Meghan Markle’s brother Thomas Markle Jr is reportedly set to make his appearance on Big Brother VIP. If rumors making the rounds online are anything to go by, a family connection of the former Suits actress has signed up for the reality TV show.
This piece of information surfaced after the unceremonious axing of Katie Hopkins. New Idea spotted Thomas Markle Jr at Sydney Airport less than a week after Hopkins’ exit from the upcoming season of the show. She was reportedly due to her behavior in hotel quarantine.
Thomas Markle Jr probably received a critical skills visa to be granted entry in Australia amid the still raging coronavirus pandemic. His rumored addition to the cast comes after Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews announced that Hopkins’ visa was canceled on Monday, and she was forced on a flight back to the UK.
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Markle may have been brought in quickly to replace Hopkins, considering that the show is slated to start filming soon. “New Idea is told [Markle] was spotted by numerous airport staff who were unable to get photos of their own,” the publication reported. He is the estranged half-brother of Meghan.
Thomas Jr was arrested for allegedly threatening his girlfriend with a gun in 2017. However, no charges were made. He then made headlines a year later for urging Prince Harry to cancel the wedding because Meghan “is obviously not the right woman for you”. In his letter to the Duke of Sussex, Thomas Jr claimed that marrying Meghan would be “the biggest mistake in royal wedding history”.
Other notable contestants participating in the show include Caitlyn Jenner, who is currently in hotel quarantine after arriving from LA last week. The 71-year-old reality star is allegedly getting paid $500,000 for her appearance on the Channel 7 show.
“We are not commenting on speculation about the cast of Big Brother VIP. All will be revealed soon and Big Brother is looking forward to meeting the new collection of housemates,” a Seven spokesperson told news.com.au.
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“Much of the speculation has been wrong, but it’s important to note that Seven ensures the arrival of international artists in Australia does not impact or impede on Australians returning home from overseas,” they added.
“Any international artists associated with Seven are on arrangements that exist outside of the flight cap on international arrivals and have been granted exemptions by the government to come here. All our artists also undertake quarantine measures in line with government legislation.
“Much like the arrival of world-class international actors bolstering Australia’s film industry at present, these artists are contributing to the making of leading TV productions, creating jobs for many people at a difficult time for the creative and production sectors.”