Princess of Wales’ uncle Gary Goldsmith joins Sharon Osbourne in ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ house

By Jack Guy, CNN

(CNN) — Gary Goldsmith, an uncle of Catherine, Princess of Wales, has joined the “Celebrity Big Brother” house alongside contestants including Sharon Osbourne and Marisha Wallace, for a new series starting in the United Kingdom this week.

In an introductory video, Goldsmith described himself as “uncle to the future Queen of our country, Catherine Middleton, the current Princess of Wales.”

Goldsmith is the brother of Catherine’s mother, Carole Middleton.

Goldsmith said his niece was “simply perfect” and described how the first time he met William, Prince of Wales, the royal offered him a cup of tea.

“Very normal,” said Goldsmith, who is known for his checkered past and referenced his reputation as “a bit of a bad boy” in the video.

“It would be lovely to put the record straight, but winding people up is probably my favorite hobby,” he added. “Every part of me is just riddled with mischief and danger.”

Goldsmith described himself as “an absolute nightmare to live with.”

“There’s a reason why I’ve had four wives,” he added.

However, his appearance on the show sparked criticism due to the fact that Goldsmith was fined and given a community order in 2017 for assaulting his wife, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

“Why have @ITV bosses allowed a man into #CBBUK who punched his wife in the face? Why is Gary Goldsmith in the house?” reads one post on X.

Media critic and Daily Telegraph arts and entertainment editor Anita Singh also highlighted the violent incident in another post on X.

“Honestly ITV you should be ashamed of yourselves,” she wrote.

Some of Goldsmith’s housemates are more famous than others: Osbourne will be reunited with fellow former “X Factor” judge Louis Walsh in the house. More minor celebrities include dancer Nikita Kuzmin and TV personality Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, a former “Love Island” winner who also recently appeared on “The Traitors US.”

The latest series started on Monday on UK channel ITV1.

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