Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncun will confront the broadcaster’s powerful board to discuss the show time on Monday.
LONDON: While Shilpa Shetty is now smiling again in the Celebrity Big Brother house, Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncun will be having sleepless nights as he confronts the broadcaster’s powerful board to discuss the show for the first time on Monday.
Duncun will face criticism for the poor handling of the show which prompted 40,000 complaints about racist bullying and will have to answer why Channel 4 didn’t intervene earlier to prevent an international row.
The charges will be led by veteran film maker Lord Puttnam, who is C4 deputy chairman and Equal Opportunities Commissioner Sue Ashtiany, an Iranian immigrant who is deputy director of Channel 4 (C4).
Trevor Phillips, chair of the Commission of Racial Equality, also condemned C4 saying there were serious questions for the board when they meet.
“Were C4’s executives right to maintain throughout the week that what we were witnessing was just a catfight and had no element of ‘racist motivation’?” asked Phillips.
Shilpa Shetty’s mother Sunanda has also sent in a formal complaint to CBB and would like to see the programme shut down for good. “It is an ugly and vulgar show, which has run its course” she told a British newspaper from Mumbai. “It must end with this one,” she added.
“This has been one of the most unpleasant events I have encountered on television. I don’t mind some friction, but the show is deeply flawed. They should provide firm guidelines from the start,” said Shetty.
Shetty who negotiated the £3,57,000 fee and contract with CBB for Shilpa insisted that her daughter would not wear a bikini, frolic in the pool, eat meat on Thursday, be forced to drink excessively or kiss another celebrity — male or female, but had not anticipated bullying.
“It has come as a frightening shock. I had no idea that these uneducated people would put Shilpa through such things. I am disappointed and angry,” said Shetty.
Meanwhile, Jade Goody has given her first interview after being booted out of the Big Brother house to the Sunday tabloid New Of the World in which she accepted that she made racist comments, but said she was not racist.
“I am shocked and disgusted at the behaviour in the house,” said Jade, and agreed that Shilpa was a victim of racism and bullying. “I feel shit, I hate myself right now,” she added crying. Phillips accused Jade of shedding crocodile tears said she should now spend her ample free time working with anti-racism organisations.
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