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Reality TV 'racism' draws complaints in Britain
2007-01-15
Britain's media watchdog has received around 200 complaints about alleged racism towards Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty by contestants on reality television show "Big Brother", it said. Shetty, 31, one of nine celebrities whose activities are being filmed after they were locked in a house together on January 2, has been teased about her accent. And one contestant, who has since been voted off the show by viewers, repeatedly referred to her as "the Indian" and could not pronounce her name properly. "We have had approximately 200 complaints of racism," said a spokeswoman for Ofcom. "Quite a lot of websites have been discussing the issue and urging people to get in contact with us." Viewers believe that Shetty has been targeted by Jade Goody, a previous contestant on the non-celebrity version of the show, whose gaffe-prone persona turned her into a tabloid star, Danielle Lloyd, a former beauty queen, and Jo O'Meara, who was in short-lived pop group S Club 7. Goody has said Shetty "makes my skin crawl", while Lloyd has called her "a dog". O'Meara refused to eat a chicken roasted by Shetty because she claimed it was too spicy and undercooked, prompting Shetty to burst into tears. Jackson Five star Jermaine Jackson has consoled Shetty by quoting the words of his brother Michael's hit "Man In The Mirror". "They need to look in the mirror before they can make that change," he told her. "Big Brother" is broadcaster Channel 4's most popular programme and attracts near-blanket coverage in Britain's tabloid press. Show producers sought out Shetty and reportedly paid her more than the others -- up to 350,000 pounds (675,000 dollars, 520,000 euros) -- to bring some Bollywood glamour to proceedings and attract viewers with south Asian roots.
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