Celebrity Big Brother bringing in Gary Goldsmith sends the wrong message to survivors of domestic abuse
Ahead of International Women's Day, Teresa Parker – head of media at Women's Aid – urges producers to be more mindful of who they spotlight.
This Friday, March 8th, we will be celebrating International Women’s Day. Coming at the start of Women’s History Month, it is an opportunity for us to celebrate the power of women, but also to acknowledge the long road still before us, especially when it comes to reaching equality and ending violence against women and girls.
This is why it is so shocking to see that Celebrity Big Brother chose this week, of all weeks, to announce that Gary Goldsmith is entering the house as a celebrity. Reality TV often thrives on controversy – contestants are frequently outspoken, command a large social media following and are entertaining enough to keep viewers coming back day after day.
However, in the case of Gary Goldsmith, the quest for entertainment has gone too far – this is a man who has been charged, and convicted, of attacking his wife in 2017. It is impossible that producers didn’t know about this incident, given that it was widely reported on at the time and a simple Google search would have revealed this information.
So, why is it that, despite violence against women and girls dominating the media discourse over the last few years, with documentaries detailing atrocious crimes against women airing on a weekly basis, with inquiries unearthing just how misogynistic our society still is, that we are turning to convicted abusers for entertainment?
The reality is that despite tireless efforts by survivors, domestic abuse services and sector colleagues, domestic abuse is still not taken seriously enough. We know that in England, 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their life – a number that is shockingly high and that could be higher still, given that so many women suffer these crimes in silence.
We also know, from our work with survivors of domestic abuse, that many don’t report crimes against them for fear of not being believed, of being belittled, or knowing that they will not see the perpetrator brought to justice. The impact of seeing men convicted of domestic abuse offences and other crimes against women in the spotlight will only serve to reinforce this message, especially when the role they are given is one of celebration and entertainment. Dismissing this impact, or not considering it in the first place, shows a lack of awareness that should not exist in today’s society, let alone on mainstream television programmes.
This is not the first, and I have no doubt will not be the last, time that we have spoken out about misogyny in the entertainment industry. The #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, the same year that Goldsmith attacked his wife, and yet, we keep hearing of new allegations being made against men in the entertainment industry, of men who have been convicted of crimes, coming back into the limelight without any repercussions, with the women they abused simply forgotten, becoming a footnote in the stories of these men. Why has this been allowed to continue? Why don’t companies do due diligence, why are allegations allowed to pile up and only acted on when they become public information?
There is, of course, also an argument to be made that some of these men have already been punished – some of them have been found guilty, sentenced and served their time. This is true. But should we then allow them to come back into the limelight without even acknowledging the crimes that they committed? Should we allow these men to be celebrated and simply choose to ignore the women that they harmed in the process?
At Women’s Aid, we believe that in doing so, we are doing a terrible disservice to the women who have been brave enough to come forward, to make allegations and see them through in the court of justice. Acknowledging them, their journeys and experiences, is essential if we want to build a world in which domestic abuse is no longer tolerated.
We urge the producers of Celebrity Big Brother to think about this and to reach out to specialist domestic abuse services, to work in collaboration with them, to produce programmes that are as entertaining as they are considerate of the experiences of others. Let’s make this International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month the turning point to do better.
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When approached by RadioTimes.com for comment about Goldsmith’s inclusion, a Big Brother spokesperson said: "All housemates undertake training in language and behaviour before entering the Big Brother house. All behaviour in the house is strictly monitored at all times."
ITV also shared a previous statement from Goldsmith, in which he said: "I’m not perfect and I made a mistake, a personal row seven years ago which was publicly exposed that I've worked endlessly for seven years to put right. The offence is long since spent however my regret continues."
Anyone experiencing abuse in a relationship can connect with a support worker and find help and information at www.womensaid.org.uk, or call the Freephone 24/7 National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247.
