It appears that no "Celebrity Big Brother" contestants will face criminal charges over allegations of racial abuse towards Indian actress Shilpa Shetty on the reality TV show, according to Hertforshire police.
Prosecutors have concluded that Shilpa’s treatment was “offensive ... not criminal”.
Police said they interviewed four former housemates. Two others, who were not named, would not speak to them. Channel 4 and producer Endemol also declined to hand over unedited footage.
The inquiry had centred on a series of clashes between Shilpa and three other "housemates" - Jade Goody, Jo O'Meara and Danielle Lloyd.
Tens of thousands of viewers complained about the way Shilpa was treated. Goody was seen calling the Bollywood star "Shilpa Poppadom" while former model Danielle Lloyd declared the actress should "go home". O'Meara imitated Shetty's accent and said Indians were thin because they undercooked chicken.
All three contestants have since denied racism and have apologised for their actions.
In the meantime, Carphone Warehouse has dropped its £3 million sponsorship of the show. The firm had temporarily suspended its sponsorship in January, but stated said the "huge publicity" had prompted it to look for alternative sponsorship opportunities.
Channel 4, which had been hopeful Carphone Warehouse would sponsor this summer's Big Brother series, said it is now in talks with other companies to find a new sponsor
(NOTE: since publishing this post, Virgin Media has been announced as the sponsor of the forthcoming summer series).
No charges over Big Brother row
THE BIG BROTHER COVER-UP
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