Who is Adam Peaty, does he have a girlfriend and does he have children? Everything you need to know about the Strictly 2021 star

Adam Peaty captured the nation’s hearts during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and now he’s putting his skills to the test on Strictly Come Dancing 2021, but who is he, does he have a girlfriend and does he have children?

From the moment he secured his first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games, swimmer Adam Peaty had viewers across the UK transfixed by his talent. Joining the likes of Tom Daley and Laura Kenny in celebrating Olympic and Commonwealth Games victories, Adam also defended his previous Olympic title and brought home multiple medals to his delighted family. Now Adam is testing himself like never before as one of contestants who is on Strictly Come Dancing 2021. Having made his debut when Strictly Come Dancing 2021 started on 25th September, he is now preparing for his next performance.  

But having caught Strictly fans' attention, some might now be wondering who the star is. We reveal all you need to know about Adam Peaty, if he has a girlfriend and if they have children...

Who is Adam Peaty?

Adam Peaty is a 26-year-old British swimmer and world-record holder in the 100m breaststroke, who retained his Olympic title in Tokyo this year. In doing so, Adam not only won Great Britain their first gold medal of the Games, but became the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title. 

He previously won the 100m breaststroke gold medal in Rio and has also been World Champion eight times, European Champion sixteen times and Commonwealth Champion three times - a title he is hoping to retain in this year's Commonwealth Games. His favoured events are 100 metre breaststroke, 50 metre breaststroke and he often competes in the medley relay.

Speaking ahead of the Olympics, Adam discussed his confidence and belief that he would be able to defend his title. As reported by Sky News, he told reporters, “It's not an arrogant thing, it's just a mindset that we've built up. I want to go out there and do what I do. And if I do perform, then I don't think many people would get close."

Despite his prowess in the pool now, however, it seems things weren’t always quite so easy as, according to The Independent, Adam was actually afraid of water as a child.

This was supposedly caused by his brothers convincing him that sharks could swim up out of their bath’s plughole. Eventually, the Staffordshire-born swimmer took the plunge and he eventually joined Dove Valley Swimming Club, followed by City of Derby Swimming Club. His coach Melanie Marshall is said to have spotted his breaststroke talent and she has remained with him throughout the years of his success. 

Does Adam Peaty have a girlfriend?

Adam Peaty does have a girlfriend, Eirianned Munro, also known as Eiri. The couple have been dating since they met at the University of Loughborough, where Eiri recently graduated with a degree in Fine Art. Sadly, Eirianned was unable to watch her partner’s Tokyo 2020 races in person. Though she took to Instagram ahead of his first race, posting a picture of her partner as she prepared to see him take to the pool. 

Her heartfelt caption declared, ‘Whose excited to watch Adam swim!?!? I am so so SO PROUD of him. I wish I could be there to support and celebrate these monumental life moments with my boo, I just have to hope he feels all the love we’re sending from the other side of the world😢 We’ll be watching from the comfort of our sofa at 3am in the morning - or rather the edge of the sofa!’ 

Earlier this month, Adam and Eirianned attended the 2021 GQ Men of the Year Awards together, with her sharing rare snaps of the two of them. For this huge occasion, the Olympian opted for a smart black dinner jacket, complete with a matching waistcoat and bow tie. 

His look was effortlessly smart and very reminiscent of the outfits recently sported by Princes Charles and William at the No Time to Die Premiere. 

Whilst Eirianned stunned in a black floor-length dress, with incredible embellishments running across the neckline. Alongside the beautiful pictures, she wrote simply, ‘The most incredible night at the GQ awards’.

As Adam prepares for his next live performance on Strictly Come Dancing this weekend, Eirianned will no doubt be cheering him on from home, just as she did for his Olympic races.

Does Adam Peaty have children?

Adam Peaty and his girlfriend Eirianedd Munro have one child, a son named George-Anderson Adetola Peaty, whom they welcomed back in September 2020. The couple announced the exciting news that Eiri was pregnant in April last year and later confirmed that their little one would be a baby boy. Though they didn't end up giving him one of the top Olympic-inspired baby names! 

Opening up during an interview with reporters ahead of the Olympics, Adam opened up about how becoming a father has inspired him in the pool.

