Holly Ramsay, the 23-year-old daughter of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, is making waves far beyond her family’s culinary empire. With her podcast 21 & Over with Holly Ramsay, launched in 2021, Holly has carved out a powerful platform to destigmatize mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Through candid conversations, personal revelations, and inspiring guests, she’s fostering a safe space for young people to confront their struggles and embrace growth. Her bravery in sharing her own mental health journey—marked by trauma, diagnoses, and recovery—has resonated with listeners worldwide, earning praise on platforms like X and Apple Podcasts. Holly’s mission is clear: to break the silence around mental health and show that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.
At first glance, Holly’s life might seem picture-perfect. As part of the Ramsay family, with a famous father, a supportive mother, Tana, and siblings like Tilly, she’s grown up in the spotlight, surrounded by glamorous moments captured on social media. But behind the curated posts, Holly has faced profound challenges. In the debut episode of 21 & Over, she opens up about being sexually assaulted twice at 18, experiences that led to PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These traumas, compounded by the pressures of public life, sent her into a spiral during her first year at Ravensbourne University, where she studied fashion. After leaving university, Holly spent three months at Nightingale Hospital, London’s only private mental health facility, where she received her diagnoses. “I now have these diagnoses that I carry around with me,” she shared, “but I’m trying to take control of my narrative and use that to make something good.”
This raw honesty sets the tone for 21 & Over, a podcast billed as a haven for those grappling with anxiety, self-doubt, and identity in today’s world. Co-hosted with psychotherapist Talitha “Tally” Fosh, who brings her own recovery story, the show features guests like singer-songwriter Ella Henderson, artist Grace Miceli, and survivor advocate Tracey Vitchers. Episodes tackle tough topics—panic attacks, body image, social media pressures, and coping with trauma—with a mix of humor, tears, and hope. Holly’s conversation with model Sophia Culpo, for instance, explores living with famous families and managing anxiety in quarantine, while her chat with tattoo artist Miles Langford dives into vulnerability and depressive episodes. Listeners praise the podcast’s relatability, with one Apple Podcasts review calling Holly “bold, honest, and inspiring” for her warrior-like approach to mental health.
Holly’s efforts extend beyond storytelling. By sharing her coping strategies, like therapy (up to three times a week) and her decision to go sober in 2021, she offers practical tools for listeners. In a December 2021 Instagram post, Holly celebrated one year without alcohol, noting that it “wasn’t improving my mental health—which for me, comes first.” She acknowledged the loneliness of sobriety at a young age but emphasized its benefits: “Living without alcohol has helped me feel better and more present both mentally and physically.” Her openness about this choice, paired with her podcast discussions on managing anxiety triggers like paparazzi photos or public scrutiny, resonates with fans navigating similar struggles. On X, users have lauded her for “normalizing tough conversations” and “showing that even ‘privileged’ lives face real pain.”
The podcast’s impact lies in its mission to destigmatize mental health. Holly confronts the guilt she once felt for experiencing depression despite her “fortunate” life, a sentiment many listeners relate to. “I was confused as to why I had these feelings,” she admitted, reflecting on her supportive family and seemingly ideal circumstances. By addressing this, she challenges the misconception that mental health issues require a “reason” to exist, encouraging others to seek help without shame. Her family’s support, including their advocacy for exercise as a mental health tool, amplifies her message. Gordon and Tana Ramsay, staunch mental health campaigners, have praised Holly’s courage, with Gordon sharing her podcast on social media to boost its reach.
