Many people have voiced their disapproval of Gary Goldsmith’s participation in Celebrity Big Brother 2024.
Catherine Middleton, the uncle of the Princess of Wales, admitted in 2017 that he had assaulted his wife Julie-Ann Goldsmith and knocked her to the ground during a row that occurred while he was under the influence of alcohol.
During the court proceedings, he admitted to one charge of assault by beating and was given a community order for a period of twelve months along with twenty sessions of rehabilitation to ensure that “this kind of loutish behaviour does not reoccur.”
That Goldsmith should be allowed to take part in the reality show is something that Charity Women’s Aid does not believe should be allowed.
‘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,’ a spokeswoman said.
‘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, as 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.’