He explained, “I think having a son now as well has just made me appreciate these moments a little bit more. He's with me every single day anyway (in my mind) when I'm away from him and with him, I perform and train like they're on my back and I like that. It's just being a father, right? I love it."

The wonderful moment of being reunited with his son upon his return to the UK was captured in an adorable video later posted on Twitter. In it, the Olympic champion can be seen proudly wearing his GB team uniform as he’s approached by Eirianned carrying little George. 

Gently picking his son up, George beams at his delighted father as Adam draws Eirianned into an emotional embrace. 

‘The best feeling in the world for any parent, I’m so proud to call you my son’, the swimmer captioned the family clip. 

George will likely just as excited as his proud mum to watch Adam take to the Strictly Come Dancing dance floor every weekend!

Is Adam Peaty on Strictly Come Dancing?

Adam Peaty is on Strictly Come Dancing 2021, much to the delight of swimming and Strictly fans. Just months ago, he shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Strictly. Now he and his professional partner Katya Jones have stunned the judges and crowd alike with their Cha Cha Cha on the first main show. 

Though the Olympian is used to topping leader boards in the pool, he came a brilliant joint second for his debut dance performance. With an impressive score of 30, Adam tied with Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite and Johannes Radebe’s tango score. 

Adam later chatted about his Strictly journey and experience so far with Janette Manrara, one of the Strictly It Takes Two presenters in 2021. When asked how taking to the ballroom on the hit dance show compares to the Olympics, Adam described being on Strictly as “very, very different”. 

He excitedly explained, “Cause I’m used to, like, hearing no noise. I’m used to swimming as fast as I can. Enjoying it, but then, as Rhys [Stephenson, a fellow contestant] said earlier, someone cheers and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m good, I’m good’. As soon as I hear one cheer that is it, I’m gone.”

Adam later confirmed that he responds to and feeds off the audience’s reaction and we can’t wait to see what he’ll bring to the dance floor this week. 

Who is Adam Peaty’s dance partner? 

Adam Peaty’s dance partner on Strictly Come Dancing 2021 is Katya Jones. This year’s show has seen many changes, with Anton Du Beke becoming a judge and dancer Oti Mabuse confirming it’s her last series. Though pro dancer Katya Jones is a returning familiar face and she was announced as Adam’s partner during the launch show on 18th September.  And it seems the pair have been training hard, as Adam has recently discussed how much they’ve been working on their quickstep. 

As reported by The Independent, Adam told ITV daytime star Lorraine Kelly that he has “very, very, very sore feet” from quickstep training. 

“I don’t think I can walk today, never mind dance,” he reportedly explained, before going on to add that it was the pace of this particular dance that caused his pain.

“This is why my feet hurt so much, because I’ve got to change directions so quickly and I’m always on my tiptoes,” Adam stated. “Literally 95kg going in my toes, so I can’t walk, but we’re nearly there.”

After all this work, fans will likely be even more excited to see Adam and Katya's next performance.

Does Adam Peaty still compete?

He might currently be showcasing his dance skills on Strictly, but Adam has not left swimming behind. However, after the Tokyo Olympics, he announced that would be taking a short break from competitive swimming. Opening up to BBC Breakfast, he shared that he hopes this will give him a “second wind” in his already sensational sporting career. 

“Every person on this planet has a certain level of burn-out,” he told BBC Breakfast, as he explained his decision in greater detail. “And I think it’s what keeps it fresh, what keeps you motivated, what keeps you committed. I don’t want to be able to force myself through that.”

“Having a break for me is a natural way of just detoxing my brain but also just having a normal bit of life and I think for me that normality makes me appreciate swimming and my passion even more and hopefully it’s going to give me a second wind,” Adam went on to declare. 

What were Adam Peaty’s medals from Tokyo 2020?

Adam Peaty won three medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, including his gold medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke and another gold in the first ever Olympic 4x100 mixed medley relay. In this event, he swum the breaststroke leg, with Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin also in the quartet.

Not only that - they also claimed the gold in a world-record time, making this truly one for the history books. Adam’s Tokyo Olympics was not over there, though, and he also secured a silver in the men’s 4x100 medley relay.  

With Adam Peaty's Strictly Come Dancing performance already capturing fans' attention, who knows whether he could add the Strictly trophy to his list of medals.