The Indian film star Shilpa Shetty, participating in UK’s popular reality TV show ‘Celebrity Big Brother,’ became the victim of racist attacks by fellow contestants, was branded a ‘dog’ and drove her to tears. Some viewers believe housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O’Meara have made racist taunts about the Indian actress. Shilpa was victimized and bullied on live TV because she’s an ‘Indian’.
Media watchdog Ofcom has received around 2,000 complaints about alleged racism in CBB. Ofcom, Britain’s official TV watchdog, confirmed late on Tuesday that viewers’ complaints said ‘it’s racism pure and simple.’
On Monday night’s episode, Jo reportedly suggested that Indians were thin because they are always ill as a result of undercooking their food. The trio also complained that Shilpa had touched other housemates’ food with her hands.
Danielle said, ‘You don’t know where those hands have been.’
The media watchdog said it was looking into the matter, but that disciplinary action was unlikely.
A spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policy said,
It’s not going to be a speedy process. It’ll probably take a few weeks, at which point people will have forgotten about it.
The incidents have provoked Big Brother fans to debate the racism question on websites.
