Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty , winner of the Celebrity Big Brother, show has signed a mega-bucks deal to play the lead in a grand Bollywood musical, its producer said today.

Farhath Hussain said in London that the musical, yet to be titled, would be staged in September this year.

Hussain who has earned a name for himself in show business organising mega Bollywood concerts in around the world planned to sign a top leading man, choreographer and music director from the Indian film industry. (more…)

Jade Goody’s plan to have her photograph taken in a sari was ‘flatly rejected’ by a leading British Asian magazine, it was revealed today.

The 25-year-old, who outraged thousands of viewers when she picked on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty during the latest run of Celebrity Big Brother, had hoped to wear the sari in an interview with Asiana magazine in a bid to recover her reputation, but the magazine vetoed the idea.

Shihab Salim, the magazine’s editor-in-chief, said: ‘The option of doing a photoshoot with her in a sari was flatly rejected. (more…)

Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has said that she is keen to put the Celebrity Big Brother race row behind her, as she met Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip at a Commonwealth Day event here.

Thirty-one-year-old Shilpa Shetty, one of the five speakers on the occasion at the Westminster Abbey last evening, touched on issues such as racism and AIDS.

Shilpa Shetty, winner of Big Brother show, told the congregation that as a child growing up in Mumbai she was acutely aware that “we have to cope with difference on a daily basis - but unless we do, we have no future”.

The Queen in her address stressed the need for mutual respect and understanding. (more…)

‘Celebrity Big Brother’ winner Shilpa Shetty has been accused of racism.

The Bollywood star - who was said to be the victim of racist bullying in the Big Brother house - starred in a TV comedy sketch, laughing at an actor with a “blacked-up” face and afro-wig on.

Black social commentator Jaye Williamson told Britain’s Daily Star

newspaper: “Maybe Shetty is the racist - mocking Africans on her TV show?

The outrage should be that people dare to cry racism on Shilpa’s behalf when she had the audacity to take part in a show that mocked Africans.” (more…)

After the success of Zee Carnival 2006, Zee Network will hold Zee Carnival 2007 in London at the Grand Hall, Olympia on 16th, 17th and 18th February.

Over the three days of Zee Carnival, fans will get an opportunity to come face to face with their Bollywood heart-throbs. Top Bollywood stars will also be making their presence felt by giving autographs and providing photo opportunities. The line up consists of Priyanka Chopra and Esha Doel.

‘Big Brother’ winner Shilpa Shetty will also be coming for the Zee Carnival 2007. Over the three days of the Carnival, Shilpa will not only be giving autographs and providing photo opportunities to fans, but will also appear on the main stage giving a LiVE interview. (more…)

Hot favourite Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty has won the grand finale of the British reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother on which she faced alleged racist bullying that sparked off an international race row.

Shilpa was elected the winner last night by 63 per cent of voters ahead of runner up singer Jermaine Jackson, brother of Michael Jackson.

The 31-year-old elegant actress won the public’s affection during an extraordinary four weeks in which she was the victim of alleged racist bullying by fellow housemates Jade Goody, Jo O’meara and Danielle Lloyd.
She was crowned the winner after finalists Jermaine Jackson, Dirk Benedict, ian H Watkins, Danielle Lloyd and Jack Tweed were all evicted during the show’s final last night. (more…)

‘Celebrity Big Brother’ was thrown into further chaos on Thursday (25.01.07) after a technical error meant all eviction votes had to be scrapped.

Viewers were left confused by Wednesday (24.01.07) night’s show when the phone numbers to evict Cleo Rocos, Dirk Benedict, Jo O’Meara, ian Watkins and Shilpa Shetty were read out, but the message onscreen said call to save Shilpa.

Big Brother announced all telephone votes had been cancelled and voting would begin again after Thursday (25.01.07) night’s show. (more…)

The British network that airs “Celebrity Big Brother,” on which racist comments were alleged, appointed a human rights lawyer to a panel reviewing the show.

Rabinder Singh will sit as the independent member on a three-member panel Channel 4 named in the wake of the controversy that arose last week when thousands of viewers complained about racist comments directed toward Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, the BBC said Tuesday.

Two housemates subsequently apologized. One, Jade Goody, said on a British talk show that she was living in fear and that her home has been vandalized. Voters evicted her from the show last week. (more…)

Shilpa Shetty’s arrival on Big Brother in early January may have been the kiss of death for the immensely successful worldwide, seven-year reality TV programme format called Big Brother , with the board of Channel 4 meeting on Monday to discuss axing the show after the present series ends this week.

in the first public doubts ever to be aired by the broadcaster about a programme format that has spread to 20 countries, including india, and made hundreds of millions of pounds, several members of the C4 board are understood to believe allegations of racist behaviour towards Shetty have irrevocably discredited the show.

The board is also understood to believe that Big Brother’s most recent run is damaging Britain’s “still pretty fragile race relations”. Even as at least one respected former chairman of C4 described Big Brother as a “grotesque travesty” of all that public service broadcasting is supposed to be about because it exploits the “unhappy and the unfortunate”, the exodus of Big Brother’s biggest commercial backers gathered pace.

indian-born Karan Bilimoria’s Cobra Beer and United Biscuits are among a host of companies that have said they will no longer supply the Big Brother house with products and do not want to be part of the show’s branding. (more…)

A group of youths today staged a procession here to protest the racist attacks on Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on a popular British reality TV show.

Outraged at the racist treatment meted out to the actress, at least 50 youths marched in procession, holding placards and shouting slogans in favour of Shetty.

They urged the Centre to take up the matter with appropriate authorities. (more…)