edonline
2007-01-16 18:17:14 UTC
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2549502,00.html
Times OnlineJanuary 16, 2007
Thousands complain as Bollywood actress taunted on Celebrity Big Brother
Lee Glendinning
More than 4,500 viewers have complained about alleged racist bullying in the
latest series of Celebrity Big Brother, where a Bollywood actress has been
teased for her accent and described as "a dog".
In the latest blow to the Channel 4 series, from which three 'celebrities'
have already escaped, the media regular Ofcom has been hit by a record flood
of 3,500 complaints from viewers with Channel 4 taking a further 1,000
emails and calls.
There was even a question tabled in the House of Commons about the treatment
of the Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.
The problem started when one of the celebrities, Jade Goody's mother
Jackiey, seemed incapable of pronouncing Shetty's first name properly, no
matter how many times she was corrected - and took to calling her "the
Indian".
Over the weekend, Danielle Lloyd, a former beauty queen and Jo O'Meara, of S
Club 7 fame, began making fun of Shetty's accent. When the actress attempted
to console Danielle when Carole Malone, the tabloid journalist, was evicted
on Friday, the bitching began.
"She makes me feel sick," Jade began. "She makes my skin crawl."
Danielle responded with: "She's a dog."
On the programme last night, the taunts continued as the same three women
mocked Shetty's attempts to roast a turkey and refused to eat it.
Jo O'Meara began doing impressions of Shetty's accent and complained that
the actress had touched housemates' food with her hands.
"I don't trust that chicken. I want to eat it but I'm scared," she
complained, claiming it was undercooked and too spicy.
"They eat with their hands in India, don't they - or is that China?" asked
Danielle, adding, "You don't know where her hands have been."
The Indian media also noticed an exchange between Jade Goody's boyfriend
Jack Tweedy and Shetty. In the incident, featured in the Celebrity Big
Brother highlights, Tweedy's comment was bleeped out - although there were
reports that he had called her a "f***ing Paki". A Channel 4 spokeswoman
denied that he used that phrase.
A spokesman for the programme said that the social interactions and dynamics
of the group were integral to the Big Brother story and viewers had a right
to see them. However, there was a need for this to be balanced with the duty
not to broadcast offensive material.
"We take this matter very seriously and Big Brother does not tolerate
bullying or racist abuse in any form," the spokesman said. "Big Brother is
closely monitoring all the housemates and will take appropriate measures to
reprimand such behaviour where necessary."
Keith Vaz, the Labour MP, today tabled a motion in the House of Commons
about the treatment of Shetty, saying that he had been contacted by
constituents in Leicester East.
The motion read: "This House views with concern the comments made about Big
Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty by other housemates, believes that Big
Brother has a role to play in preventing racist behaviour in the Big Brother
house, regrets that these comments have been made, and calls on the
programme to take urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour
is unacceptable."
Ian 'H' Watkins, the former Steps star, became upset by the way the women
were treating Shetty, comparing the housemates' actions to the plot of the
novel Lord of the Flies.
Visibly upset, he entered the diary room saying: "I'm just a little
disappointed in Danielle, she's been saying some really nasty things to
Shilpa and just expects Shilpa to forget them.
"I just think she's being influenced by Jade. Jade's a lovely girl as well
but I really think she isn't playing fair to Shilpa. Jade should know
better.
"There's a lot of name-calling and petty things, and its clearly
schoolground behaviour. It's almost like bullying, and it's really, really
unfair."
The ramifications for Jade, who found celebrity and mass popularity through
appearing in the regular Big Brother series could be a problem.
Her mother Jackiey's behaviour in the house was likened to that of a
"guttersnipe" by the film director Ken Russell, who left the house in
disgust.
Donny Tourette, of the band Towers of London, was the first to walk out of
the house, followed by Russell and then by the 1970s pop star Leo Sayer.
At one point Jade also suggested that she was the 25th most influential
person in the world.
According to newspaper reports, Jade has now been dropped by an
anti-bullying charity which she has supported for two years.
Louise Burfitt-Dons, the founder for Act Against Bullying said her treatment
of the Indian actress was "unforgivable".
"She has supported us, yet she has proven vulnerable to letting out the
aggressive instincts we all have."
The number of complaints had been driven by websites with forums devoted to
Big Brother, according to Ofcom.
Of particular interest was the moment in last night's episode when Jo
suggested that Indians are thin because they are always ill as a result of
undercooking their food.
"As an Indian, I feel thoroughly ashamed. It seems racism is still rife in
this country," wrote one.
