Shetty wins Celebrity Big Brother after racism row

Channel 4 bosses breathed a sigh of relief last night after Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brotherand denied that she had been a victim of racism.

Channel 4 bosses breathed a sigh of relief last night after Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brotherand denied that she had been a victim of racism.

When asked about the race row by host Davina McCall, she insisted that former housemate Jade Goody 'didn't mean to be racist'.

'People make mistakes and we're all human beings, we're all fallible,' she said. 'She is a little aggressive. She may be hot-tempered... but she's not a racist.'

Fellow housemate Danielle Lloyd had earlier apologised for her remarks to Shetty. Lloyd and Jack Tweed were implicated in allegations of racism - alongside Goody and former S Club 7 star Jo O'Meara - and were upset when they saw the 'racist' behaviour towards Shetty.

'I feel terrible,' said Lloyd insisting her remarks had been made 'in the heat of the moment'.

Both Lloyd and evictee Tweed faced heavy booing as they left the house in the first round of evictions during last night's final.

The race row prompted a record number of complaints - over 40,000 - to media watchdog Ofcom.

Last week, police investigating the alleged racism on the show, made contact with former contestant Goody. Hertfordshire police approached Goody and her mother Jackiey Budden with a view to interviewing the pair.

Channel 4 chiefs Andy Duncan and Kevin Lygo have also been under pressure from all corners for their failure to act during the height of the furore. However, they defended the broadcaster against the storm of protest that erupted, insisting that no one would lose their jobs as a result of the uproar.

C4 chairman Luke Johnson has ordered a review of the editorial and compliance processes that support Big Brotherbut has ruled out pulling the show off air.