’t hold back about his more negative traits in his 2021 autobiography where he details growing up ‘on the poverty line’ and his rage about inequality
17:57, 19 Nov 2025Updated 21:14, 19 Nov 2025
Adam Peaty made claims in his book(Image: Getty Images)
Adam Peaty may have scored as many headlines as he has medals following the dramatic rupture between he and fiancee Holly Ramsay and his mum Caroline Peaty, but self awareness isn’t something he’s lacking in either.
Adam Peaty has finally spoken out following reports of a family feud, but writing in his 2021 autobiography, The Gladiator Mindset, Adam admits to the flaws in his character and how it impacts his loved ones. Referencing being ‘super focused’ on his swimming career he says, “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, 30, who is set to wed Holly – daughter of Michelin starred chef Gordon – in Bath next month, is surprisingly candid in his book about his shortcomings dubbing himself a ‘selfish athlete’ admitting how it can sometimes appear as if he lacks empathy.
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The duo are set to marry next month(Image: INSTAGRAM)
Adam’s mum wasn’t invited to Holly’s hen do, but Victoria Beckham was
The family feud erupted two weeks ago when Adam’s aunt, Louise Williams, criticised Ramsay, 25, for not inviting his mum to her hen party which Victoria Beckham also attended. It also appeared that she’d been uninvited from the upcoming nuptials.
Tensions continued to simmer with claims Caroline offended the bride-to-be by wanting to wear cream on the wedding day before reports Adam’s brother, James Peaty was arrested over allegations he sent threats to Adam on his stag do.
Things reached boiling point when Caroline gave an explosive interview where she revealed Adam was “in Gordon Ramsay’s clutches” adding how she spent Adam’s childhood taking him to swimming training.
Caroline and Adam Peaty have had a big falling out(Image: @cazliz123/X)
Reports claim that Adam’s brother James – who was initially asked to be a groomsman at his wedding was left ‘fuming’ after Adam detailed his drug addiction in the book. While his aunt has revealed the fallout has Caroline “broken”, blasting the saga “s*** show.”
It now seems the only family member Adam speaks to is his sister Bethany, who remains as the only one set to attend the wedding next month. He also included his sister in a statement online.
In his first post since the feud began, he said: “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, 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.”
In a show of solidarity, his wife-to-be Holly also shared the post on her social media to her 400,000 followers.
Adam even admits in his book that he sees himself as having “a bit of a split personality” that one side of him is “unpleasant to be around.” He puts this down to his ruthless ambition with his sport and what it takes to make it in competitive swimming.
It clearly paid off though, he broke 14 world records and remains the world record holder in both 50m and 100m breaststroke. He went on to star on Strictly in 2021 which is where he met Holly whose sister Tilly was also competing in the dance show that year. The glitzy world of showbiz, is a world away from Adam’s more humble upbringing in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire as one of four growing up on the ‘poverty line.’
Caroline thinks her relationship with her son is finished(Image: Instagram)
Adam Peaty with his parents
He dreamed of a bigger life and battled against feeling guilty that his mum had to fill up the car with petrol to take him on the 40 minute journey to swimming training. He says: “I wanted my mum to drive a nice car, I wanted my parents to earn more money, I wanted to say that we had been somewhere exotic for our summer holidays.”
Adam is surprisingly open about the resentment he felt growing up, in an interview with The Guardian, he said, “That relationship with suffering has driven me since I was a kid. I am working class – but millions of people in this country are also working class. They live paycheck to paycheck and can’t have luxury things. I was in a larger family with two brothers and one sister, so you had to fight for what you had and because I was the youngest I always had hand-me-downs. I don’t want to sound too harsh on my parents because they did so much for me.”
With reports his father-in-law to be is helping him to launch a million-pound empire, any struggles with money seems like a distant memory. Adam adds, “What that inequality spawned in me as a kid was an iron determination to do well and rise above my circumstances. The anger was a raw form of ambition embedded in me by my experience of wanting more.”
The Gladiator Mindset By Adam Peaty is out now published by Quercus Publishing.
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