London/New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) The billowing racism row involving Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty took on a new dimension with the sultry beauty herself saying that she indeed was a victim even as British leader Gordon Brown called the much publicised slurs "unacceptable".

"This is unacceptable. Thousands of British people have already condemned it," British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, the Labour's prime minister-in-waiting, told reporters in New Delhi.

"India and Britain are bound by shared values that support fairness and tolerance. We are against any form of racism or intolerance," Brown stressed at a joint press conference at the Taj Mahal Hotel here with Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram.

"There is no strain on ties between the governments of Britain and India. Nor is there any strain between the people of India and Britain," Chidambaram said after launching the India-UK economic and financial dialogue in New Delhi.

"We hope that the universal condemnation will bring out a change in behaviour. I am pleased to say British Prime Minister Tony Blair has condemned it," said Chidambaram, trying to downplay the potential of the incident to dent bilateral ties.

"The only thing is that this show allows bad behaviour to be advertised. It will pass," Chidambaram said in a lighter vein.

Meanwhile in London, broadcaster Channel 4 claimed that Shetty herself had not alleged racism, she said she believed that she was indeed facing racism from others, unaware that the race row has developed into an international issue, the housemates Wednesday had an argument over Oxo cubes.

After the spat, housemate Cleo Rocos told Shetty: "I don't think there's anything racist in it." Shilpa replied: "It is, I'm telling you."

The viewership for Wednesday was over a million more than that recorded for Tuesday night as allegations of racism against Shetty figured high on the agenda of diplomacy between India and Britain and hogged international headlines.

On the reality show, Shilpa has been targeted by some housemates because she is Indian and has been derided for her background and even her cooking.

Big Brother housemates Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara seem to have ganged up against her in the past few days. She has become the subject of snide and biting remarks because of her hauteur and popularity as the heartthrob of millions of Bollywood fans.

Shetty's housemates have often referred to her as 'the Indian', and some have found it difficult to pronounce her name, poked fun at her accent and asked her if she lived in a shack.

After Prime Minister Tony Blair, Brown and others intervened to express their opposition to racism in all forms, Conservative leader David Cameron said: "I completely abhor racism. Everyone has got a responsibility here. There's a great regulator called the off button and I think we should use it."

In large sections of the British media, Brown's comments on Shetty were given more prominence than his speech on globalization and economic issues in Bangalore Wednesday. Television news channels provided back-to-back coverage of the Shetty show, including exclusive interviews with her mother in Mumbai.

In a statement, Channel 4 denied claims that Shetty had suffered racist bullying. There had been a "cultural and class clash" between Shetty and three other housemates, it said.

"To date there has been no overt racial abuse or racist behaviour directed against Shilpa Shetty within the Big Brother house. However there has undoubtedly been a cultural and class clash between her and three of the British females in the house," the channel added.

Media strategists believe that the furore caused by remarks by fellow contestants against Shetty will bring excellent dividends for the sponsors, Carphone Warehouse. For the record, the company claimed that it would review its sponsorship but it was unlikely to pull out.

Channel 4 has reportedly told the show sponsors that any behaviour deemed racist during the rest of the series could result in the removal of the offending housemate.

The Guardian quoted an unnamed source as saying that this week the two contestants nominated for eviction will be Jade Goody, seen as the ringleader of the bullies in the Big Brother house, and Shetty.

Television regulator Ofcom and Channel 4 have now received over 20,000 complaints, as British Asian websites, chat rooms and radio stations continue to buzz with indignation over the treatment meted out to the long-legged stunner from Bollywood.

William Hill bookmaker made Shetty favourite to win the series, at odds of 6/4. "She has stuck in there and if she now picks up the public sympathy vote, punters certainly believe she will be very hard to beat," it said.

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