Gary Goldsmith’s appearance in Celebrity Big Brother has been a source of controversy since the show was revived this week after a six-year hiatus.
The businessman uncle of Kate Middleton has insisted on the show that he hasn’t agreed to star in the reality series in order to become “a celebrity,” but the claim has been brutally refuted by one star from last year’s Big Brother.
Speaking to fellow housemate and former X Factor star Sharon Osbourne about his motives for being on the show, the 59-year-old stated: “It does bother me about what the public perception of me is. The ‘black sheep’ of the Royal Family.
“If I could show people that I’m not that person and I’ve really put myself out there, because this isn’t my world.
“And ultimately, I’m not a celebrity. I don’t want to be a, you know, celebrity. I don’t want to go down that path.”
Even Osbourne doubted his true intentions though, replying: “Why don’t I believe you when you say that?”
Gary Goldsmith has been accused of 'piggybacking' off Kate Middleton
ITV
Discussing this on spin-off show Celebrity Big Brother: Late and Live, host Will Best asked his guests: “[Gary] said, ‘I’m not here to be a celebrity,’ do you believe that?”
“No!” last year’s civilian Big Brother housemate Olivia Young replied without hesitation.
As the audience laughed, she went on: “Big fat no. No, he’s piggybacking off Kate as a claim to fame! Who is he?”
“It’s called Celebrity Big Brother!” former Strictly Come Dancing star Oti Mabuse pointed out as Best replied: “The clue is in the name!”
Young appeared on last year's Big Brother
ITV
Adding to the slurs, DJ Tyler West earlier quipped: “What’s made me laugh is that he’s gone in and he’s like, ‘I just really want to change how the public think about me…’
"Because we’ve really cared about him up until this point," West sarcastically added to plenty of cheers and laughs from the live audience and fellow guest stars.
Goldsmith has also been very forthcoming in sharing his views on the Royal Family, openly criticising Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
He told his fellow housemates: “Whilst they’re trying to reshape the royal family, modernise it, I think [William has] done an amazing job in that horrible situation, it seems he’s had an olive branch every time, for Harry to come back and be part of the gang."
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Olivia didn't believe Gary's claims that he wasn't looking for fame
ITV
Fans didn't respond kindly to Goldsmith's remarks about the Sussexes, and others were left fuming at ITV for giving him a platform in light of his past.
Last year’s Big Brother contestant Trish Balusa launched a furious rant on the topic after it emerged that Goldsmith had been given a 12-month community order for knocking his wife to the ground in a drunken argument.
Calling the broadcaster "unfair" for "penalising" her over some historic tweets, she accused ITV of "gaslighting".
Charity Women’s Aid also criticised the broadcaster for inviting the businessman onto the show despite his convictions of violence against his ex-wife.
