BEHIND THE FILTERS — Ｗhile the photos screamed perfection, insiders say Holly Ramsay and Adam Peaty’s big day was far from smooth
A candle-lit ceremony in a beautiful, historic setting? Tick. An enviably stylish, high-fashion wedding dress? Tick. A gaggle of celebrity guests? But of course…
Holly Ramsay worked tirelessly to produce her dream wedding to triple Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty at Bath Abbey just over a week ago.
And now she’s been rewarded with pages of coverage in the latest online edition of British Vogue, which allowed the 25-year-old to gush at length about her ‘perfect’ weekend – from the Elie Saab gown that made her ‘feel like a princess’ to the special menu and red-wine pairings devised by her very own Michelin-starred chef, father Gordon, and a team from the Savoy.
The glittering wedding breakfast took place at Kin House, a Georgian pile in Wiltshire, which costs £30,000 to rent for the weekend.
There, amid the celebrations, 25-year-old Holly made sure to pose for the cameras along alongside family friends Sir David Beckham and wife Victoria, who just happened to have designed the bridesmaids’ dresses.
Throw in a blubbing prince-charming husband, and it’s clear no woman could possibly ask for more – or so you might think from the acres of photography in Vogue’s glossy ‘buy up’ of the Ramsay-Peaty nuptials.
Holly Ramsay worked tirelessly to produce her dream wedding to triple Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty at Bath Abbey just over a week ago
A day of seamless happiness and joy? Well… I’m not so sure. What I witnessed on the day was a young woman wracked with nerves, a grumpy father and an ostentatious event overshadowed by a very public and decidedly toxic family feud
A day of seamless happiness and joy? Well… I’m not so sure. What I witnessed on the day was a young woman wracked with nerves, a grumpy father and an ostentatious event overshadowed by a very public and decidedly toxic family feud.
The mood was set from the off. Standing among the onlookers outside, I’d hoped to see a blushing bride emerge from a Rolls-Royce to enter through the doors of the medieval Abbey towards her date with destiny.
In reality, Holly was half an hour late and climbed out of the car with a look of pure anxiety on her face.
Was she troubled by the hundreds of spectators who’d gathered outside Bath Abbey? Unlikely. Surely, she knew that holding her much-anticipated and talked-about wedding in an ancient British landmark two days after Christmas would draw a crowd.
Or perhaps she’d twigged that most were passers-by who’d stopped to take a look because they’d heard the Beckhams might be turning up. When I explained to members of the crowd they were witnessing the wedding of Holly Ramsay and Adam Peaty, many replied: ‘Who?’
Barely acknowledging the shouts of ‘congratulations’, Holly’s eyes were downcast, face fixed, as she walked towards the entrance.
Meghan Markle famously remarked on the size of the crowd outside Windsor Castle when she married Prince Harry in 2018. ‘So much fun!’ she exclaimed as she made her way up to St George’s Chapel. Not ‘so much fun’ for Holly, from the looks of it.
Father Gordon, a media pro after four decades as a television chef, did a little better, shouting ‘Merry Christmas’ to the well-wishers.
Looking back, Holly might come to regret passing up the chance of slipping into the Abbey through the back door like the Beckhams.
The mood was set from the off. Standing among the onlookers outside, I’d hoped to see a blushing bride emerge from a Rolls-Royce to enter through the doors of the medieval Abbey towards her date with destiny
In reality, Holly was half an hour late and climbed out of the car with a look of pure anxiety on her face
But there were pictures to be taken and sold – and that meant ensuring that no one caught so much as a glimpse of the wedding dress, which would have spoiled the surprise for Vogue and its readers.
Hence the curious hooded silk shroud-like ensemble that Holly clasped around herself as she was helped from the car by her 59-year-old father.
And hence the sudden appearance of black umbrellas, a phalanx of them hiding the bride from the prying eyes on the street.
It is a technique used by A-listers at the annual Met Gala in New York, but possibly a first for Bath Abbey.
Adam, meanwhile, is learning fast. The Olympic gold-medallist joined the books of Holly’s influencer agency, Hypesight, just a few weeks before the wedding.
It describes him as follows: ‘Adam embodies a modern standard of ambition, refinement, and influence that naturally aligns with high-end, luxury brands.’
That, presumably, includes Rolls-Royces. But even the cars proved contentious on the couple’s big day.
It turns out that Gordon wanted to use his own flashy sports car when father and daughter made the half-hour journey to the Abbey from Kin House, where they’d spent the night. But Holly had insisted on the Rolls-Royce.
Perhaps she’d twigged that most were passers-by who’d stopped to take a look because they’d heard the Beckhams might be turning up
So, determined to have a least a bit of his own way, the TV chef ensured his car was waiting for him outside the Abbey when the ceremony, and the Vogue photoshoot, were over.
This caused much annoyance to Bath traffic wardens who had a heated back-and-forth with Ramsay’s driver, insisting the chef’s car was not allowed to sit in a bus lane for more than two hours. Somehow, Gordon Ramsay won that skirmish. The car stayed.
The real animus of the day, of course, was the one between Clan Ramsay and the groom’s family, the Peatys, most of whom were excluded from Adam and Holly’s wedding.
There have been reports the family feuding first began some months ago when Holly took against the dress that Adam’s mother, Caroline, had been due to wear for the occasion.
From what I saw of the wedding as it unfolded, Holly seemed very much in charge of the event despite her anxiety – and I can imagine she might have had strong views…
Two members of the Peaty family were allowed to attend: Adam’s older sister Bethany, 32, who has sided with the Ramsays, and his five-year-old son, George, from a previous relationship.
Holding tight on to his father’s hand as they walked into the Abbey together, the little boy was clearly disturbed by the crowds and flashing cameras. Understandably, he tried to hide behind his dad.
It must have been something of an ordeal. After the 70-minute ceremony, George had to spend another hour inside the Abbey in the company of Vogue photographers.
The real animus of the day, of course, was the one between Clan Ramsay and the groom’s family, the Peatys, most of whom were excluded from Adam and Holly’s wedding
There have been reports the family feuding first began some months ago when Holly took against the dress that Adam’s mother, Caroline, had been due to wear for the occasion
The resulting pictures tell a carefully crafted story of a wedding and a party crammed with celebrities.
In reality, it was a small handful of famous folk in attendance, including the Beckhams.
In addition to the Beckham family (minus Brooklyn and wife Nicola, of course) Dan Walker, the Channel 5 presenter, can be seen chatting with Dragon’s Den-star Sara Davies. Gordon is pictured laughing with his chef pals Marcus Wareing and Paul Ainsworth.
But that, when it came to stardust, was pretty much that.
Not that Holly’s pursuit of the perfect occasion shows any sign of slowing down.
It’s been more than ten days since the couple tied the knot but Holly has decided that people want to see yet more of those painstaking preparations.
Yesterday [TUE] she shared a video that shows her heading into Smythson, the upmarket leather goods and stationary shop. Holly captioned it: ‘Designing our wedding stationery with Smythson was a dream come true, it all added the perfect touch to our weekend.’
Does she have some sort of commercial deal with Smythson? Her representatives are yet to respond.
But if there’s one thing we can all be clear about, it’s that Holly and Adam want you to know the whole thing was just ‘perfect’.
In an industry driven by trends and short-lived fame, he remains a rare constant — a calm, trusted voice whose presence still draws millions to their screens. Networks have confirmed that his name once again tops lists of the most eagerly awaited programmes of 2026, with new documentaries set to explore the beauty, vulnerability and resilience of life on Earth.
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