Times OnlineJanuary 16, 2007
Thousands complain as Bollywood actress taunted on Celebrity Big Brother
Lee Glendinning
More than 4,500 viewers have complained about alleged racist bullying in the
latest series of Celebrity Big Brother, where a Bollywood actress has been
teased for her accent and described as "a dog".
In the latest blow to the Channel 4 series, from which three 'celebrities'
have already escaped, the media regular Ofcom has been hit by a record flood
of 3,500 complaints from viewers with Channel 4 taking a further 1,000
emails and calls.
There was even a question tabled in the House of Commons about the treatment
of the Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.
The problem started when one of the celebrities, Jade Goody's mother
Jackiey, seemed incapable of pronouncing Shetty's first name properly, no
matter how many times she was corrected - and took to calling her "the
Indian".
Over the weekend, Danielle Lloyd, a former beauty queen and Jo O'Meara, of S
Club 7 fame, began making fun of Shetty's accent. When the actress attempted
to console Danielle when Carole Malone, the tabloid journalist, was evicted
on Friday, the bitching began.
"She makes me feel sick," Jade began. "She makes my skin crawl."
Danielle responded with: "She's a dog."
On the programme last night, the taunts continued as the same three women
mocked Shetty's attempts to roast a turkey and refused to eat it.
Jo O'Meara began doing impressions of Shetty's accent and complained that
the actress had touched housemates' food with her hands.
"I don't trust that chicken. I want to eat it but I'm scared," she
complained, claiming it was undercooked and too spicy.
"They eat with their hands in India, don't they - or is that China?" asked
Danielle, adding, "You don't know where her hands have been."
The Indian media also noticed an exchange between Jade Goody's boyfriend
Jack Tweedy and Shetty. In the incident, featured in the Celebrity Big
Brother highlights, Tweedy's comment was bleeped out - although there were
reports that he had called her a "f***ing Paki". A Channel 4 spokeswoman
denied that he used that phrase.
A spokesman for the programme said that the social interactions and dynamics
of the group were integral to the Big Brother story and viewers had a right
to see them. However, there was a need for this to be balanced with the duty
not to broadcast offensive material.
"We take this matter very seriously and Big Brother does not tolerate
bullying or racist abuse in any form," the spokesman said. "Big Brother is
closely monitoring all the housemates and will take appropriate measures to
reprimand such behaviour where necessary."
Keith Vaz, the Labour MP, today tabled a motion in the House of Commons
about the treatment of Shetty, saying that he had been contacted by
constituents in Leicester East.
The motion read: "This House views with concern the comments made about Big
Brother contestant Shilpa Shetty by other housemates, believes that Big
Brother has a role to play in preventing racist behaviour in the Big Brother
house, regrets that these comments have been made, and calls on the
programme to take urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour
is unacceptable."
Ian 'H' Watkins, the former Steps star, became upset by the way the women
were treating Shetty, comparing the housemates' actions to the plot of the
novel Lord of the Flies.
Visibly upset, he entered the diary room saying: "I'm just a little
disappointed in Danielle, she's been saying some really nasty things to
Shilpa and just expects Shilpa to forget them.
"I just think she's being influenced by Jade. Jade's a lovely girl as well
but I really think she isn't playing fair to Shilpa. Jade should know
better.
"There's a lot of name-calling and petty things, and its clearly
schoolground behaviour. It's almost like bullying, and it's really, really
unfair."
The ramifications for Jade, who found celebrity and mass popularity through
appearing in the regular Big Brother series could be a problem.
Her mother Jackiey's behaviour in the house was likened to that of a
"guttersnipe" by the film director Ken Russell, who left the house in
disgust.
Donny Tourette, of the band Towers of London, was the first to walk out of
the house, followed by Russell and then by the 1970s pop star Leo Sayer.
At one point Jade also suggested that she was the 25th most influential
person in the world.
According to newspaper reports, Jade has now been dropped by an
anti-bullying charity which she has supported for two years.
Louise Burfitt-Dons, the founder for Act Against Bullying said her treatment
of the Indian actress was "unforgivable".
"She has supported us, yet she has proven vulnerable to letting out the
aggressive instincts we all have."
The number of complaints had been driven by websites with forums devoted to
Big Brother, according to Ofcom.
Of particular interest was the moment in last night's episode when Jo
suggested that Indians are thin because they are always ill as a result of
undercooking their food.
"As an Indian, I feel thoroughly ashamed. It seems racism is still rife in
this country," wrote one.