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Shilpa is CBB winner

28/01/2007

Glamorous Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was tonight crowned the winner of Celebrity Big Brother 2007.

The 31-year-old Indian star was the clear favourite with the bookies on odds of 1/6 and she eventually won with 63 per cent of the public vote.

She looked shocked as the result was announced and hugged runner-up Jermaine Jackson.

She left the house dressed in a pretty red sari dress over jeans to a barrage of cheers as the sky lit up with fireworks.

"Chicken curry rules," she shouted to the crowd.

She told Davina: "It's truly been quite a rollercoaster ride. The highs and the lows - each one of them has really taught me so so much."

She admitted she "had an inkling" about the international furore over the alleged race row.

"I just want to forget things. Things happen and people make mistakes and are human beings. I know one thing for sure - Jade didn't mean to be racist. I can say that for sure," she said diplomatically.

"She is a little aggressive, she may be hot-tempered, short-tempered - whatever you call it - but she's not a racist. So if this created any kind of misunderstanding, I just want to put things at rest and she isn't a racist.

"I want to thank all of Great Britain for giving me this fantastic opportunity - to make my country proud."

She also said it was "the first time" in her life she has been without her mother and had won something.

"I've never won anything in my life," she laughed.

Summing up her experience, she smiled: "Incredible, overwhelming and... chicken curry rules!"

During her time in the house, stunning Shilpa won over her fellow contestants, and flirted openly with Dirk, but not everyone loved her.

She had numerous arguments with Jackiey Goody, who called her "the Indian" and Jade then took up her mum's fight when Jackiey was the first to be evicted.

Jade infamously sparked a race row which echoed round the globe when she bullied the actress over her "dodgy" cooking, called her "Shilpa Poppadom", and screamed at her in the Oxo cube 'incident'.

Shilpa almost left the house, telling her allies Cleo and Jermaine that she had never been spoken to like that in her life.

But just before Jade left she apologised to Shilpa, after Big Brother's warning, and the pair parted on better terms.

Danielle, who had called Shilpa "so controlling and bossy" and Jo, who said she was "fake", also made friends with the actress again when their leader left, but the viewers didn't forgive them.

Shilpa impressed the public by keeping her cool and not allowing Jade to rile her, although she did tell the reality TV star she needed "elocution lessons".

She threw herself into tasks, easily winning the ice cube licking contest, and organising the shopping, but she also showed her softer side.

In the manor task, Shilpa was shocked to see her new friends disappear - moments after the eight servants left, she had a good old sob on Jermaine's shoulder, repeating "I'm sorry".

She sparked up her fair share of male admirers - Leo thought she would be great as a Bond Girl, whilst Dirk flirted with her, saying: "I have been flirting with her, I tease her... it makes me happy!"

She admitted the feeling was mutual.

"I think he's very sexy," confessed the actress, although she later added that she thought he was "too old" for her.

The star, who describes herself as an Indian Angelina Jolie, usually travels with an entourage, including a make-up artist.

No doubt Shilpa can't wait to get her mascara back once she's out of the house.

Who knows what lies in store for her now?

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