Racism row over Celebrity Big Brother re-erupts

The rows on Celebrity Big Brother are threatening to spill over into an international rift, as contestant Shilpa Shetty has voiced fears that she is the victim of racist abuse.

Ms Shetty has been involved in a series of rows with Jade Goody, the latest scenes were sparked off over stock cubes.

The Bollywood star later told fellow contestant Cleo Rocas that she though she was being targeted because of her race. She said: "It is I'm telling you."

The latest row with Ms Goody erupted over the ordering of stock cubes which provoked Ms Goody into one of her foul-mouthed rants in which Ms Shelpa retorted that Ms Goody needed elocution lessons.

Ms Goody and Ms Shelpa are understood to be the two contestants up for eviction from the house this Friday.

The UK's television regulatory authority Ofcom has received in excess of 19,000 complaints about the show, a record number. Channel 4 has received around 2,000 complaints about the reality television show.

Channel 4 described the incidents as a "culture clash" and in a statement said there had been "no overt racist abuse."

Yesterday, the broadcaster promised that "appropriate measures to reprimand individual behaviour would take place where necessary."

In the House of Commons the Prime Minister, who admitted he had not seen the scenes, said he "opposed racism in all it forms."

Conservative leader David Cameron said that the "great regulator" was the off button on the television set.

However, the racism row has overshadowed a trade mission to India spearheaded by Gordon Brown, and the Indian government has asked if Britain to examine if any race laws have been broken.

Mr Brown who said that had repeatedly been asked about the issue said: "I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything detracting from this I condemn."

Mr Brown is to meet the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today.

(SP/EF)