ROCH PICKINGS
George Galloway’s surreal life as he becomes Rochdale MP – from four ‘wives’ to THAT Celebrity Big Brother cat scene
The scandal-hit politician has navigated elections, ridicule and a love life that's even more chaotic than his career
HE’S been voted in as an MP seven times and is known in political circles for his firebrand rants, controversial views and love of Fedora hats.
But for most of us George Galloway - who swept to victory in yesterday’s Rochdale by-election - is remembered for the cringe scenes in Celebrity Big Brother 18 years ago, when he and licked imaginary milk from Rula Lenska's hand.
8
8
8
The Dundee-born politician, 69, won a landslide victory in the Greater Manchester seat and promised to be a thorn in Labour’s side, after they were forced to drop support for their candidate Azhar Ali over anti-Semitic remarks.
He has previously met Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, and has also been accused of “stoking division” between the Muslim and Jewish communities with his hardline pro-Palestinian agenda, and his controversial win was branded a "a dark day" for the UK's Jewish community.
But George's tumultuous political career is matched by his equally , with four marriages and six children.
He married teenage sweetheart Elaine Fyffe in 1979 and they share a daughter, Lucy, born in 1982.
Read More in News
The couple separated in 1987 but their divorce wasn’t finalised until 12 years later.
Controversially, he had already “married” Palestinian scientist Dr Amineh Abu-Zayyad in a Muslim ceremony in 1994 - five years before his divorce came through.
The pair wed legally in 2000, but split in 2009 over Galloway’s “unreasonable behaviour”.
Divorce papers filed to a London court by his wife said his “friendships” with other women left her depressed.
Most read in The Sun
While she still lived in George's home in Streatham, South London, they no longer shared a bedroom or took their meals together.
While married to Dr Abu-Zayyad, he had already been through another non-legal Muslim marriage ceremony with his Lebanese researcher, Rima Husseini, and fathered a son, Zein, in 2007.
Celebrity Big Brother full lineup with a surprising guest
They went to have another son, Faris, in 2011.
Although he never wed Rima in the eyes of British law, she hit out when he married fourth ‘wife’, anthropologist Putri Gayatri Pertiwi, 30 years his junior, in Amsterdam in 2012.
Rima, who had given birth to their second child just four months before, blasted his morals, saying: “We are still married under Islamic law. There is a misconception you can have up to four wives in Islam – but it’s just not true in the 21st century.
“Under English law, he hasn’t done anything illegal. But morally, it’s a different story.”
8
8
His mother-in-law Maha also blasted the MP, saying her daughter was “better off” without him, adding: “Next year he will have another wife.”
But Galloway showed no remorse, boasting about being “up all night” with his 27 year-old bride.
The couple who met when she worked as a co-presenter of Galloway's TV show Sputnik, have three children - Toren Mustaqim, nine, Orlá Dhien, seven, and Òban Amaria, born in August 2020.
She was by his side when he celebrated his Rochdale victory, last night.
Big Brother cat
Galloway was a serving MP, representing Bethnal Green and Bow for the Respect party, when he entered the Big Brother house in 2006.
He was seen palling up to Jimmy Savile in the house as well as miming being a cat, purring and preening before licking pretend milk from the cupped hand of actress Rula Lenska.
The memorable mime has gone down in history as one of the most cringe-worthy TV moments of all time and was slammed by Hilary Armstrong, Labour's Chief Whip, who said he should "respect his constituents, not his ego".
He later defended his actions saying: “My antics on Big Brother, which were actually the same stunts that BBC presenters and celebs get up for Children in Need, actually raised tens of thousands of pounds for the charity Interpal and paid for the wages of an extra caseworker in my constituency. So I can live with his cheap jibes.”
Rochdale by-election results
George Galloway Workers Party of GB - 12,335
David Tully Independent 6,638
Paul Ellison Conservative - 3,731
Azhar Ali Labour - 2,402
Iain Donaldson Liberal Democrats - 2,164
Simon Danczuk Reform - 1,968
In an interview with the Telegraph in 2022, Rula was asked about the low point of her career and said: "The photograph of George Galloway in my crotch pretending to be a cat during Celebrity Big Brother. It was completely innocent, but the angle it was shot at made it look salacious.
“Big Brother wasn’t the most wonderful experience, and seeing the picture on the front of every newspaper including The New York Times was a bit galling."
Child abuse revelation
During a heated debate over vetting of staff at schools, in 2009, Galloway revealed he had been sexually abused.
He write “I was a victim of sexual abuse, at the age of 11, at the hands of a person in a position of trust. He was a school janitor.
“He didn't just strike against me and he should not have been employed in that capacity.
“I'm not saying the abuse has ruined my life or anything. I've had a happy life.
“But it did affect my life and not in a good way and neither in ways I care to rehearse before you.
“Every time a Soham murderer or a Dunblane Thomas Hamilton emerges, I die a little inside as I remember that dirty old man driven by the same perverted interest in sexually attacking kids.
“I told no one, not even my wives, of what happened to me. All I feel is ashamed, though I was the child victim and he the aggressive predator.
“He must be dead now and past shame and in a spirit of forgiveness; I hope he's roasting in the hell-fires.”
How George Galloway's political comeback could prove a major headache for Sir Keir Starmer
By Martina Bet, Political Correspondent
AS he delivered his victory speech, George Galloway could not have made it any clearer.
Sir Keir Starmer’s problems just got “100 times worse” than they were before today, he told the sports hall in Rochdale.
He warned him his win was for Gaza and that he would pay a “high price” for enabling the plight of the Palestinians.
But is the threat of the former Big Brother contestant credible?
Sir Keir’s team appears to have already gone into hiding, with no shadow minister set to appear on the usual morning round with TV and radio this morning.
It is perhaps because they know his victory is due to their very own doing.
The suspension of Azhar Ali, Labour's candidate for Rochdale, came after a recording emerged in which he claimed Israel was complicit in the terrorist attacks of October 7.
Labour hesitated to disown him at first, due to concerns that doing so might pave the way for Mr Galloway's entry into Parliament.
In the early hours of this morning, their fears turned into reality and they are probably now wishing they had conducted a more thorough vetting process.
Mr Galloway, who was kicked out by Labour more than two decades ago, now has a chance to use his position in Parliament to shine a light on Labour's differing views on Gaza, especially with a general election on the horizon.
The Labour leader just about headed off a damaging and major rebellion within his party over Gaza after the Speaker allowed a vote on a Labour amendment to an SNP motion last week.
But divisions might just start becoming more apparent, with people from the left likely to feel more emboldened as a result of Mr Galloway's comfortable victory.
Political controversy
Rochdale is the fifth constituency served by Galloway since he was first elected in Glasgow Hillhead in 1987.
Initially a Labour MP, he was expelled from the party over his prominent opposition to the Iraq War, in 2003, and stood as an independent before joining the Respect party and becoming its leader in 2013,
Now representing the Workers Party of Britain, he has been a divisive figure throughout his career, supporting Putin’s Russia and drawing condemnation for visiting dictator Suddam Hussein in Iraq in 1994 and 2002.
During the first visit he praised the dictator for his “courage, strength and indefatigability” – although later claimed his comments were addressed to the Iraqi people and had been poorly translated.
He was also friends with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, Venezuelan despot Hugo Chavez and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
With his latest triumph, he has a new platform and wasted no time in courting controversy, telling crowds in Rochdale: “This is for Gaza.”
But “Gorgeous George” may not have long to bask in the relit limelight - as he could well be ousted at the General Election, later this year.
8
8
8
Topics