Gary Goldsmith on Celebrity Big Brother is ‘the last thing Kate needs’

The Princess of Wales‘s uncle Gary Goldsmith signing up for Celebrity Big Brother is the ‘last thing she needs’ as her recovery continues, a royal expert said today.

Mr Goldsmith, the outspoken brother of Kate’s mother Carole Middleton, is set to enter the house tonight as the ITV reboot of the reality television show begins.

But royal commentator Phil Dampier said that while the 58-year-old businessman will likely go into the house ‘determined to only say nice things’ about Kate and William, ‘after several days his tongue may loosen and he may say things he later regrets’.

Kate is away from official royal engagements until after Easter after major surgery in January, with Kensington Palace insisting last week that she was still ‘doing well’.

She has not been seen at any royal events since attending church at Sandringham on Christmas Day with William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

But a reality TV appearance for ‘black sheep’ Mr Goldsmith will cause a headache for the royals amid speculation about Kate as she recovers from abdominal surgery.

Mr Goldsmith reportedly tried to gain a spot on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here last year, but was turned down over concerns it could embarrass his niece.

He is said to have told friends that he won’t do anything to hurt Kate or William – but he has previously attacked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and they could therefore now be in the firing line.

And Mr Dampier told MailOnline today: ‘The last thing the Princess of Wales needs at the moment is for her uncle to be talking about her on Celebrity Big Brother.

‘And I’m not surprised at reports her mother Carole is not happy with her brother being in the house.

‘I’m sure he will go in there determined to only say nice things about her and William as he has in the past. And he probably intends to criticise Harry and Meghan if he gets the chance.

‘But after several days his tongue may loosen and he may say things he later regrets.’

The commentator also warned that ‘any indication about Kate’s medical condition will not go down well with her or William’, adding: ‘I’m sure Gary wants to support his family but giving more publicity to them at the moment is not what they want.’

Mr Dampier said it would be interesting to know whether Mr Goldsmith consulted Carole or Kate before deciding to go into the house, which ‘presumably he is doing for the money’.

And he continued: ‘He has caused embarrassment for them in the past with his Maison de Bang Bang misdemeanours, but he has cleaned up his act in recent years and mainly stayed out of the limelight.

‘The Big Brother bosses will want him to spill the beans – after all why else would he be in there? – but Kate and William will be hoping he manages to be sensible and focus on other housemates and their problems.’

Prince William and Kate stayed at Mr Goldsmith’s Ibiza villa Maison de Bang Bang in 2006 and were due to stay again in 2009 until Mr Goldsmith was involved in a News of the World cocaine sting and caught boasting about his royal connections.

He denied taking drugs and reporter Mazher Mahmood was later jailed for perverting the course of justice. 

The house became infamous for being the scene of Mr Goldsmith’s seedy nights of excess and his boasts about watching pornography while there.

It is thought that he has been kept at arm’s-length by the Middletons over the past decade, with one source saying the family were angered by the latest revelations about Celebrity Big Brother.

An insider told The Sun yesterday: ‘Gary said he’s been read the riot act by Kate’s mum Carole and her dad Michael.

‘They aren’t happy he’s going into Celebrity Big Brother. It is infuriating to them. Kate doesn’t need this stress.’

Royal author Angela Levin also told The Sun: ‘I think it’s cringe-making, very embarrassing, the trouble is he doesn’t like Harry and Meghan at all, some of this comments will fall onto Catherine and she’s had a lot against her, she’s not well, she’s in hospital.

‘I think when you come out of an operation you’re quite vulnerable and this could upset her enormously. In principle people who don’t like her could say she encouraged him to do it, but she would have done nothing of the kind.

‘It’s very embarrassing. It’s very hard being a royal, and I don’t know if this is a good idea.’

But Mr Goldsmith found support today from PR advisor Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, who defended him in response to claims in the Mirror that he would ‘dish dirt’ on William.

He tweeted: ‘Gary is my former advisor, an extremely generous supporter, and a damn nice and decent chap. I very much doubt this to be the case.’

The issue of Mr Goldsmith’s possible involvement in Celebrity Big Brother was also discussed on ITV programme Good Morning Britain today.

Presenter Susanna Reid told viewers: ‘If he says anything about Kate it’s going to make headlines and Kate is recovering and the palace do not want to be in the headlines.’

Daily Mail columnist Andrew Pierce replied: ‘They’re keeping her out of the headlines. We haven’t seen a photograph of her, so we haven’t seen her since Christmas Day, the last time we saw her, when she was with the family.

‘We had no idea she was about to have major surgery and it obviously was major surgery.’

