Kate’s uncle says playboy lifestyle has earned him ‘bad uncle’ nickname in royal family
Gary Goldsmith, an uncle of Catherine, Princess of Wales, entered the Celebrity Big Brother house on Monday night
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Your support makes all the difference.The Ibiza-loving uncle of Kate Middleton says his playboy lifestyle has earned him the bad uncle nickname ‘buncle’ as he called his niece and William the “saviour of the royal family”.
Gary Goldsmith, who is the brother of Kate’s mother Carole Middleton, was one of 13 celebrities who entered the house live on ITV1 as the 23rd series of the show started on Monday night.
The businessman has become arguably the show’s most controversial housemate with his name linked to a series of scandals involving alleged drugs and domestic abuse.
And despite criticism from Women’s Aid over his appearance, the show’s producers will be hoping he captures viewers’ interest on the back of a difficult period for the royal family.
On Monday night’s launch, Mr Goldsmith gave an introduction to himself in which he said he was the “uncle to the future queen of our country” and he was keen to “put the record straight” on his “bad boy reputation”.
And in scenes that will air on Tuesday’s episode, he delved further into his life in the royal family and a nickname members had coined for him.
When asked by fellow housemate and former X Factor judge Louis Walsh on being related to famous people, he replies: “I didn’t vote for it, it happened to me, and then suddenly there’s a spotlight on you.”
He adds: “They call me the buncle! Have you heard of a buncle? Bad uncle, apparently every family has them.
“It’s difficult to get hold of Kate at the best of times, and she’s got children and I love the fact that she’s putting family first.”
Mr Goldsmith also asserts that he believes the Prince Of Wales and Kate will be “the saviour of the royal family”. The conversation then turns to the Duchess of Sussex, but Mr Goldsmith’s verdict on Meghan has not yet been revealed.
Elsewhere in the episode, Mr Walsh’s former X Factor co-star Sharon Osbourne reveals she is planning to move back to the UK from Los Angeles from April, admitting: “I miss it here, very very much.”
Talking to theatre star Marisha Wallace, Mrs Osbourne, the wife of Black Sabbath star Ozzy Osbourne, jokes she has lived in the US for “a long-ass time,” adding: “I first moved to America in ‘75. And I stayed. Even though Ozzy’s from England we met over there.”
Asking how her husband, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, is doing, Mrs Osbourne says: “He’s doing okay, it’s hard for him but he’s doing okay.
“He’s already started to complain. I had my last phone call with him on the way here and he was miserable.”
The return of Celebrity Big Brother debuted to 2.8 million viewers, ITV has said. The reboot of the reality show peaked at 3.2 million viewers across all devices, according to overnight ratings.
The celebrity version of Big Brother follows the rebooted civilian iteration, which launched on ITV in October 2023 after it was axed by Channel 5 amid a ratings slump in 2018. Celebrity Big Brother continues at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.