Concern for ‘crushed’ Adam Ramsay-Peaty as whole family desperately rally to plot next move after ‘beyond brutal’ crisis

THEY fancied themselves as the new Posh and Becks. British swimming ace Adam Peaty and his wife Holly Ramsay seemed well on their way to cementing their place as Britain’s newest commercial power couple. Adam Peaty is said to be ‘crushed’ after his big comeback was left in tatters Credit: Getty Adam broke down in tears during a post-race interview Credit: TNT Sports Sporting a shiny new hyphenated surname, Adam, 31, had hoped for more gold medals on his big comeback at this month’s European Aquatics ­Championships in Paris. But the pool star is instead facing the biggest crisis of his career — after his plans for a triumphant return were left in tatters. The triple Olympic champion won 16 golds in Europe between 2014 and 2020. But the latest contest saw him suffer a series of embarrassing defeats, finishing fifth in the 100m breaststroke and 20th in the 50m — despite him holding the world record for both events. The double blow came just weeks after Adam was beaten by his own 18-year-old protege, Filip Nowacki, at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he broke down in tears during a post-race interview, saying: “I deserved more — I f***ing worked for it.” Within hours of his defeat in Paris, a week-long media blackout descended around the swimmer, who is understood to be “crushed”. And Team Ramsay-Peaty — supported by Holly’s celebrity parents, TV chef Gordon and his author wife Tana — are now said to be desperately regrouping as they plot their next move. A source told The Sun: “The team’s main concern is for Adam. “He knows that sport can be brutal, and that it’s important to come back stronger. “But to have built himself back up again after the disappointment in Glasgow, only to crash out in Paris, is beyond brutal. “The pressure on him as a triple Olympic champion and world-record holder is huge, and this year he also had the pressure of knowing what success in the pool would do for his profile outside of it. “To have fallen short on such a prominent stage has been crushing for him and he is taking some time out. There has been a complete blackout around him for the past week and he is being supported by the close-knit circle around him who will help him work out where he wants to go from here. “There is also lot of thought going into how he and Holly now handle this publicly. I deserved more — I f***ing worked for it, said Adam after his defeat Credit: TNT Sports Team Ramsay-Peaty are now said to be desperately regrouping as they plot their next move Credit: Netflix UK “Adam’s remarks — made on TV in the heat of the moment — were not quite in line with the polished PR face they are trying to present.” Adam’s lacklustre performance in Paris spelled the painful end of an unbeaten run at the European Championships. After finishing eighth in his heat in the 50m breaststroke last Friday, the stunned sportsman told one journalist from Swimming World magazine: “These performances are not good enough at all. Even now I am like, it is so bad that I’m confused.” Since then the star has remained silent, as has his new wife Holly, who is due to give birth to their baby girl in December. The source went on: “Adam’s life has changed beyond recognition in the past few years, but he has maintained a heavy training block which he believed had prepared him for the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships. “Just one month ago he was telling people he was on course for a double gold in Glasgow and that he wanted to prove ‘he’s still got it’. “That’s why losing those races has really shaken him.” Adam — who first competed in the Olympics at Rio 2016 — previously took a break from swimming in 2023 after suffering a “major burnout” in which he later admitted he began to hate the sport which saw him named the Greatest of All Time. Adam and Holly relocated to West London’s upmarket Kensington after their wedding Credit: Splash Adam’s lacklustre performance in Paris spelled the painful end of an unbeaten run at the European Championships Credit: Shutterstock Editorial But he made a comeback in February 2024, before winning silver in the Paris Olympics that year. He and Holly married last December in a lavish ceremony in Bath Abbey, and Adam, who was previously based in the Midlands, relocated to West London’s upmarket Kensington after their wedding. The Olympic ace, who grew up in Uttoxeter, Staffs, previously trained at nearby Repton School before Rio 2016, then at Loughborough University ahead of Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. When his long-time coach Mel Marshall left Loughborough to take up a job in Australia after Paris, Ramsay-Peaty returned to Repton to work with Jamie Main. He is now being coached by Lisa Bates at Chelsea & West-minster Swimming Club, splitting his training between Kensington and the London Aquatics Centre in Stratford. Speaking about the move in March, Adam said: “We just got to that point where I feel like I really outgrew where I was. I’ve been training in the Midlands for 15 years-plus. I’ve spent my whole life there and I wanted a different challenge. It’s just excitement for me. I need a lot of stimulus in my day and London is giving me that every single day.” Adam, who has been devoting more time to his AP Race Clinic business since the move, has also found stimulus in a growing number of lucrative opportunities alongside Holly. He appeared at an AP Race breaststroke clinic for aspiring swimmers this week. The ex-Strictly star — who recently signed to Holly’s influencer agency Hypesight — posed with her in April in a shoot for Coty Paris perfume, echoing images of Victoria and David Beckham’s shoot to promote their signature scent in 2006. The swimming star’s parents were not on the sidelines amid the ongoing feud Credit: x.com/@cazliz123/ Adam’s parents have also not commented on his performance Credit: PA:Press Association The move was said to be the beginning of their new career, with Adam and Holly as the Gen Z Posh and Becks, with more deals to follow. Model Holly — who describes herself as a “digital creator” — supported her husband in Glasgow and was pictured kissing him from the stands after his race. She later wrote online: “Proud. Watching your comeback to championship racing has been inspiring. “It’s not been easy but your determination and faith have never wavered. “Fifty-two International Championship medals is truly incredible. You reminded us what it costs to keep coming back.” Holly is understood to have remained at home last week while Adam competed in Paris. The swimming star’s parents, Caroline and Mark, were also not on the sidelines, and have not commented on his performance amid the bitter ongoing feud engulfing the family. And after he was beaten in Glasgow at the Commonwealth Games, Adam let his frustrations spill out during an interview with the BBC — making a thinly veiled jibe at his blood family over all “the s**t I’ve been through” before claiming he “deserved” the gold. Model Holly — who describes herself as a ‘digital creator’ — supported her husband in Glasgow Credit: Reuters Holly is due to give birth to their baby girl in December Credit: Alamy The tearful star — who had finished third in the 100m breaststroke — said: “I think it’s hard because I know how hard I work — I know the s**t I’ve been through, through no fault of my own, to be honest — but it does take a toll. “Choices I’ve made over the last few months have been hard ones. “I’m happy I could get here, I didn’t quit in Paris, but I deserve more. I f***ing worked for it. “There’s a lot of unanswered questions, but that’s sport — it can break you, it can make you.” However, Adam’s emotional remarks met with a barrage of criticism from commentators and fans, who branded him “arrogant” and “spoilt”. BBC presenter Greg Rutherford, who called him out after the live broadcast, said: “Nobody deserves anything in sport. Everybody works equally hard. “It’s not preordained, just because you are a world record holder or Olympic champion, as he obviously is at the moment.” TalkSport’s Natalie Sawyer added: “It wasn’t the right thing to say.” Defiant Adam later hit back at his critics, insisting boldly: “You can’t hurt me.” But he appeared emotional yet again after finishing third in the 50m breaststroke, telling the BBC: “Nothing makes sense this week.” The source went on: “Adam thought he had hit a real low in Glasgow, but as we now know there was worse to come in Paris. “He has been working so hard — he never expected these races to go how they have. “Since last year he has been aiming for LA in 2028 and was determined to show he could walk away with multiple golds. “But these results point to a different story, and with other doors opening up and a new baby on the way, it is possible he will decide this is the right moment to step back and focus on his family.”