Reid then added: ‘So it relies on Uncle Gary being discreet. And it relies on ITV observing the protocol.’

But Pierce said: ‘Well, why do they want him in that house if he’s not going to be indiscreet? The whole world is interested because he is the uncle of the Princess of Wales.’

Mr Goldsmith has previously spoken in support of Kate – including to the Mail on Sunday in March 2021 after Harry and Meghan’s infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey interview.

He said at the time: ‘I’ve known Kate since she was born and she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. It’s just simply not in her nature.

‘She’s even lovelier on the inside than on the outside. If anyone had a hissy fit, it must have been Meghan. Kate would have been trying to make the peace. I would fight for Kate’s honour until the day I die. She is the most spectacular person I’ve ever met.’

Mr Goldsmith’s reported TV appearance also comes as King Charles III continues treatment for cancer and the Royal Family mourns the sudden death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent’s daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor.

Mr Goldsmith has been spotted in recent days trying on a selection of smart suits at tailor Kerrs in London’s Soho district, in photos published by the Mirror.

The Sun also pictured Goldsmith arriving at the ITV studios in London yesterday ahead of his rumoured entrance into the house.

He was seen leaving a black Audi with a suitcase and was wearing a navy cap, jeans, a grey hoodie and a leather jacket.

He walked into the building with two silver suitcases and a suit carrier.

Mr Goldsmith attempted to gain a spot on I’m A Celebrity last year, but was turned down over concerns it could embarrass William and Kate.

He previously spoke out against Harry and Meghan after the release of Spare and is known for his outspoken opinions on the couple. Writing for the Mail last year, he slammed Harry’s autobiography Spare as ‘petulant, self-serving…fluff’.

Mr Goldsmith has reportedly signed up for the ITV reboot alongside Loose Women’s Linda Robson and X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.

His I’m A Celeb audition ended in failure, allegedly because bosses were worried about his potential to embarrass the royal family.

But Celebrity Big Brother chiefs believe his outspoken style will fit well into the format of their show.

Mr Goldsmith was a guest at William and Kate’s wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011, and then Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton’s marriage to James Matthews in 2017.

Kate was a bridesmaid at Mr Goldsmith’s first wedding to sales executive Miranda Foote in 1991.

He made his living building an IT recruitment business, but has been caught up in scandals, including being pictured with drugs in Ibiza in 2009.

He was also arrested in October 2017 after allegedly assaulting his fourth wife, Julie-Ann, outside their London home.

Mr Goldsmith knocked her to the ground after she accused him of taking drugs during a drunken fight outside their home.

He later pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating and was fined £5,000 and handed a 12-month community order with 20 sessions of rehabilitation.

The first series of ITV’s Celebrity Big Brother could also include former This Morning host Fern Britton. 

The 66-year-old presenter turned author used to host ITV’s daytime programme with Phillip Schofield from 2002 to 2009.

Last November, ITV announced the Big Brother spin-off would be returning to screens in 2024 following the reboot of the standard format in October, which saw lawyer Jordan crowned the winner.

In a video, hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best teased the new contestants by reacting to them by giving hints. 

They said one is ‘competitive’, another is ‘a good time girl’ and a celebrity was also hailed as ‘TV’s finest’.

Other housemates touted to appear on the launch of the series include Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh, Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Bradley Riches, Nikita Kuzmin and Colson Smith.

Osbourne, along with being the wife of Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne, has appeared on several series of talent show The X Factor alongside judges Simon Cowell and Irish talent agent Walsh.

Walsh has managed stars including Boyzone, Jedward and Westlife, and has most recently been overseeing the development of five-piece boyband Next In Line, who he has described as a ‘modern-day One Direction’.

Meanwhile, Love Island star Culculoglu has just appeared in the second season of the US version of psychological game The Traitors while Smith is a Coronation Street actor.

Riches was in Netflix LGBT+ romance show Heartstopper and Kuzmin is a Strictly dancer – who was a runner up on the last series when he competed with actor Layton Williams.

Reggae Reggae Sauce maker Levi Roots is also rumoured to be joining the cast.

Before the series aired on ITV last year, the controversial reality show last was on Channel 5 in 2018 before being cancelled by the channel.

Celebrity Big Brother will air from Monday on ITV1 and ITVX and the location has been revamped for the famous arrivals.

A spin-off show called Celebrity Big Brother: Late & Live will follow on ITV2.

A Celebrity Big Brother spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Any names are at this point pure speculation and viewers will have to tune to see who will be entering the Celebrity Big Brother house.’ 

Celebrity Big Brother starts tonight at 9pm on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player