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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
|---|---|
| Big Brother's Shilpa thanks Blair | Big Brother's Shilpa thanks Blair |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Big Brother's Shilpa Shetty has thanked Tony Blair for his support during a meeting at the Houses of Parliament. | |
| The Bollywood actress watched prime minister's questions in the Commons before meeting Mr Blair afterwards and declaring: "He was very sweet." | |
| She was invited by Labour MP Keith Vaz, who was among those who criticised the TV show after Ms Shetty's treatment by other contestants caused a race row. | She was invited by Labour MP Keith Vaz, who was among those who criticised the TV show after Ms Shetty's treatment by other contestants caused a race row. |
| She said she had thanked the PM for his support "to me and my country". | |
| Her visit attracted widespread media attention - she was greeted on arrival at Parliament by a media scrum, including 23 reporters from India. | |
| 'An honour' | 'An honour' |
| That arrival was broadcast live on television and the scale of media interest led to a planned press conference having to be moved from a room inside Parliament, to the steps of the MPs' office building, Portcullis House, just across the road in Westminster. | |
| "To see how so much respect has been bestowed upon me has truly been an honour," she said. | "To see how so much respect has been bestowed upon me has truly been an honour," she said. |
| He was very very kind and said he was very sad to see what I had had to go through in there Shilpa Shetty on Tony Blair Brown seeks to calm row MPs enter Big Brother row | |
| The Commons chef prepared a special dessert in her honour "Shilpa's delight" and she met both Mr Blair and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell briefly after prime minister's questions. | |
| On Mr Blair she said: "He was very very kind and said he was very sad to see what I had had to go through in there [the Big Brother house]." | |
| She was also very fond of Ms Jowell, although she stressed to reporters that she was not "politically inclined". | |
| The actress won Celebrity Big Brother, following clashes with housemates Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd who were accused of bullying and racism - something all three denied. | The actress won Celebrity Big Brother, following clashes with housemates Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd who were accused of bullying and racism - something all three denied. |
| 'Oppose racism' | |
| Media regulator Ofcom received more than 40,000 complaints from viewers. | Media regulator Ofcom received more than 40,000 complaints from viewers. |
| And the row reached both the House of Commons and India, where chancellor Gordon Brown found media coverage of his attempt to boost bilateral relations overshadowed by the programme's fall-out. | And the row reached both the House of Commons and India, where chancellor Gordon Brown found media coverage of his attempt to boost bilateral relations overshadowed by the programme's fall-out. |
| The PM wouldn't want to try his hand in another 'House', would he? BBC political editor Nick Robinson class="" href="http://blogs.bbc.co.uk/nickrobinson/2007/02/could_tony_swit.html">Read Nick's thoughts in full | |
| When Mr Blair was asked about the row in the Commons, he admitted he had not seen the programme, but added: "Of course, I would agree entirely with the principle that we should oppose racism in all its forms." | When Mr Blair was asked about the row in the Commons, he admitted he had not seen the programme, but added: "Of course, I would agree entirely with the principle that we should oppose racism in all its forms." |
| Ms Shetty has said she does not believe her fellow contestants were being racist, but that their remarks had stemmed from jealousy, or a "lack of education". | Ms Shetty has said she does not believe her fellow contestants were being racist, but that their remarks had stemmed from jealousy, or a "lack of education". |
| Asked how prime minister's questions compared to life in the Big Brother House, she replied: "They are way more polite in there and they get to leave and know what's going on in the world outside." | |