Kate Middleton's uncle joins UK TV show Celebrity Big Brother

LONDON - The uncle of Kate Middleton, Britain's Princess of Wales, joined reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother on Monday (March 4), offering millions of viewers the tantalising prospect that he could gossip about the British royal family to his housemates.

Gary Goldsmith, 58, is the younger brother of Kate's mother, Carole Middleton. He was a guest at Kate and Prince William's wedding in 2011.

His appearance on the show comes at a testing time for the royals after King Charles was diagnosed with cancer and Kate has been absent from public life while she recovers from abdominal surgery in January.

Goldsmith said in the show that Kate was "simply perfect".

"The first time I met William, Catherine was cooking and William said 'Hi, do you want a cup of tea'," he said. "Very normal."

The businessman, who made a fortune in IT recruitment, said he wanted to "put the record straight" about his bad boy reputation.

But he added: "Winding people up is probably my favourite hobby. I'm an absolute nightmare to live with; there's a reason why I've had four wives."

In 2017, Goldsmith was fined after he assaulted his fourth wife, Julie-Ann, in a drunken argument.

He joined 11 other celebrities - including reality TV judge and music manager Louis Walsh and TV presenter Fern Britton - in the Big Brother house, where they are constantly filmed.

Celebrity Big Brother has been revived by broadcaster ITV, six years after it last aired on rival Channel 5.

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