Click to play videoNew Delhi: It’s a reality show that’s got just a little too real for comfort. Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty - at the centre of a fierce controversy over alleged racist slurs hurled at her on the British reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother - took a sudden U-turn on Thursday night and said she was no victim.
Adding the new twist to the already twisted tale, Shilpa claimed the behaviour of her housemates towards her was not racially motivated. "I don't feel there was any racial discrimination from Jade's (one of the contestant of the show) end," British Channel 4 television quoted her as saying in a statement put on its website.
"I don't feel there was any racial discrimination happening from Jade's end. I don't think that's true. I think there's lots of insecurities from Jade but it's definitely not racial."
When “Big Brother” asked her if she still thought that Jade's argument with her two days ago was racially motivated, Shilpa shook her head in the negative.
"No, I take it back. Everyone was having an argument. I don't think that is true now. People say things in a fit of anger. But I stand corrected," the actor was quoted as saying.
Shilpa said, "It's been a fractious few days in the Big Brother House. I'm happy today. I wasn't happy two days ago. The way I live, if something has saddened me, it takes me a day to understand, analyse and then I just leave it right there and then I move on, that's the way I've always lived.
Shilpa takes on Jade, fans cheer
While Shilpa may have had second thoughts about her housemates’ behaviour towards her on Thursday night, but for her supporters outside, the issue is still about 'racism'.
Over 27,000 complaints have now reached the media watchdog Ofcom and the ball is now in the public court. The Bollywood beauty faces a public vote on the show on Thursday and is pitted against her rival Jade Goody.
She is said to stand a very good chance to win the show and is supposedly among the public’s favourites. With the eviction nominations amongst the housemates themselves divided equally between Jade and Shilpa, the public vote does seem to be in Shilpa's favour.
“Hope Shilpa wins. Jade should be out,” said a Shilpa supporter, Eddie.
On Thursday, some Asian students also decided to stand in protest outside the location where the show is being shot. But the protest turned out to be rather dull with just two avid Shilpa fans turning up.
Samar and Chengiz Khan decided to brave the freak city weather on Thursday evening to stand in protest outside the Elstree studio in North London, the location of Big Brother’s house.
“One Asian in the house and they are all being nasty. She is a celebrity in her own country. She is cooking for everyone and that's alright. Their behaviour is all wrong,” said Samar.
Khan couldn’t agree more. “From my point of view, they should come on air and should apologise to Shilpa. Jade should leave the house,” he said.
With one of the biggest sponsors pulling out of the show on Thursday, the broadcaster Channel-4 had all reasons to worry. But the channel authorities are now riding on the new twist and hope to have the last laugh with soaring TRPs in the anticipation of a fierce contest between Shilpa and Jade.
(With inputs from Akanksha Banerji in London)
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