UNITED KINGDOM/INDIA: Reaction to Jade Goody's eviction from the Celebrity Big Brother house following her alleged bullying of Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty

British television star Jade Goody, who is at the centre of an international racist row over her alleged bullying of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, was evicted from the "Celebrity Big Brother" show on Friday (January 19). The 25-year-old was a favourite to be kicked out by public vote after being cast as the villain of a show that triggered protests and dominated headlines in both Britain and India, prompting a sponsor to pull out and threaten Goody's lucrative television and reality show career. Shetty, an A-list Indian star, was called a "dog" on the show. Housemates refused to learn her name, and referred to her as "the Indian" and "Poppadom". After being evicted, Goody was shown a video of her behaviour in the house and said she felt remorse over how she's treated Shetty. "It's nasty," she admitted, but said: "When I said the comment about "I don't know who she is, Shilpa this, Shilpa that, Shilpa poppadom" it wasn't actually meant in a racial form, a racist form at all. I am not a racist person. But, looking at that film, I can see why it's had the impact that it's had because I look like a complete and utter nasty, small..... and one of those people that I don't like myself," she added. Meanwhile, people in India, Shetty fans or otherwise, said Goody's eviction was justified. "It (the racism row) was all going on an international basis, but nobody has the right to abuse anyone like that… and that also an Indian representative there. As an individual, I am really happy about the decision. The person who actually abused her is out of the game and she deserved it," said Joshna, a student in national capital New Delhi. Because the house is cut off from the outside world, the contestants knew little of the controversy surrounding them. Goody and Shetty made their peace before the eviction, sitting together in a large armchair in the Big Brother Diary room.

ITN Source | January 20, 2007

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