Inside Kate Middleton's relationship with her uncle Gary Goldsmith as he prepares to enter the Celebrity Big Brother house: 'She's the most spectacular person I've ever met'

As uncle to the future Queen, Gary Goldsmith is set to be the hottest ticket on the new series of Celebrity Big Brother, kicking off tonight on ITV tonight. 

With Kate out of the spotlight while recovering from abdominal surgery, royal fans will no doubt hope that the millionaire businessman, 58, who is the brother of Kate's mother Carole Middleton, will open up about his relationship with his niece, who he says is 'the most spectacular person I've ever met.'

Gary, who is reportedly worth £30 million, has enjoyed a close relationship with the Princess of Wales over the years, and attended her wedding to Prince William in 2011. 

 Kate was a bridesmaid at Mr Goldsmith's first wedding to sales executive Miranda Foote in 1991, and her uncle previously revealed how the heartbroken royal sought solace at his Ibiza villa after a break-up with William.

Kate attended Gary's wedding to his first wife Luan Bettany in 1997 (Kate is pictured second right)

Kate Middleton's uncle Gary Goldsmith is reportedly set to enter the Celebrity Big Brother tonight for the ITV reboot of the show (pictured outside Westminster Magistrates Court in 2017)

Kate is away from official royal engagements until after Easter after major surgery in January, with Kensington Palace insisting last week that she was still 'doing well'.

She has not been seen at any royal events since attending church at Sandringham on Christmas Day with William and their children George, Charlotte and Louis.

Mr Goldsmith is said to have told friends that he won't do anything to hurt Kate or William - but he has previously attacked Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and they could therefore now be in the firing line.

The millionaire made most of his money in recruitment, before selling his shares for a reported £17million in 2005, with which he purchased his Ibiza villa, dubbed Maison de Bang Bang because of his penchant for wild parties, in 2006.

Prince William and Kate stayed at Mr Goldsmith's Ibiza villa, in 2006, and he has warm words for the future King, describing him as both 'down-to-earth' and 'charming'.

Mr Goldsmith was also guest at William and Kate's wedding at Westminster Abbey in 2011, and then Kate's sister Pippa Middleton's marriage to James Matthews in 2017. 

He has previously spoken in support of Kate – including to the Mail on Sunday in March 2021 after Harry and Meghan's infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey interview.

Kate is currently recovering from abdominal surgery; she was last seen on Christmas Day (pictured)

He said at the time: 'I've known Kate since she was born and she doesn't have a mean bone in her body. It's just simply not in her nature.

'She's even lovelier on the inside than on the outside. If anyone had a hissy fit, it must have been Meghan. Kate would have been trying to make the peace. I would fight for Kate's honour until the day I die. She is the most spectacular person I've ever met.'

He previously spoke out against Harry and Meghan after the release of Spare and is known for his outspoken opinions on the couple. Writing for the Mail last year, he slammed Harry's autobiography Spare as 'petulant, self-serving...fluff'.

He also spoke out after the latest series of The Crown, which portrayed Carole as the schemer behind Kate and William's relationship. 

'First and foremost, Kate did brilliantly well to get into St Andrews. She's an amazing girl, but that wasn't noted.' 

In 2013, Gary revealed details about the then Duchess of Cambridge in an interview with Hello! Magazine. 

He shed light on the ‘The Kate I Know’ and the early days of her relationship with William in a deal negotiated by Goldsmith’s agent, with the interview and photoshoot taking place at his Ibiza villa. 

Over 16 pages, he told how the young couple enjoyed mud baths on the island, William’s stint DJing for the family - and how Kate had paced around the pool during her brief break-up with William. 

Carole Middleton with her husband Michael and Charles and Camilla on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in April 2011

Carole Middleton and the Princess of Wales attend Royal Ascot in Berkshire on June 20, 2017 

He said William 'absolutely loved' the villa and even credited the villa for bringing the royal couple back together. 

'It's a nice place and it has a very nice vibe and you can hear the sea at night,' he explained. 

'So in some small way I just hope that being here helped. This was June, and she and William were definitely back together in July, so the timing does suggest the holiday did play a part. Wouldn't that be brilliant?'

Show insiders say producers are delighted to have secured him as a contestant because of his links to the royal family - and for his penchant for saying what he thinks, as they look to create a dramatic series. 

A source told The Sun: 'The CBB team love him because of his link to Kate and the fact he's confident and loud and won't hold back. 

'He's made it clear he will talk about everything and anything, and he's pretty outspoken when it comes to Harry and Meghan. 

'Gary also holds a deep affection for Kate and Wills and will be able to give a fascinating insight into what it's really like being related to the future King and Queen.' 

Mr Goldsmith has reportedly signed up for the ITV reboot alongside Loose Women's Linda Robson and X Factor judges Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.

Other housemates touted to appear on the launch of the series include Sharon Osbourne, Louis Walsh, Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Bradley Riches, Nikita Kuzmin and Colson Smith. 

Gary Goldsmith with his daughter Tallulah at Pippa Middleton's wedding in Berkshire in 2017 

Gary Goldsmith was arrested in 2017 after allegedly assaulting his fourth wife, Julie-Ann, outside their London home. They are pictured together at a film premiere in London in 2013

He made his living building an IT recruitment business, but has been caught up in scandals, including being pictured with drugs in Ibiza in 2009.

He was also arrested in October 2017 after allegedly assaulting his fourth wife, Julie-Ann, outside their London home.

Mr Goldsmith knocked her to the ground after she accused him of taking drugs during a drunken fight outside their home.

He later pleaded guilty to one count of assault by beating and was fined £5,000 and handed a 12-month community order with 20 sessions of rehabilitation.

It comes as royal experts warned that Mr Goldsmith's appearance on CBB could impact Kate's recovery from her surgery. 

Phil Dampier told MailOnline today: 'The last thing the Princess of Wales needs at the moment is for her uncle to be talking about her on Celebrity Big Brother.

'And I'm not surprised at reports her mother Carole is not happy with her brother being in the house.

Gary Goldsmith leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in November 2017 where he was fined £5.000 and given a community order after admitting assaulting his wife 

'I'm sure he will go in there determined to only say nice things about her and William as he has in the past. And he probably intends to criticise Harry and Meghan if he gets the chance.

'But after several days his tongue may loosen and he may say things he later regrets.'

The commentator also warned that 'any indication about Kate's medical condition will not go down well with her or William', adding: 'I'm sure Gary wants to support his family but giving more publicity to them at the moment is not what they want.'

Mr Dampier said it would be interesting to know whether Mr Goldsmith consulted Carole or Kate before deciding to go into the house, which 'presumably he is doing for the money'.

And he continued: 'He has caused embarrassment for them in the past with his Maison de Bang Bang misdemeanours, but he has cleaned up his act in recent years and mainly stayed out of the limelight.

'The Big Brother bosses will want him to spill the beans - after all why else would he be in there? - but Kate and William will be hoping he manages to be sensible and focus on other housemates and their problems.'

A Celebrity Big Brother spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Any names are at this point pure speculation and viewers will have to tune to see who will be entering the Celebrity Big Brother house.'