As with the “BNP ballerina” row last week, a major British cultural institution seems determined to defend the indefensible. The broadcast comments aimed at Indian actress Shilpa Shetty by other “housemates” – Jade Goody, her mother Jackiey Budden and boyfriend Jack Tweed, former “singer” Jo O’Meara from S Club 7, and former “beauty queen” Danielle Lloyd – in the current Big Brother series cannot be seen as anything other than old-style racism. For Channel 4 to say such comments are to do with “cultural and class” differences is ignorant at best but more likely a cynical attempt to stave off criticism as the show’s ratings and profits rise as a result of the publicity.

If the following is anything but typical nasty racist rubbish then we don’t know what is:
- O’Meara and Lloyd doing bad impressions of Shilpa Shetty’s accent, like something off an episode of It Aint Half Hot Mum
- The complaints about Shetty simply touching people’s food, with Lloyd saying “You don’t know where those hands have been,” and O’Meara saying “I don’t trust that chicken. I want to eat it but I’m scared.”
- Lloyd later added that Shetty “can’t even speak English properly” and that she should “fuck off home”.
- Jackiey Budden asking Shetty if she lived “in a house or in a shack” and referring to her as “the Indian”

Predictably, the fascist British National Party have now stuck their oar in using the row to attack ‘multiculturalism’ and perhaps showing their true colours declaring that ‘They should close the programme and shoot the lot of them.’

While some may defend CBB housemates’ racist comments as being simply a reflection of worrying levels of racism British society, the massive and angry response shows that the majority of people in this country are opposed to racism and don’t want it broadcast, excused and defended.

Club Asia radio DJ Veena V said:

“I’m shocked at what’s going on. You would have thought the stereotype of ‘Indians’ in the 21st century would be a myth by now, obviously not. I used to respect Jade for her success against the odds but now she makes me feel sick after her comments. It’s racism and a lack of understanding about other cultures that really needs to be addressed.”

Popular Birmingham rapper Hardkaur said:

“I can’t believe that in this day and age Channel 4 cant even be bothered to address the racism going in the BB House . This is blatant racism – it’s no wonder that people get angry, when something like this happens and then nothing gets done. If there are problems in the streets as a result what will they say?”

Renowned classical pianist Ian Pace leafletted against BNP ballerina Simone Clarke last week, and had this to say:
“The whole debate about whether the extremely nasty treatment being accorded to Shilpa Shetty is racism or simply just legitimate ‘gossip’ and ‘bitching’ misses the point in some ways. Certainly this particular brand of bullying seems racially motivated, but in general malicious gossip and bitching tend to be motivated by fear and disdain towards those perceived as somehow ‘different’, those who for that reason make some very insecure people fearful of their own identity. I see it all the time in the artistic world, people who only ever seem to gain contentment when they have someone to hate. It is totally destructive, pathetic, and this sort of mentality is one of the primary harbingers of racism, misogyny, class-based snobbery, and so on. I have little time for reality television myself, and think it encourages this sort of thing. However, I respect the fact that others enjoy it, and that is their prerogative – Channel 4 should at the very least consider expelling the perpetrators from the house, who are hardly presenting the most edifying spectacle for the programme’s fans.”