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CELEBRITY Big Bruv winner Shilpa Shetty yesterday admitted the bullying she suffered on the show WAS racist.

She confessed to The Sun: “It did hurt — I’m only human.” But the Bollywood beauty thanked the British people for their overwhelming support during her ordeal.

Shilpa, 31, suffered jibes from Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara that sparked worldwide outrage.

She said yesterday: “I saw the footage for the first time and it looked pretty ghastly.”

After the Oxo cube row Shilpa had insisted that the bullying was racist. She told The Sun: “I know at that point of time I perceived it as racist — and I’m not trying to make any statements to retract from what I said.”

However, she insisted Jade was “not a bad person.” She claimed her comments “stemmed out of her insecurities”. And she praised Britain as a tolerant nation.

When told the race row sparked 46,000 complaints, Shilpa said: “I just take it as a huge compliment.

“I would like to thank the people of Britain for supporting me, for knowing what side to be on and sticking by me.”

And she told fellow Asians: “Just be proud for who you are, what you are. You don’t have to be a celebrity to stand up for your rights, to carry yourself with dignity.”

Shilpa added: “Jade didn’t intentionally mean to be racist. Women are like that when they get together!”

After hearing of Jade’s “Shilpa Poppadum” comment, Shilpa shrugged: “She didn’t remember my last name, I don’t know Jade’s last name . . . oh Goody!”

When told Jade only made up after being warned by BB chiefs, Shilpa said: “At least she made an effort. The day we hugged it was all gone.”

She stressed: “Big Brother was just a game — it’s over, let’s move on.”

Source: The Sun

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