Tana Ramsay has recalled how she was ‘incredibly happy to meet’ and speak to Adam Peaty’s now-estranged mother ahead of his wedding to Holly Ramsay.
A few days after Christmas last year, the Olympic swimmer, 30, tied the knot with Gordon and Tana’s eldest daughter, 26, in a ceremony at Bath Abbey.
However, in the weeks leading up to their big day, the couple’s celebrations were marred after it emerged that he’d uninvited his mum and several other family members from his wedding, with a war of words then erupting, in which he was brutally claimed to have been ‘changed by money, fame and fortune’.
Eventually responding to the drama, Adam urged people to remember there were ‘two sides to every story’.
Now looking back at that time Tana, 51, has now spoken about how she jumped at the opportunity to praise the Olympian to his mother.
Speaking to Grazia, she explained: ‘I remember saying to Adam’s mum when I met her, “My God, you’ve got the most amazing son. I couldn’t think of anyone that is more perfect for Holly, who’s incredibly emotional, incredibly vulnerable in areas”.
‘She’s funny, brilliant and witty but she also needs keeping in line. Adam manages to do all those things. He’s been through a lot. She’s been through a lot.
‘I remember saying to his mum that, in my mind, he’s perfect for our daughter. I was incredibly happy to meet her and tell her that.’
Although Tana spoke fondly recalling meeting with her new son-in-law’s mother, her husband Gordon didn’t hold back when speaking about Adam’s ongoing estrangement with his mother.
Last week he shut down claims he behaved like a bully to Adam’s parents, calling it ‘absolute nonsense’, a statement that came after he previously called the ordeal ‘upsetting’ but ‘self-inflicted’ from the opposing side.
In his original comments, Gordon said of the drama: ‘It’s all self-inflicted from their side, because we’ve done nothing – none of what you’ve read: no rudeness, no ignorance – we welcomed them. We sent a chauffeur-driven car for them to come to the engagement party and treated them like royalty. So, to get that barrage of press was very hurtful. Tana took it very seriously.’
When asked if the tension between the families could ever be resolved, the famous chef responded: ‘I would like to go up to Nottingham with Tana and see them and draw a line in the sand.’
However, he said he and Tana ‘had to respect’ Adam and Holly’s wishes for his family not to attend the wedding.
‘There’s stuff they need to sort out as parents. That’s nothing to do with Tana and me. But we are very mindful; we want to move on and allow Holly and Adam to continue starting their lives together,’ he added.
Soon after a Peaty family source hit back, saying they were ‘outraged’ and making the ‘bully’ comment.
Also speaking to The Sun, Gordon then said he was ‘certainly not a bully’.
‘I think when you send personal chauffeur cars up to Nottingham to invite this incredible family down to enjoy their party – by the way, Holly and Adam were hosting that party, Caroline and Mark (Peaty’s parents), Tana (Ramsay’s wife) and I were guests – [it’s] so appalling to even suggest there was any bullying. That’s absolute nonsense,’ he hit back.
‘Secondly, opening up our door, welcoming them into the family, at the end of the day there was a lot of friction going on before all that and so there was some stuff that they needed to sort it out and so it was sad to see that barrage of negativity that was self-propelled by them.’
Gordon also suggested of the Peaty’s that ‘when you start enjoying that kind of press attention, and you revel in it, you’re sort of feeding the beast’.
The TV star, who was speaking ahead of a new Netflix documentary which follows the Michelin-starred chef ahead of the opening of three restaurants, a bar and a cooking academy at London’s 22 Bishopsgate, also urged Adam’s parents to show their son more respect.
‘Adam is an incredible young man. I understand the way he has helped his family out, so for his family to be that detrimental and derogatory about him, knowing what he’s done for his family… I know what Adam has done for his parents and his parents need to be a little bit more respectful about what they’ve taken from Adam,’ he said.
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