It looks like things might be going from bad to worse for the Royal Family. Kate's controversial uncle Gary Goldsmith is set to make his TV debut in the Celebrity Big Brother house, as it returns to air after six years. 58-year-old Gary - the brother of Carole Middleton - has not been shy when it comes to revealing his thoughts on Prince Harry and Meghan, and reports claim that this penchant for outspokenness is exactly why the reality show was so keen to recruit him.
The news comes as Kate continues her recovery from what Kensington Palace has called a 'planned abdominal surgery' that she underwent back in January. The Princess of Wales is not due to return to official duties until at least Eastertime, despite growing speculation online about her whereabouts and the details of her health condition, to which a palace spokesperson has reiterated they "made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we’d only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands."
Goldsmith, said to be the black sheep of the family, previously attempted to join I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here last year but was unsuccessful. This was down to worries that William and Kate would be embarrassed by her maternal uncle, the Mail reports, however, the Celebrity Big Brother team doesn't share these concerns, instead believing the businessman's uninhibited style will fit right in.
The Sun reports sources as saying, "The CBB team love him because of his link to Kate and the fact that he's confident and loud and won't hold back. He's made it clear he will talk about everything and anything, and he’s pretty outspoken when it comes to Harry and Meghan."
The source added that the uncle of the future Queen will be "TV gold" and that the businessman has inked a lucrative deal for his appearance. However, royal experts have criticised the appointment as "cringe-making" and likely to embarrass the royals.
Speaking to The Sun, royal author Angela Levin said: "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."
No stranger to controversy, Goldsmith - who made his millions in recruitment - was arrested on suspicion of domestic assault in October 2017, to which he later pleaded guilty and was fined £5000 alongside being ordered into rehab.
Celebrity Big Brother will air on ITV, and feature other stars including Katie Price, Louis Walsh and Zeze Mills.
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