British media on Saturday welcomed the eviction of a reality TV show contestant accused of racism and bullying, but criticized the television channel over a show that has whipped up an international storm."Celebrity Big Brother" has dominated headlines in Britain and India this week after former dental nurse Jade Goody and other contestants ganged up on Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, calling her "the Indian" and "Poppadom" and saying "She should f... off home."
Britain's media watchdog received around 40,000 complaints from viewers, top politicians weighed into the row and a major sponsor of the program withdrew its backing.
Internet chatrooms have been abuzz with debate about whether what was said on the show constituted racism, and to what extent Goody and her allies reflected prejudices in society at large. Many people felt the story was exaggerated by the media.
The show's producers said 82 percent of voters had chosen Londoner Goody for eviction over the other nominee, Shetty, in what may be seen as a stand against racial intolerance.
A contrite Goody, 25, denied she was a racist or a bully in her post-eviction interview late on Friday, when the extent of the controversy was revealed to her for the first time.
Contestants are sealed off from the outside world in a house where cameras follow their every move 24 hours a day.
"I can't dignify myself because that video footage of myself is nasty," she said. "I'm not going to sit here and try and justify myself. Yes, I said those things and they were nasty.
"I am not a racist and I sincerely ... apologise to anybody I've offended out there."
Goody rose to fame after taking part in a non-celebrity version of "Big Brother" in 2002, and suggested even before leaving the house that she would pay a price for her behavior.
"It was the beginning of my career and it's the end of my career," she said.
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