‘He’s playing the woe is me card’: Adam Peaty’s family hits back

The bitter feud between Adam Ramsay-Peaty and his estranged family escalated on Monday after his interviews at the Commonwealth Games sparked renewed anger.

The swimmer appeared to be referring to his estrangement from parents Caroline and Mark when he alluded to the ‘s***’ he had been through this year, which he blamed for a tired display in his specialist event, winning a bronze medal instead of the expected gold.

Hours later, a relative hit back, saying: ‘The hurt you feel over a medal does not compare to the hurt you have caused your mother.’

The three-time Olympic champion was supported in Glasgow by his wife Holly Ramsay, 26, who is pregnant with their first child – with their relationship having apparently been the cause of his fallout with his wider family.

These Games represent the first time his parents, from Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, have not been poolside cheering him on at a major event, with them reportedly being excluded from watching him compete.

A family source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Daily Mail: ‘Adam is playing the blame game now. The “woe is me” card’.

After Adam Ramsay-Peaty’s blamed the ‘s***’ he had been through this year for a tired display in his specialist event, an anonymous family source said: ‘To blame us for your failure is not right Adam… Don’t blame your family for your bronze’

The three-time Olympic champion was expected to win a gold medal in the 100m breaststroke final, but he came in third place and got bronze

In a stark message to the swimmer, they went on: ‘Just take accountability for your own actions for once, Adam, instead of blaming us.

‘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.

‘You made comments to friends that we would try and disrupt your games. We haven’t been there. To blame us for your failure is not right Adam.

‘Don’t blame your family for your bronze. You need to look closer to home and in the mirror.’

They added: ‘You are having a crisis of conscience. Shame on you all. Blame yourself for isolating yourself from the support network that has been there since you were born.’

The insider said: ‘We love you Adam, that’s all we have done, and are proud of what you have achieved but we don’t like who you have become.

‘You became famous. You met Holly and you changed.’

Adam’s remarks apparently blaming his former loved ones for his bronze also caused a backlash against him on social media.

The 31-year-old had hoped to win gold in the 100m breaststroke on Saturday night at the Tollcross International Centre in Glasgow, but came third to winner Australian Sam Williamson, 28, and runner up, 18-year-old Filip Nowacki from Jersey.

In the interview after his defeat, a visibly upset Adam acknowledged the family feud and said the fallout ‘has taken its toll’.

‘It’s hard because I know how hard I’ve worked,’ he said. ‘I know the s**t I’ve been through, which is no fault of my own. It does take a toll.’

Adam at Buckingham Palace in 2017, with his now estrangement parents, Caroline and Mark, where he was an awarded an MBE in honour of his gold medal win at the Rio Olympics 

Team England’s President, Olympian cyclist Laura Kenny, praised Adam for being so emotional and vulnerable after missing out on gold in the 100m breaststroke final

The following day, he spoke to Team England’s President, Olympian cyclist Laura Kenny, who commended him for being so emotional and vulnerable after missing out on gold in the 100m breaststroke final.

Seemingly referencing Adam hinting at his family fallout, Laura praised him for giving ‘the most personal interview’ she’d ever heard him do. 

Fighting back tears, Adam then gave Laura a heartfelt interview, too, admitting that he’d become more emotional since becoming a father. The swimmer shares five-year-old son George with ex, Eirianedd Munro, and is expecting a daughter with Holly Ramsay. 

Adam began: ‘Thank you firstly, you’re making me emotional again. Tell you what, it’s what it’s like being parents, isn’t it?

‘I think for me, I said it over there, you know, people congratulate me doing the heats. I’m like, what for? It’s just my job, right?

‘But actually I think sometimes we do forget and sometimes we do forget the importance of sport.

‘And for me actually just, you know, showing up this morning and doing a job, that was just the process, right?

‘And then tonight was a little bit different. I added a little bit of a layer on top of that. But to get from this morning to tonight was actually a postmortem.

He continued: ‘And yes we lost the battle yesterday, yes, it hurt a lot. But actually that was because of the expectation upon myself when really I’m just at the start of this new canvas of being. 

The Olympic champion was supported at the Games by his wife, Holly Ramsay, who is expecting their first child 

Adam later took to Instagram to reflect on his time in the compeтιтion. 

Sharing a snap of himself in the pool and a sweet snap with Holly, he penned: ‘A proud moment for me after a monumental effort to climb back from the Olympics two years ago. 

