IS it the end of an era?
Fresh from his silver medal success at Paris 2024, Adam Peaty will take an ‘extended break’ from swimming, before contemplating competing at the next Olympics.
He told The Times: “I’m going to stay fit and I’m going to train for two years.
“But I’m going to take a break, put other things forward as a priority. It’s trying to get a balance with my work and trying to find out who I am away from sport.
“Knowing what I’ve done in the past 14 months, I only need two years really. So we’ll look at the landscape in ’26 and if that contract’s worth writing for me, I’ll write it and I’ll train the hardest I can.”
Could it be that Peaty, still only 29, is considering retirement? We’ll have to wait and see.
However, there are plenty of options open to the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 champion until he has to decide if LA 2028 is for him.
Peaty, who is sponsored by car company Cupra, has spoken in the past about his love for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, and would get a kick out of tackling the jungle.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist also dates Gordon Ramsay’s stunning daughter, Holly.
Could a cooking show be in the offing?
Back in 2016, Peaty alerted producers of I’m A Celeb by insisting he would relish taking on Bushtucker trials.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, he told us: “My family are massive fans of I’m A Celeb so that would be pretty cool.
“There’s so many areas where you can go in and enjoy but I just like meeting new people.”
Asked whether he would cope with the nasty bug-eating, the swimmer replied: “I don’t know. Everyone says yeah but I don’t think so.
“I’ve no idea but maybe we’ll have an interview one day saying I will but who knows.”
Peaty wouldn’t be a stranger to reality TV, having starred on a popular show before.
Famously, he appeared in the nineteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2021.
He was paired with Russian beauty Katya Jones, and they made headlines when they performed a steamy Argentine Tango together – with viewers believing they shared a kiss during proceedings.
Peaty’s ex-girlfriend and Eirianedd Munro poked fun at the moment on TikTok by sharing a video of her pretending to cry.
The mother of their son, George captioned it: “Watching your boyfriend almost kiss another women on live TV.”
Back in April, Munro told The Sun how that moment was “the beginning of the end” for their relationship.
She revealed: “My advice wouldn’t be to the partners of those going on Strictly, but for the celebrities participating; involve your family in the process — it can be a very lonely process for partners.
“Also reassure your partner, especially when the world inevitably begins to speculate there’s something going on between you and your dance partner.
“And if you’re not strong enough to go through the process, if your relationship isn’t secure, or you don’t know how to handle the intense attention that comes with it, don’t go on the show.”
Peaty is now in a relationship with Holly Ramsay, 24, the daughter of TV chef Gordon, which began in 2023.
They confirmed their relationship with matching tattoos last summer.
But Holly has been there through Peaty’s most troubled times too – battling anxiety and ADHD (more on that below).
As has Gordon, who he holds in high opinion.
He said: “Gordon just inspires me to be successful. Holly is obviously part of the core team every single day. She is on this journey with me.”
Recent reports have suggested Peaty is ready to pop the question and Hell’s Kitchen star Ramsay considers him son-in-law material.
Having only just interviewed him for BBC Sport, Peaty and Ramsay have a clear chemistry together.
Potentially there’s an opportunity to work with one another on TV projects.
Peaty has been open about his struggles with anxiety and ADHD.
In April, he went into more detail about his mental state in an interview with the Sunday Times.
He said: “I felt broken, desolate. I’d lost any sense of direction, purpose, let alone motivation. It was almost like I no longer knew myself. I couldn’t face one more day of it.
“I’d felt like a god on so many occasions. Now, I felt like a complete failure who’d let everyone down. When it all became too much I started drinking.
“It was good to feel numb for a while but that’s just the starting point in that downward spiral. Life lost its colour, its fun and joy.”
Adam also started attending church regularly and says his faith in God has transformed his outlook.
“I’ve come to full confidence in who I am, wearing my skin, and being true and authentically myself,” he told The Telegraph.
“Church has helped me get to that state. When I look at myself in the mirror, I’m very peaceful.”
As a role model who has faced his fears, who better placed than Peaty to as a spokesperson for mental health.
