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Ofcom probes Big Brother 'racism' Ofcom probes Big Brother 'racism'
(about 2 hours later)
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom is investigating complaints about alleged racism in Celebrity Big Brother against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom has received over 2,000 complaints about alleged racism in Celebrity Big Brother against Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty.
The organisation says it has received 2,000 complaints about the series since it began, with the majority being about housemates' treatment of the actress. The organisation said it looked set to be the most complained-about series of the Channel 4 reality show.
Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara have been seen ganging up on Shetty in the past few days. Housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara have been seen making fun of the Bollywood star's accent.
But Channel 4 has described the situation as "girly rivalry". Channel 4 described the issue as "girly rivalry" but an anti-bullying charity has said she is "definitely" a victim.
Jade Goody's mother, Jackiey, repeatedly referred to Shilpa as "the Indian" while she was on the show and was unable to pronounce her name. Over the weekend, model Lloyd and ex-S Club 7 star O'Meara poked fun at Shilpa's accent and criticised a chicken dinner she made as "too spicy" and "undercooked".
Over the weekend, model Lloyd and ex-S Club 7 star O'Meara poked fun at Shilpa's accent. Jade Goody's mother, Jackiey Budden, repeatedly referred to Shilpa as "the Indian" while she was featured on the show and was unable to pronounce her name.
It is a game and there is a life beyond that. Sunanda Shetty, Shilpa's mother Ofcom said the number of complaints had risen from 200 on Monday morning to 2,000 on Tuesday. Goody originally made her name in the third series of Big Brother and had been placed in the house along with her mother and boyfriend.
A spokeswoman said: "Quite a lot of websites have been discussing the issue and urging people to get in contact with us. We will look into each individual complaint." Shilpa is too good-looking for her own good - she's an incredibly powerful and beautiful woman Carole MaloneEvicted contestant Act Against Bullying founder Louise Burfitt-Dons said Goody had "not been behaving properly" and the charity had removed her picture from its website. She said Goody had made a donation to the organisation a year ago.
Shilpa's mother, Sunanda Shetty, told the BBC Asian Network her daughter was tough: "I hope that she will be able to handle the situation. It is a game and there is a life beyond that. 'Strong woman'
"I mean, I understand her emotions but I really hope that she is not going to get too affected by this treatment that is being meted out to her." Shetty's UK manager, Jaz Barton, told BBC Radio Five: "She didn't come into the house to have that sort of harassment.
Evicted housemate Carole Malone has said she believes the incidents are motivated by jealousy. "You know, she came in there with the full intention to actually embrace the public at large and to be proud of her culture and her heritage and who she is, and now she's faced with all this sort of harassment."
Shetty's mother, Sunanda, told the BBC Asian Network her daughter was tough: "I hope that she will be able to handle the situation. It is a game and there is a life beyond that.
"I understand her emotions but I really hope that she is not going to get too affected by this treatment that is being meted out to her."
HAVE YOUR SAY I think the whole thing has been blown completely out of proportion Donna, Essex Send us your comments Evicted contestant Carole Malone said she believed the incidents were motivated by jealousy.
"Shilpa is too good-looking for her own good," she told the Asian Network."Shilpa is too good-looking for her own good," she told the Asian Network.
"She's an incredibly powerful and beautiful woman. She is a very strong woman and can handle it. I spoke to her about it when I was in the house.""She's an incredibly powerful and beautiful woman. She is a very strong woman and can handle it. I spoke to her about it when I was in the house."
Malone added: "Shilpa feels that she represents the Indian/Asian community and doesn't want to let them or herself down by retaliating."Malone added: "Shilpa feels that she represents the Indian/Asian community and doesn't want to let them or herself down by retaliating."
'Continuous stream'
Former Celebrity Big Brother contestant Faria Alam told BBC Radio Five Live: "This is schoolyard kind of rubbish basically, and it is jealousy and it's a combination of things.
"You know, when you're in the house and you have lack of food and things like that everything sort of culminates and it comes to a head."
Ofcom said the number of complaints had risen from 200 on Monday morning to 2,000 on Tuesday.
A spokeswoman said: "They are coming in a continuous stream.
"We had a similar number of complaints about the last series of Big Brother when Nikki was allowed back into the house and people were furious that they were having to pay to vote for the same person twice.
"But 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."