Celebrity Big Brother 2024 kicked off this week and Gary Goldsmith joined the line-up of famous housemates.
While Gary is reported to be a businessman, it’s his elder sister’s married name that gives a clue to the reason for his celebrity status.
That surname? Middleton. Yep, we’re in for another reality series showing from someone who has a family connection to a member of the royal family.
But will Gary prove as memorable on Celebrity Big Brother as Mike Tindall – related by marriage to King Charles’ niece Zara – was on I’m A Celebrity? And more importantly, just how many more family secrets relating to Kate, the Princess of Wales, will he spill?
Celebrity Big Brother: How is Gary Goldsmith related to Kate Middleton?
Gary, reported to be 58, is the younger brother of Carole Middleton, 69.
Through her eldest daughter Kate, Carole is the grandmother of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
That means her eldest grandchild is second in line to the the throne behind his father, Prince William.
And so, Gary is related by blood to Kate, her sister Pippa and their brother James. Kate is his niece, as is Pippa, while James is Gary’s nephew – and he is their uncle.
Furthermore, he is also the great-uncle of George, Charlotte and Louis. And so it can be reasonably asserted that Gary has relatives within the royal family.
However, he is not a royal himself. But he did attend Kate and Wills’ wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011.
Additionally, Kate was a bridesmaid for her uncle during his wedding to his first wife in in 1991.
What is his net worth?
Gary said that he wanted to sign up to change the public’s perception of him.
Ahead of his stint, we already reckoned that it seemed probable his motivation for being part of an ITV celebrity reality show was not financial.
The CBB team love him because of his link to Kate.
And that’s because he’s said to be a wealthy London-based businessman who made his money in IT and recruitment. Furthermore, according to The Sun, he may be worth as much as £30 million!
During one of his many chats about his family, Gary said that he and sister Carole were “multis” before they hit 30. Multis is, of course, Gary’s slang for multi-millionaires. Alright for some, eh!
“Dad was a painter and decorator. Mum was an accounts clerk, so they worked hard. But Carole and I were both ‘multi’ before we were 30,” he told Fern Britton.
After being asked to clarify what he meant, Goldsmith said: “Multi-millionaires.”
He added: “That’s why I get really a bit narky when they say Kate’s a commoner. There’s nothing common about the family, nothing.”
Why was Gary Goldsmith arrested?
Gary was arrested in October 2017 on suspicion of assaulting his wife in a drunken argument.
He was fined £5,000, and given a community order after pleading guilty to assault by beating.
He and Julie-Ann rowed in a taxi after a night out at private members’ club Home in Portman Square, Marylebone, in the West End of London.
The Metropolitan Police said at the time of his arrest: “Police in Westminster were called to an address at 01:24hrs on Friday 13 October following reports of a domestic incident.
“Officers arrested a 52-year-old man on suspicion of domestic assault. He has been taken to a central London police station for questioning. A woman found injured was taken to hospital.”
He was bailed and later attended a hearing before his court appearance the following month in November.
What might Gary Goldsmith talk about on Celebrity Big Brother?
Despite reportedly not being a fan of Kate’s in-laws, Gary might mention how Kate nursed her heartbreak at his Ibiza villa when they briefly split before getting engaged.
He is said to have purchased the property – dubbed Maison de Bang Bang due to wild parties – in 2006.
William and Kate are reported to have stayed there that year. And Gary has previously praised Wills as “down-to-earth” and “charming”.
He is also on the record as pondering whether he might be due a smidgen of credit for them reuniting.
Gary is said to have said: “So in some small way I just hope that being here helped. This was June, and she and William were definitely back together in July, so the timing does suggest the holiday did play a part. Wouldn’t that be brilliant?”
‘Kate doesn’t have a mean bone in her body’
Additionally, he hailed Kate following the Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: “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.”
He’s also said of his famous niece’s university education: “Kate did brilliantly well to get into St Andrews. She’s an amazing girl, but that wasn’t noted.”
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