[Riz]

Big Bro 'racism' complaints soar

By ALAN TYERS
January 16, 2007

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER has now attracted 4,500 complaints about alleged racist bullying of housemate Shilpa Shetty.
Media watchdog Ofcom has received 3,500 - the highest number of complaints ever made about the show.

Channel 4 has received a further 1,000 emails and calls.

Angry viewers claim Bollywood actress Shilpa is being victimised by fellow housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara.

Monday night’s show featured scenes of the trio picking on Shilpa for her cooking skills.

Jo did an impression of Shilpa’s Indian accent and complained that she had touched food with her hands.

Danielle joined in, sneering, “They eat with their hands in India, don’t they – or is that China?”

“You don’t know where their hands have been,” she added.

During her time in the house, Jade’s mum Jackiey repeatedly referred to Shilpa as “the Indian” and could or would not pronounce her name correctly.

There was also controversy last week when dozens of Sun online readers wrote in to claim that Jack Tweedy had referred to Shilpa with a vile racial slur which was beeped out by producers.

But Channel 4 bosses vigorously denied that Jack had used the word and instead said that Jack had referred to the Bollywood with an unpleasant sexual swearword.

An Ofcom spokeswoman said the compaints were "coming in a continuous stream”.

“If things continue at this level, by tomorrow this is likely to be the largest number of complaints ever received about a Big Brother series.”

But a Channel 4 spokesman insisted, “We take this matter very seriously and Big Brother does not tolerate bullying or racist abuse in any from.”

“Big Brother is closely monitoring the housemates and will take appropriate measures to reprimand such behaviour where necessary,” added the spokesman.