Kate Middleton's Uncle's Reality TV Appearance Sparks Backlash from Domestic Abuse Charity Over His Dark Past
Women's Aid criticized Gary Goldsmith's spot on 'Celebrity Big Brother U.K.'
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Gary Goldsmith at the launch of "Celebrity Big Brother," March 4; Kate Middleton at Wimbledon in July 2023.Kate Middleton’s uncle's appearance in the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother U.K. has drawn criticism from a domestic abuse charity due to his arrest record.
Gary Goldsmith is a contestant on the reality show, which premiered on ITV on Monday, and Women’s Aid voiced disappointment with the casting choice.
“The decision to include a man who has been charged, and pleaded guilty to, assaulting his wife, in the Celebrity Big Brother house demonstrates the lack of awareness that the production team has when it comes to survivors of domestic abuse,” said a statement from the U.K. charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
“The producers should consider how Gary Goldsmith’s appearance will impact women who have survived domestic abuse and how they will feel watching him on TV every night,” it continued.
UK Press Pool/UK Press via Getty;
Gary Goldsmith attends the wedding of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St Mark's Church in May 2017.“At Women’s Aid we would urge the producers to consider how they approach this, as for many survivors of abuse, the inclusion of men convicted of abuse in entertainment programs will already be a sign that these crimes are not taken seriously — the entertainment industry has to consider the impact on women of who they give a platform to and derive entertainment value from,” the group concluded.
Goldsmith, 58, is the younger brother of Princess Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton, and was arrested in October 2017 for assaulting his fourth wife, Julie-Ann Brown, during an argument outside their London home. As the two argued after a drunken night out, Goldsmith punched his wife in the face, causing her to hit her head on the ground.
According to The Independent, the former Computer Futures director pled guilty, was fined $6,000 and given a 12-month community order with 20 sessions of rehabilitation. The Sun said that Goldsmith and Brown are now divorced.
Responding to criticism around Goldsmith’s spot on the show, the BBC reported that a spokesperson for Big Brother said, "All housemates undertake training in language and behavior before entering the Big Brother house. All behavior in the house is strictly monitored at all times.”
Gary's the uncle to an heir, will he be Celebrity Big Brother royalty? #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/qqvtQYnPza
— Celebrity Big Brother UK (@bbuk) March 4, 2024
Related: Kate Middleton's Uncle Promises Not to 'Bring Any Stress' to Family amid Royal's Surgery Recovery
In a promotional clip for the new season shared on X on Monday, Goldsmith praised his niece Princess Kate and remembered the first time he met Prince William.
“She is simply perfect,” Goldsmith said of Kate in the short clip. “The first time I met William, Catherine was cooking and William said, ‘Hi, do you want a cup of tea?’ Very normal.”
“I often read that people think I'm a bit of a bad boy. It'd be lovely to put the record straight but winding people up is probably my favorite hobby,” Goldsmith added.
Kensington Palace had no comment on Goldsmith's appearance on Celebrity Big Brother U.K. when reached by PEOPLE.
IAN VOGLER/POOL/AFP via Getty
Kate Middleton visits the new Children's Day Surgery Unit at Evelina London in December 2023.Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
In an interview with The Sun published on the day of the reality show premiere, Goldsmith said he would not “bring any stress” to his family amid Princess Kate’s private recovery from abdominal surgery.
"I've spoken to Carole just to send my love, and we talked about Kate given what's going on,” he said.
“There’s lots going on in the family at the moment. So she’s spinning a lot of plates right now, it’s quite stressful. So the last thing I’m going to do is bring any stress to them,” he added.
The businessman joins fellow contestants Sharon Osbourne, former Love Island champ Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, Netflix’s Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches and more for the revamped series returning to screens after a six-year hiatus.
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