Gordon Ramsay says claim he behaved like a bully to in-laws ‘absolute nonsense’
By Dave Clark, Press Association
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has described claims he behaved like a bully to his son-in-law, Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty’s parents, as “absolute nonsense”.
Ramsay told The Sun in the UK he had “opened my door and welcomed” Peaty’s family into his own when he got together with their daughter, Holly.
The model, who now uses the name Holly Ramsay Peaty, married three-time Olympic champion Peaty in a star-studded ceremony at Bath Abbey in December.
The wedding came amid reports of a family feud which, according to the Daily Mail, escalated after Peaty’s mother Caroline was not invited to the bride’s hen do.
The Sun reported earlier this month that Peaty’s parents had described Ramsay as “a big bully” who had “pushed them too far”.
“I’m certainly not a bully,” Ramsay told The Sun.
“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 – appalling to even suggest there was any bullying. That’s absolute nonsense.
“Secondly, opening up my 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.
“I think once you start enjoying that kind of press attention and you revel in it, you’re sort of feeding the beast.”
Ramsay, 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, called on Peaty’s parents to show their son more respect.
He added: “Adam is an incredible young man and 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.
“Holly and Adam have just started that incredible life together and so families fall out, right, but don’t add fuel to the fire and just show a little bit of decorum because it’s not about the mum and dad.
“I’m a bit frustrated with the lack of vision of Adam’s parents not supporting them, because we’re mature, we’re a lot more well versed to deal with crap in our lives, so come on.”
