Princess Kate Middleton’s uncle Gary Goldsmith will not be attending the Celebrity Big Brother finale after news of his niece’s cancer went public.
“Following today’s news, I will not be attending tonight’s Celebrity Big Brother final,” Goldsmith, 58, shared via X on Friday, March 22. “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow Housemates and to everyone involved in the making of this brilliant show. I hope you all enjoy your special night.”
Goldsmith made his Celebrity Big Brother debut when season 23 of the U.K. game show premiered earlier this month. (He was eliminated on March 8 after five days in the Big Brother house.)
“Following today’s sad news, Gary has made the decision not to attend tonight’s Celebrity Big Brother final,” the U.K.’s ITV shared in a statement published by multiple outlets. “We fully support his decision and wish him and his family well at this difficult time. We’d like to extend our thanks to Gary for joining us this series.”
Following today’s news, I will not be attending tonight’s Celebrity Big Brother final. I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my fellow Housemates and to everyone involved in the making of this brilliant show. I hope you all enjoy your special night.
— Gary Goldsmith (@GaryGoldsmithX) March 22, 2024
Goldsmith’s decision to step away from the finale came hours after Kate, 42, revealed that she had been diagnosed with cancer after undergoing abdominal surgery earlier this year.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous,” she shared at the time. “The surgery was successful, however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore advised that I should undergo a course of preventative chemotherapy, and I’m now in the early stages of that treatment.”
Kate’s health has been an ongoing question for many royal watchers after she seemingly disappeared from the public eye following her surgery. When Goldsmith entered the Celebrity Big Brother house, he was faced with questions about his niece from fellow contestants.
Love Island alum Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, for one, asked him for details about Kate’s whereabouts during the premiere.
“Because she doesn’t want to talk about it, the last thing I’m going to do is [talk about it],” Goldsmith said. “There is a kind of code or etiquette. If it’s announced, I’ll give you an opinion. All the family has put the wagons down and [are looking] after the family first before anything else. They said, ‘She’s going to take some time to recoup, and we’ll see you at Easter.’”
During his short-lived stint on the reality show, Goldsmith received some backlash for discussing the royal family at length.
“It does hurt for when you’re always referred to being a ‘bad uncle.’ I wanted to change that,” he said during his Celebrity Big Brother exit interview, per The Daily Beast. “What an opportunity to have a sneaky peek behind the world of celebrity. I’ve tried to be myself, chuck in a royal thing a little too often. It was interesting to see an insight into their world. In my world, I am center of attention but this is a different level.”
