London, January 17
The alleged bullying and racist abuse of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on a popular UK reality TV show has sparked off a controversy in Britain, with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying racism should be opposed in all its forms when the issue was raised in British Parliament.
Labour MP Keith Vaz, who tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons on the issue yesterday, asked Blair today whether broadcasters should take care not to allow such material to go on air.
“I have not seen the particular programme in question and cannot comment on it,” Mr Blair said, adding that “We should oppose racism in all its forms.” One of the sponsors of Channel 4’s most popular show “Celebrity Big Brother,” in which Shilpa and
nine other stars are participants, threatened to pull out as the issue figured in the House of Commons.
British mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse said it was reviewing its sponsorship of “Big Brother” and did not rule out abandoning the arrangement. Chief executive Charles Dunstone said the company was “talking to Channel 4. The sponsorship is constantly under review. Clearly, we are against racism.” Meanwhile, some of Shilpa’s fellow housemates have received email threats. The Hertfordshire police said “Two emails have been received by the TV studios that contain unspecified threats against a number of the housemates. Police are currently looking into the emails.” NRI actress and women rights activist Meera Syal led an unprecedented wave of criticism against the attacks on 31-year-old Shilpa, who was reduced to tears after allegedly being taunted about her skin colour, accent and cooking.
The UK’s official media watchdog Ofcom said tapes of the incidents would be scoured and complaints carefully investigated.
Shilpa, one of the nine celebrities taking part in the reality show, is being targeted by some housemates because she is an Indian, according to complaints received by Ofcom.
The contestants have been locked up in a house since January 2 and are being filmed on how well they handle the frictions of daily life and get their fellow housemates’ votes of confidence.
“There is a very thin line between what is entertainment and a vile spectacle and I think we are in that area now. What this treatment of Shilpa has done is remind a lot of Asian people in Britain of the type of uncomfortable treatment they’ve received themselves over the years,” Syal said.
Ofcom, the media watchdog, said it had received 6,600 complaints, the highest since the BBC screened Jerry Springer - The Opera. It said that it would investigate whether the programme had breached broadcasting rules forbidding discriminatory language or treatment.
Carphone Warehouse has been sponsoring the show since 2004. It pays an estimated three million pounds a year for “Big Brother” and “Celebrity Big Brother.”
Vaz yesterday tabled a Commons motion calling on Channel 4 to take “urgent action to remind housemates that racist behaviour is unacceptable.” He said, “I have been contacted by constituents who have expressed concern that apparently racist comments have passed without any response. We should not tolerate this on a programme that is watched by millions of people.”
Viewers believe that Shilpa Shetty is being victimised on the reality show. She has allegedly been called a “dog” and contestants have complained about her touching their food.
Pop singer Jo O’Meara allegedly said Indians were thin because they were always ill as a result of undercooking food.
Shetty’s accent has been mocked and she was asked if she lived in a shack. Channel 4 received 2,000 emails and calls. — PTI
