Gary Goldsmith recently entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, but now Women’s Aid has criticised ITV over the casting.
Viewers have also threatened to boycott the series.
Gary (read his ED! profile here), who is Kate, Princess of Wales’ uncle, was fined £5,000 and given a community order in November 2017 after pleading guilty to assault by beating.
The businessman, now 58, and his fourth wife Julie-Ann rowed in a taxi. It came after a night out in October 2017 at private members’ club Home in Portman Square, Marylebone, in the West End of London.
According to the Mirror, the domestic violence charity has asked the broadcaster to consider how “Gary Goldsmith’s appearance will impact women who have survived domestic abuse”.
Women’s Aid has reportedly said his inclusion in the CBB line-up sends a sign to survivors of abuse that “that these crimes are not taken seriously.”
A spokeswoman for charity said: “The decision to include a man who has been charged, and pleaded guilty to, assaulting his wife, in the Celebrity Big Brother house demonstrates the lack of awareness that the production team has when it comes to survivors of domestic abuse. The producers should consider how Gary Goldsmith’s appearance will impact women who have survived domestic abuse and how they will feel watching him on TV every night.
“At Women’s Aid, we would urge the producers to consider how they approach this. For many survivors of abuse, the inclusion of men convicted of abuse in entertainment programmes will already be a sign that these crimes are not taken seriously the entertainment industry has to consider the impact on women of who they give a platform to and derive entertainment value from.”
Gary Goldsmith on Celebrity Big Brother 2024
Social media users have objected to his reality show run.
One tweeted on Tuesday (March 5) morning: “Why @ITV do you think it’s ok to put a [him] on @bbuk to clean up his public image? Just because he is tangentially related to the future Queen. I won’t be watching until he’s out. #CelebrityBigBrother.”
“#CelebrityBigBrother was all for it but I don’t think I’ll continue watching. Just found out that Kate Middleton’s uncle assaulted his own wife. I know Big Brother is all for controversy. But willingly putting an abusive man in there is where I draw the line,” wrote another.
A third posted: “Why have @ITV bosses allowed a man into #CBBUK who punched his wife in the face?”
Disgusting. I won’t be watching.
To which someone else replied: “Absolutely what I thought! Disgusting. I won’t be watching.”
ITV statement on Celebrity Big Brother
A Celebrity Big Brother spokesperson told ED!: “All housemates undertake training in language and behaviour before entering the Big Brother house. All behaviour in the house is strictly monitored at all times.”
The spokesperson also supplied ED! with an apology from Gary, said to have been previously made publicly. It reads: “I’m not perfect and I made a mistake, a personal row seven years ago which was publicly exposed that I’ve worked endlessly for seven years to put right. The offence is long since spent however my regret continues.”
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Why was Gary Goldsmith arrested?
According to reports, he sent Julie-Ann tumbling to the pavement during the October 2017 assault. He is said to have struck her with a left-handed punch.
He was reportedly banned from seeing or talking to Julie-Ann while he was on bail. But several weeks following conviction in January 2018, he and Julie-Ann were reported to have reconciled.
Reports claimed they made up during a New Year’s Eve party at his villa in Ibiza.
He told the Daily Mail at the time: “We’ve had a great New Year. It’s been really good fun, so yes. But we’d prefer to be left to get on with things.”
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Celebrity Big Brother 2024 continues at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
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