Celebrity Stats

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has won the UK reality TV show Big Brother with an overwhelming 67 per cent majority.

Shilpa walked out of the Big Brother's house amid fireworks and cheering crowds. She thanked them and said "Thank you, I love you. Chicken Curry rules."

She chose a red tunic with jeans this time around as against her pink Tarun Tahiliani sari, the day she entered the house.

Not only has the actress won the prize money of 100,000 Pounds, the show has also given her international recognition and offers of all sorts have started pouring in from abroad.

She described her experience in the show as 'incredible and overwhelming.'

She also said she was proud of being an Indian and thanked all her fans who supported her through the show.

Racial slurs

Shilpa tried to play down allegations that she had been made a victim of racial abuse on the show.

In a press conference held later, she said she had made up with her chief tormentor Jade Goody and the past was now behind her.

"I really didn't know how things were perceived by people outside the Big Brother House. I saw the footage of the first time and it looked pretty ghastly. I am someone who likes to look forward in life and I want to put it behind me," the actress said.

"It may have seemed like it was bad, but I can say that Jade is not a bad person, and she didn't really contrive to be like that. So there is nothing in my heart. The day we hugged, it was all gone and forgotten really," she added.

The show's popularity suddenly jumped world wide last week.

Tens of thousands of viewers complained that Shilpa Shetty was subjected to racial bullying. In its wake, the show's viewership shot up by over five million.

The comments ranged from calling her a "Paki" to digs at her cooking.

Two days into the controversy, Shetty, although isolated from the outside world, said it was racism, only to backtrack later.

"It's truly been quite a roller coaster ride. It has taught me so much. I just want to forget things," she said.

The British and Indian governments however, felt obliged to reiterate their stand against racism in any form.

The Indian tourist government went ahead and publicaly invited Shetty's tormentor, Jade Goody, who suddenly became a celebrity of sorts, to India.

Popular vote

The winner of the reality show is the person who survives and is not voted out by viewers.

"I found it a lot easy to make friends while participating in the Big Brother Show," said Shilpa Shetty.

Earlier, an overwhelming majority of the viewers voted Shilpa's nemesis Jade Goody out rather than Shetty. But Goody emerged from the studio to see herself a celebrity of sorts and demonised by some.

"I am scared about going to the end of the show. I am in two minds because of the stuff that has happened to my house. I am justified in being really scared and nervous but I guess I will go to accept all the boos that I have not got before," Jade Goody, Contestant, Celebrity Big Brother.

Shilpa Shetty's mother Sunanda, sensing the star's ascending popularity, has hired UK's biggest publicist to cash in.

Shetty, who wasn't really top of the charts in Bollywood, is now globally sought after --- interviews, a cricket reality show, advertisements and who knows, even a Hollywood deal.