"Celebrity Big Brother" - Bollywood's Shilpa Shetty Triumphs.

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty was on Sunday named the winner of British reality television show "Celebrity Big Brother", following a diplomatic storm over the racist bullying to which she was allegedly subjected.

Shetty, the favourite to win the programme, in which the activities of a group of celebrities living in a specially constructed house are televised round the clock by British broadcaster Channel Four, beat out five other finalists to win 63 percent of viewers' votes.

"It's truly been quite a roller-coaster ride," Shetty said in an interview with Channel Four after she was named the winner. "The highs, the lows, and each one of them have really taught me so much."

Among the comments made in last week's storm, Shetty was called a "dog" and asked whether she lives in a shack, prompting protesters in India to burn effigies of the show's producers.

British lawmakers lined up to condemn the programme when the row was at its height, while Indian officials urged their British counterparts to intervene. The incident overshadowed a visit to India by Britain's finance minister and likely future prime minister, Gordon Brown.

Shetty heard of the furore caused by the show for the first time during the interview, having been shielded from the outside world for the duration of the programme, saying: "I just want to forget things." I want to put one thing at rest ... Things happened, and people make mistakes."

Show producers sought out Shetty and reportedly paid her more than the others - up to 350,000 pounds (US$686,000, 531,000 euros) - to bring some Bollywood glamour to proceedings and attract viewers with south Asian roots.

She was the favourite to win the competition, beating out fellow finalists former Jackson Five star Jermaine Jackson, Ian Watkins of pop band Steps, former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd, and Dirk Benedict, alias Templeton "The Face" Peck from the 1980s US television show "The A-Team".

Her main perceived tormentor, Jade Goody, was evicted by an overwhelming public vote last week, days after the controversy erupted following foul-mouthed exchanges. The actress defended Goody, however, saying: "Jade really didn't mean to be racist. I can say that for sure ... She's not a racist."

In a move which underlined the uphill struggle Goody faces to revive her career following the row, police probing alleged racism on the show have contacted her with a view to interviewing her, British media reported on Saturday. Famous in Britain for her startling ignorance on a non-celebrity version of the show, Goody has made tearful, apologetic television appearances since her eviction in a bid to rehabilitate her tarnished public image.

India has reportedly told Goody, who has applied for a visa to visit the country, that she could not come as an official guest of the country but was free to visit like any other traveller. The Indian tourism office in London had earlier invited Goody "to experience India's healing nature once your current commitments are over". (Channel Newsasia)

The fallout could also be felt in comments by Andy Duncan, chief executive of Channel Four, which screens the programme, who told the Times on Saturday that it now faced "creative and tonal challenges".
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