Kate's uncle Gary's tumultuous life - four wives, assault, and self-made fortune
Gary Goldsmith looks set to be the ideal Celebrity Big Brother contestant with his connections in high places and a history of shocking behaviour.
The famous uncle, 58, entered the house last night, leaving viewers at the edge of their seats as to what he might reveal. A source said ITV bosses not only brought him in because of his link to the royal family, but that he's "confident and loud and won't hold back," according to The Sun.
He is the younger brother of Carole Middleton and uncle to Kate, the Princess of Wales, along with Pippa and James. Raised in a council house in Hounslow, west London, Gary is the son of a painter and decorator and the grandson of a miner from a pit village in Durham.
Gary could open up in the house about his royal connections (UK Press via Getty Images)But he became a self-made millionaire thanks to making a fortune in the recruitment industry. After leaving school, the four-times married businessman started working as an IT operator. He quickly climbed the ranks at the IT recruitment firm Computer Futures, becoming a director and shareholder within just six months.
When it comes to his love life, Gary first married Miranda Foote in 1991 before divorcing. He then tied the knot in 1997 to Luan Bettaney, whom he shares a daughter, Tallulah, with. Their union also ended, with Gary marrying Julia Leake in a civil ceremony in 2007, however she jilted him shortly after.
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Two years later, he was infamously pictured in Ibiza by News of the World, allegedly showing him with cocaine and a credit card. In the same year, he attacked his fourth and current wife, Julie-Ann, whom he married in 2012, amid a heated row outside their home after she accused him of drug-taking.
He pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating and was fined £5,000 and given a 12-month community order with 20 sessions of rehabilitation. Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot described him as a 'nasty drunk' when sentencing him.
Goldsmith said in an interview four years ago: “People like to think I’m a bad boy. I’m not really.”
Defending Goldsmith, Jane Humphryes QC, said the incident had left him "deeply ashamed" and concerned about the impact on his family. Since then, he has kept himself out of the limelight. When he sold his shares in his company in 2005, he reportedly made £17m, allowing him to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
He owns properties in Central London and a secret spot on the Spanish island of Ibiza, once called Maison de Bang Bang. This place is special because it's where Kate and William had a lovely holiday in 2006.
(Evening Standard via Getty Images)
(James Veysey/REX/Shutterstock)In recent times, he has returned to the press to voice his opinions on the Firm and to support his sister amid criticism. When the final series of Netflix's The Crown was released, Gary defended Carole as the show suggested she had schemed to get Kate closer to Prince William. When asked if he thought Carole would watch the show, he said: "I think the family is a bit too classy to watch stuff like that.
"But I would say, there's probably someone taking notes, and saying, 'They've said this.'" Gary then went on to praise his niece, saying she worked hard to get into St Andrew's University on her own accord.
He shared: "First and foremost, Kate did brilliantly well to get into St. Andrews. She's an amazing, an amazing, an amazing girl, but that wasn't noted." He hasn't held back on his thoughts about Prince Harry either.
On his memoir Spare, which highlighted a troubled relationship between the estranged royal brothers, Mr Goldsmith said: "I’m particularly appalled by his vile confection of half-truths and complete fabrications because Kate is my adored niece."
When asked why he has joined Celebrity Big Brother and why now at such a pivotal time in the Royal family, Gary responded: "We all like to be liked, this is a great opportunity to show anyone who cares the 'real me', the fun, caring and devilish 'me', not the villain I'm often portrayed in the press. Also as I fast approach 60 I want to say 'YES' to most things put in front of me."
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Upon entering the house on Monday night, Gary was asked by the show's host AJ Odudu if Princess Kate would be watching his venture on Celebrity Big Brother. He replied: "If she is it will be behind a sofa, I guess."
For weeks on end, royal fans have been sharing their concern for Kate, who recently underwent abdominal surgery. After the operation at the London Clinic on January 16, she was deemed 'missing' by concerned fans who pondered why she had been out of the limelight for such an extended period of time.
The Palace confirmed she would be recovering at home in Windsor and would not return to royal duties until after Easter.
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