Big Brother row: Q&A
Updated on 18 January 2007
The main points of the Big Brother racism row.
Who is are the protaganists in the row?
Shilpa Shetty, a Bollywood actress much loved in her native India has been the subject of snipes from three other housemates Jade Goody, former S-Club 7 singer Jo O'Meara and disgraced ex-Miss UK and partner of footballer Teddy Sheringham, Danielle Lloyd.
It is alleged that the comments have been racist although Channel 4 has denied this, saying they were due to a clash of cultures and class.
So what on earth have they been saying?
The first sign of trouble came when Jackiey Budden, Goody's mother, was introduced to the show. She failed to pronounce Shetty's name properly and began calling her "the Indian" or "Princess".
Following a discussion the group had with Shetty about how long it took to cook a chicken, Goody, O'Meara amd Lloyd decided she had made them all ill. "No wonder I keep getting the s***s," commented O'Meara.
Others complained that Shetty had touched housemates' food with her hands after she picked up morsels from people's plates with Lloyd saying: "You don't know where those hands have been."
Following another meal, Shetty poured left-over chicken soup down the Big Brother toilet - much to the disgust of the others, who felt chicken bones could cause a blockage.
During a separate conversation, while Shetty was applying facial hair bleach, Lloyd asked whether the Bollywood star had stubble.
Later, Goody offered the opinion that skin lightening is common in India, where paler skin is considered desirable.
"She's a dog," said Lloyd. Some fans have claimed Tweedy referred to Shetty using a four-letter racial insult, which was bleeped out. However, Channel 4 has denied the word bleeped out was a racist term.
But the comments have got worse since then, haven't they?
The latest row, blew up when Shetty asked if there were any Oxo cubes left. She sparked a furious reaction from Goody, Lloyd and Jo O'Meara when she said it was the only food she ordered in a shopping list.
Goody retaliated: "Don't blatantly lie, don't lie... It's not the only f***ing thing you ordered you liar.
"I f***ing hate liars, don't lie over something stupid. So what if I used an Oxo cube, shoot me in the pissing head, f***ing w***er."
Goody tells Shetty: "You're not some princess in f***ing Neverland. You're not some princess here. You're a normal housemate like everybody else. Everybody else."
Shetty hit back by saying: "Oh please learn some manners. You know what you need? You need elocution classes Jade."
Goody goes back to the lounge, saying to Lloyd and O'Meara: "'You need elocution lessons'. You need a day in the slums. F***ing go in your community. F***ing go in your community and go to all those people who look up to you and be real.
"You f***ing fake." Goody then went into the bedroom and told Shetty: "Go back to the slums and find out what real life is about lady."
Danielle Lloyd also weighed in but out of earshot from the actress, saying: "I think she should f*** off home."
So what kind of reaction has there been?
A lot. Ofcom reported they had received over 27,000 complaints.
Tony Blair answered a question put by MP Keith Vaz at Prime Minister's Questions, admitting he hadn't seen it but condemned racism, while Gordon Brown, on a three-day official visit to India has been asked about his views.
He said he wanted to reassure people that Britain "prides itself on tolerance and fairness".
Even his economic adviser Ed Balls said the antics on the programme were projecting an appalling image of Britain across the world. Effigies have been burnt in the street in India. Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone has also attacked Channel 4.
Are the alleged remarks covered by any law?
According to the Black Police Association, section 22 of the Public Order Act 1986 could apply as it talks about broadcasting "involving threatening, abusive or insulting visual images or sounds".
An offence would be committed if Channel 4 intended "to stir up racial hatred" or if "racial hatred is likely to be stirred up".
Does this mean Channel 4 could face a criminal investigation?
Possibly. Section 22 says those who could be guilty of an offence would be "persons providing the programme service", the producer and director, and "any person by whom offending words or behaviour are used".
Channel 4 and the three contestants making the remarks could be prosecuted under the 1986 Public Order Act or the 1997 Prevention of Harassment Act.
What are the police doing?
Hertfordshire police, which covers the Big Brother house, had 30 calls from the public "relating to alleged racist behaviour", and passed them to the broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
This seemed at odds with the definition of a racist incident in the 1999 Macpherson report which defined a race hate crime as "any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person".
