Celebrity Big Brother 2024: Gary Goldsmith is first housemate to be evicted - Lauren Simon avoids the boot

Gary Goldsmith is the first housemate to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother - despite his alleged inside track on the royals' goings-on.

The Princess of Wales' - Kate Middleton's - uncle had rubbed up a few housemates the wrong way in the first couple of days of the rebooted competition. He had been nominated for eviction alongside Real Housewives of Cheshire participant Lauren Simon.

Lauren was shown getting upset in the Diary Room when talking about her prospective eviction, and Sharon and Louis were seen gossiping about other housemates - including being rather disparaging about Gary, describing him as a "big mouth".

But the eviction only came after the rules were broken. There was drama when Big Brother gathered the housemates on the sofa to reveal the breach. Big Brother said: “Housemates. There has been a rule break. It is against the rules for housemates to discuss their nominations with each other and this includes speculating or guessing on who has nominated whom or who might nominate whom in the future. This morning, this rule was broken by Louis and Lauren.”

Big Brother read Louis and Lauren’s conversation to the rest of the house including Lauren, referring to Youtuber Zeze Millz when she said: “She hates me.” 

Big Brother asked Lauren to stand up and she apologised, saying: “I’m sorry for putting you all in this situation. I was talking about my emotions and how I was feeling about being nominated. In fairness, I’m living with a group of people who I have grown to love and adore and it’s upset me that a few different people, not just one person, has nominated me. I’m sorry for getting everyone in this situation and I apologise.”

Louis stood and said: “I couldn’t understand how she was nominated because she’s such a great person. I didn’t want to lose her. That’s all.” 

Big Brother then revealed Louis and Lauren’s punishment, telling them to wrap up warm and put themselves in the Celebrity Wheelie Bin of Shame, also ordering them to write a "meaningful letter of apology" to the others. Big Brother said rule breaks were taken "seriously".

It led to a row between Lauren and Zeze, with the pair not initially reconciling despite a blow-up in the bedroom which failed to clear the air, with the housemates dividing on age, which dictated who they rallied around. But a later heart-to-heart seemed to see them back on the same page.

Louis had previously entertained viewers by gossiping with Sharon Osbourne about Simon Cowell, mocking the format of the X Factor and how it would often give contestants a chance to sing "another song" as if it were spontaneous, with Sharon saying "As if they've got a backing track up their arse".

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In today's task, the house became a calm place for meditation, Big Brother's Celestial Retreat. Housemates chose Levi as their ‘guiding eye’ of as they expressed their emotions through dance - to techno music.

In the task housemates took a petal from the bowl bearing a question. Each housemate then chose a fellow celebrity to answer. Louis Walsh read: “Reveal your biggest regret that you need to let go of.” and asked Bradley Riches from Heartstopper to answer the question.

Bradley's answer gained applause and praise from the housemates: “Growing up, finding out who I was, trying to understand who I was. But a lot of that time I lied about who I was and it hurt a lot. Just shying away from the real fact that I’m gay, I’m autistic and proud of who I am. That’s taken a long time for me to say that. That’s my biggest regret, I wish I never did that to myself.”

Fern read: “How have you found peace within yourself or are you still looking?” and asked Gary to answer the question. Gary replied: “I think peace is something always to be striving for. I thought I was having a really cool life until something hits you. One day I was Gary, a businessman having a laugh with a great family. And then the next minute, I’m a national villain. So, I don’t really know what true peace is if I’m honest.”

Dancer Nikita Kuzmin read out: “Reveal which housemate inspires you the most and why?” and asked Sharon to answer. She said: "I know the housemate that inspires me the most and it has to be Levi [Roots]. I feel like Levi has found serenity and it’s something that I strive for daily and I know I have never woken up and found serenity and Levi has it.”

Entrepreneur and chef Levi, who invented Reggae Reggae Sauce, became emotional at Sharon’s admission, and then went on to talk about "bad times" in his life - with two of his daughters criticising the father of eight publicly.