Bollywood star beats race row to win British reality TV show
31 January 2007 | Actress | No Comments
Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has drawn widespread praise for the graceful way she endured allegedly racist bullying to win a British reality television show, catapulting her into fame well beyond India. With 63 percent of viewers' votes, Shetty beat five other finalists Sunday at the end of "Celebrity Big Brother", a four-week programme in which the activities of celebrities living in a studio house were televised round the clock by broadcaster Channel Four.
The result triggered relief at diplomatic level, after tensions at their peak left one Indian minister vowing "appropriate action" and British ministers worrying about the image the race row projected to the world. Britain's Home Secretary John Reid told GMTV television: "We are all pretty pleased that Shilpa won it, not least, quite apart from Shilpa herself, the fact that I think the nation breathed a sigh of relief because it was showing the world that we are not all like we were portrayed some weeks ago. "It is a vote for tolerance and I think it will be widely welcomed not just here but probably throughout the world."
Upon hearing the news of her victory, Shetty screamed "Are you kidding me?" and shouted "Thank you!" repeatedly to the large crowd outside the house as she left after 26 days inside. "It's truly been quite a rollercoaster ride," the 31-year-old Indian actress said. "The highs, the lows, and each one of them have really, really taught me so much."
Back in her hometown of Mumbai and across India, her triumph dominated television network news and website talks. Neighbours celebrated outside the Shetty family home in India's financial hub as fans boasted of a victory for the country. ….read more
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