Adam Peaty

He was famous long before he met his ex-girlfriend and his current partner is not famous, although her father is. Nobody knows why they split up, though she became pregnant very soon after they met, so their relationship wasn't really established and may have ended much sooner had George not come along.

Something a bit creepy about judging professionals doing their job over their body images…

A really quick google says that Adam Peaty went on strictly in 2021 and he didn’t start dating Holly until June 2023, having been linked before that. He broke up with his ex in 2022. If they started an affair in 2021, as you are suggesting then I don’t think anyone saying 3 years is a quick timeline to be discussing engagement. However, even dating for a year, I don’t think talk of engagement is particularly quick. Although, Holly is still quite young.

Adam Peaty has spoken openly about his alcohol and mental health problems and had to step back from swimming for a while. Him and his ex also wouldn’t be the first couple to break up due to the stress of a new baby. That’s without throwing in raising a baby by yourself because your partner is training at the highest level for Olympic swimming and he’s suffering with mental health and alcohol addiction. There were a lot of stress factors on that relationship and I think separating while they can still coparent together rather than hating each other is really healthy.

It sounds like his ex is pleased that her son’s father is in a stable place to be a good role model to their son. And Holly is a stabilising factor in that. A bit like when my mum was happy my dad married my step mum because maintenance became regular as did me visiting them.

To quote Letitia Dean and Paul Medford - “We’re gonna make something outta nothing…”

In his post race interview he spoke about sacrifices for swimming and the impact that has on his relationships and other things, it sounds to me like he accepts his part in the breakdown of their relationship. Also I thought he'd only been with his current partner since 2023 and he was on strictly in 2021 and split with Eiri his child's mother in 2022. They seem to have a positive co-parenting relationship

They've both talked about it quite a bit. His ex, Eiri, has even said she's grateful for Strictly because it showed them that what they were after was different - his head wasn't immediately turned, it just showed them that they want different things and let them move on.

He turned to faith quite hard to get through his tough times, and Holly is pretty religious too, so they have a level of quoting bible passages to each other etc which seems quite different to your "standard" relationship of people from their age.

I appreciate there's always a level of "how would I feel in that situation?" when you're reacting to this type of thing, but all the people involved here seem happy, and Eiri is even happy for Holly to have George while Adam competes, so they all seem pretty friendly and happy with the situation.

🤣🤣🤣

So what?

He’s not a model. What his body looks like to you is entirely irrelevant to his status as an athlete or as a human being.

‘Just a swimmer’ is not how I would describe a man who has broken 14 world records in ten years. He still holds three of them, even though he gave up competing for a while.

I'm sure he literally couldn't give a shiney shit what you or anyone else thinks

I do realise that, they just look awful. He was the only swimmer looked like that?

In that final.

Watch it all - plenty have tattoos

Unless you train and compete at the level he does you'll never understand the sacrifices in life.

Plenty of relationships break down. You aren't immune being an athlete.

He suffered a severe breakdown due to pressure - he's now happy and in a better place and people still want to tear him down and pile on the pressure.

These are just normal men with normal male lives with regards relationships etc. But their sporting lives are dominated by a training regime. And they are open to public interpretation of who they are.

It's not who you see in real life away from it all.

I do realise that, they just look awful. He was the only swimmer looked like that?

He is such a nice man, the way he took the second place with such sportsmanship, loved the camaraderie with the other swimmers.

I think his body and tattoos look just fine.

Well done Adam, made me proud to be British

Is this an undercover attempt by the Daily Mail to generate ‘Fans were shocked and disgusted when…’ for the weekend edition?

I know his personal life is his own business but when I see people ditching their girl friends/ partners/ wife's for celebrity relationships as they become well known themselves I find it sad. And I know I possibly shouldn't but I think less of them.

Pretty obvious, what he has done is get tattoos.

Shock horror

So you have taken upset on her behalf even though she is supportive. Weird of you op.

What’s he supposed to do? Not swim at the Olympics just in case his ex-partner is a bit upset?

In any case, the mother of his son seems perfectly happy and not remotely bitter; she publicly congratulated him on his medal and said how proud their son is of him in a warm and friendly post. Not everyone hates their ex or resents their new partner, you know.

And even if the above is not how she really feels and she is sticking pins into a voodoo doll as we speak, the above elegant and classy and supportive message is how she wants to come across so I suggest we let her have that.

His ex's very generous tribute on social media suggests that she isn't as bitter as you seem to think, OP. Are you projecting in some way or what?

Why are other people’s choices about how they decorate their bodies such a problem to you?

Well it seems she’s pretty proud of him - great statement that she made

His tattoos don't affect his ability to swim, just as Toni Kroos's tattoos don't affect his amazing football skills. His body, his choice.

@JacquesHarlow thanks for sharing that, how lovely to see her supporting Adam and talking about the qualities in him she would like to see in their son.

@PassingStranger I guess you got your answer, not all exes and coparents are at loggerheads. They seem to be very harmonious