LONDON: British commentators rallied around Bollywood film star Shilpa Shetty on January 18, after she claimed for the first time she was a victim of racism on a TV show.

Shetty has so far tried to play down her treatment on Channel 4’s Celebrity Big Brother, but said for the first time on Wednesday she believed that comments, mainly from fellow contestant Jade Goody, were racially motivated.

As another of the celebrities locked in the house suggested Goody’s rant had nothing to do with racism, Shetty disagreed.

“It is, I’m telling you... I don’t deserve this. I definitely don’t deserve it,” she said. After Goody’s tirade, Shetty said, “I’m representing my country. Is this what today’s UK is?

Scary. It’s quite a shame, actually.”