‘But as we know, sport is cruel, it’s the same reason that it’s beautiful. But why do it? I still love standing on the blocks, hearing the roar of the crowd, fighting inch by inch in every stroke, putting myself on the line, and, because I’m not finished. 

‘Ultimately, I know these are the stories I will be telling my children and their children.’

He called his bronze medal a ‘bittersweet moment’, yet acknowledged that his story can’t always be ‘filled with glory, victory and gold’.

Adam continued: ‘To the people out there who want to hurt me and my family with comments, I have seen this story thousand times with other athletes from many sports. 

‘We are athletes, doing something we love and that is our deepest pᴀssion. 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.’

The roots of the family conflict go back to 2024, when Adam and Holly snubbed wider members of the Peaty family by not inviting them to their engagement party and wedding.

His mum Caroline, who spent years ferrying her son to early-morning training sessions, was also not invited to Holly’s glamorous hen do.

Then, months later, Adam, broke his silence on the feud as he insisted there are ‘two sides to every story’ in a statement he posted on Instagram

The swimmer’s strained relationship with his parents has clearly taken its toll on Adam, as he was overcome with emotion after the result.

The swimmer’s strained relationship with his parents has clearly taken its toll on Adam, as he was overcome with emotion after the result

He added in his post-swim interview: ‘I’m never afraid to show emotion. It’s important because it helps create stronger people, stronger men, stronger fathers and stronger husbands.

‘This cycle especially, I’ve worked harder than ever. To get a result like that hurts because I know I’m better than that.

‘It’s still very raw. I honestly feel like I deserve more. There’s a lot of thinking to do, but it’s too early to draw any conclusions.

‘Maybe it was just an off swim. Maybe it’s because I’ve been away from championship racing for two years. I honestly don’t know.

‘What’s the point of all the 5.30am starts? What’s the point of all the metres every single day? What’s the point of being exhausted all the time, or missing family events because you have to train?’

Adam – competing under his new name of Ramsay-Peaty – added: ‘It has to mean something. For me, that means striving for excellence, and today wasn’t excellence. That’s where the emotion comes from.

‘The choices I’ve made over the last few months have been difficult. At the same time, I’m proud that I got here and that I didn’t quit after Paris [Olympics]. I know I deserve more, and I know I can work for it.

‘It’s been two years since I’ve raced heats, semis and finals, so maybe it’s just an adjustment. It’s too early to know what I’m capable of at this stage, but I’m a fighter.

‘We’ve got another opportunity at the Europeans in two weeks, and I do enjoy a scrap. I lost that scrap today, but that’s sport. Most of the time I’ve won those battles – this time I didn’t.’

He continued: ‘Over the last couple of months I’ve had to make some hard decisions so I could focus on doing my job.

‘I’ve had to ignore a lot of the rubbish people write online. Enough is enough. This goes beyond sport. It’s about being decent people. We all have to do better.

‘My wife will always be proud of me. As a father, it doesn’t matter whether you come home with a gold medal, as long as you come home. That’s what really matters.’

Following the race and his comments, Adam took to Instagram to share images from the race alongside a lengthy caption reading: ‘My 50th International Championship Medal’

Greg Rutherford calls out Adam Peaty after he blamed family fallout for Commonwealth Games defeat

Adam’s remarks apparently blaming his former loved ones for his bronze caused a backlash on social media. And his allusion to ‘rubbish written online’ did nothing to quiet his social media critics.

One wrote: ‘He has behaved disgracefully to his family. All to have the Ramsay name. What an idiot.’

Another posted: ‘Oh please, you could make up with your family if you really wanted to. You’re choosing not too.

‘I’m not sure if Holly is behind you not making up with your parents.

‘Remember, you are the swimmer you are today from their love, support and encouragement. I think you need to remember where you came from and stop being so awful to your parents.’

Echoing the same sentiments, another penned: ‘He needs to think long and hard as to who was in his corner at all the training sessions, taking him here, there and everywhere.

‘The sacrifice that was made to get him to where he was. He has turned his back on his family and it is affecting his mindset to compete.’

One added: ‘Isn’t it odd how some men have a perfect happy relationship with their parents and family, then along comes a woman and they drop their parents and family who have always supported them, like they are nothing.

‘It is very sad indeed. He is going to live to regret it. I can guarantee.’

Adam is now gearing up to defend his men’s 50m breaststroke тιтle when the final takes place on Monday night. 

He will have to close the gap to South Africa’s Michael Houlie, while also competing against 100m breaststroke gold and silver medallists, Sam Williamson and Filip Nowacki.