Gary Goldsmith’s time on Celebrity Big Brother is not going well. The Princess of Wales’s uncle is in there with noted Sussex-hater Sharon Osbourne, who basically looks like a reanimated corpse. They’ve been sitting around, bitching about Prince Harry and Meghan, but then Sharon is now trying to get dodgy Uncle Gary evicted from the house. How the worm turns, eh? But really, Gary has already fulfilled his obligations by talking endlessly about the Sussexes and how Kate is a saint, an angel who never puts a foot wrong.

Gary Goldsmith, who is the brother of the Princess of Wales’s mother Carole Middleton, also said he believed there was a “rewrite of history saying how unhappy” the Duke of Sussex was, as the businessman opened up to fellow housemates on this year’s rebooted Celebrity Big Brother. Speaking to Sharon Osbourne on the reality show on Tuesday, the 58-year-old said of Harry: “I think it’s really sad. At some point, I think he’s going to come back and be part of the gang – he might need to. I think we’re a very forgiving nation, I think everyone would give him a chance.”

He said: “I have a feeling that Harry was really, really loved. When they were a threesome – so Kate, William and Harry – they looked really comfortable together. Then suddenly there’s an extra dynamic that comes in, puts a stick in the spokes, and creates so much drama that I don’t genuinely think was there – and rewrote the history and saying how unhappy he was. And I just don’t think that’s fair. You can’t throw your family under the bus, write books about it, and then expect to be invited around for Christmas.”

Mr Goldsmith also spoke of Kate and his admiration for how she prioritises her family. He said: “It’s difficult to get hold of Kate at the best of times, and she’s got children – and I love the fact she puts her family first.”

Speaking on social media, Goldsmith said conspiracy theorists ‘should leave [Kate] alone right now because there’s a reason why they’re not talking about it. They are giving her a little bit of space. I just think it’s fundamentally wrong and if it was happening to anybody else they would think to give them some space. But because Kate’s Kate, she does such an amazing job, there’s always interest in her. She’s the number one royal for a reason and I just beg people to give her some space. I do think that they’re changing the dynamic and they are family centric. They’ve got duty and it’s a privilege to have the roles that they do have, but it’s family first. You’ve got to look after yourself. You put your own oxygen mask on before you look after others. Kate, get well, love you and when you’re ready we’ll see you again. That’s what we do to anyone else, why not her?’

[From The Independent & The Daily Mail]

From what I saw online from British CBB-watchers, Gary’s comments went down like a lead balloon, especially his comments about Harry and Meghan. He’s complaining about the Sussexes selling out the royals… while he’s on a tacky reality show, selling out his royal in-laws. He’s a convicted domestic abuser who is targeting an American woman and calling her a “stick in the spokes.” And he’s continuing with the narrative that Harry should have just never married so he could be a third-wheel to William and Kate’s toxic marriage forever. Sure. Meanwhile, friends of Bill & Cathy ran to the Daily Beast to complain about Gary and everything else:

The [new photo of Kate on Monday] was immediately seized on by some critics, who argued that it was orchestrated by the palace, in a vivid example of the impossibility of answering all online critics. Sources have told The Daily Beast the appearance was not staged for the cameras.

A friend of William and Kate’s told The Daily Beast: “Gary’s a private citizen, and he can do what he likes, but he must have known that doing Big Brother right now would fuel the feeding frenzy. It’s inconsiderate to say the least. Kate and William have had every excuse to dump Gary but they never have. But if he says something embarrassing, or gives away any personal information, that will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.”

Another friend of the family said: “He couldn’t have picked a worse time. It’s blatant cashing in and it is thoughtless. But since the queen died, it has been pretty much open season.” Asked if this meant they thought the late queen would have actively used her influence to prevent someone tangentially involved with the family like Goldsmith appearing on a reality show, the friend said: “I just don’t think he would have dared had she been alive. Now anyone seems to be able to do whatever they want without repercussions.”

However, a friend of Carole’s told The Daily Beast: “Gary is a lot of things but he isn’t stupid. There is no way he will say anything to risk his relationship with the family. Mike Tindall did I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and that was fine, and I am sure this will be too.”

[From The Daily Beast]

It’s true that since QEII died, all of the minor royals and royal-adjacents and Kate’s tacky family have all been cashing in, however they can. It blew up in the Middletons’ faces last year when Party Pieces collapsed and with it, the Middleton house of cards. That’s the larger story, one which has been curiously ignored by the British media. Between Party Pieces’ collapse and Gary’s CBB appearance, it looks like the Middleton-Goldsmith clan is in dire financial straits, and it looks like they’ve lied about their money for decades. Phrases like “blackmail risk” and “would do anything for an easy paycheck” are ricocheting around my head.

Screencaps courtesy of Celebrity Big Brother’s YouTube video & Instagram.