Shilpa to survive Big Brother showdown

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LONDON, Jan 18 (Reuters) The chief tormentor of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty looks set to be evicted from Celebrity Big Brother after her taunting on the show sparked allegations of racist bullying and protests in Britain and India.

Fellow housemates nominated Jade Goody, 25, and Shetty, 31, to face a public vote to decide who should leave the reality television series tomorrow, a source close to the programme told Reuters.

Goody and Shetty had a huge row yesterday in front of singer Jo O'Meara and model Danielle Lloyd, who laughed at the Indian actress's distress.

''You might be some princess in f***ing Neverland but I don't give a shit,'' Goody shouted at Shetty in the argument over stock cubes for cooking. ''You're a liar and a fake.'' Viewers have made more than 21,000 complaints that Shetty is being subjected to racist bullying, prompting an investigation by media watchdog Ofcom.

India has asked Britain to check whether race laws have been broken while some of Shetty's Indian fans have burned effigies of her alleged abusers in the street.

Channel 4, which broadcasts the programme, insisted there had been no racial abuse. ''However, there has undoubtedly been a cultural and class clash between her and three of the British females,'' it said in a statement.

Bookmaker William Hill said Goody, who became famous for appearing in another ''Big Brother'' series, was 1-5 favourite to be booted off the show tomorrow night.

''We have always admired Jade for becoming a celebrity after her less than impressive performance in 'Big Brother 3' but she has undone all the good work and we would be astounded if her profile has not taken a massive hammering,'' William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams said in a statement.

Housemates put two people up for eviction. The public has the final say over who leaves the ''Big Brother'' house -- a purpose-built complex of rooms and a garden where the nine remaining housemates are living -- until just one remains.

Newspapers splashed the furore across their front pages.

''The Dim Reaper -- Halfwit Jade starts race war with India,'' said the best-selling Sun tabloid. The rival Daily Mirror led with ''Beauty v Bigot'', referring to tomorrow's eviction battle.

Even the Financial Times had a front page story on the row, which has overshadowed a trip by finance minister Gordon Brown to India.

The only people oblivious to the fuss are Shetty, Goody and the other celebrities. Filmed by hidden cameras, their antics can be watched 24 hours a day with highlights played nightly.

Last night's show, Shetty was heard questioning whether she was being victimised because she was Indian.

Fellow housemate Jermaine Jackson, older brother of singer Michael Jackson, replied: ''No, it is not because you are Indian it is because you have class.'' Shetty replied: ''I am representing my country. Is this what today's UK is? It's scary.''