Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty is to visit the House of Commons and watch Prime Minister’s Questions.
The Bollywood star, who was at centre of a storm over alleged racist bullying on the Channel 4 reality show, will be a guest of Keith Vaz MP next week.
Mr Vaz raised the issue of racism during prime minister’s questions while Ms Shetty was in the Big Brother house.
Ms Shetty is expected to watch the regular weekly political insults being hurled from the public gallery.
Officials say there are no plans for Ms Shetty to meet the prime minister, adding that Downing Street has “neither issued nor received an invitation”.
‘Jealousy’
Ms Shetty, 31, was named as the show’s winner last Sunday.
During the series, housemates Jade Goody, Jo O’Meara and Danielle Lloyd were shown clashing with her and accused of racism and bullying.
But Ms Shetty told Sky News the remarks had been caused by “lack of education”.
She added: “I think it stemmed from jealousy maybe, but it definitely wasn’t contrived racism.
“At the time I thought it was racist but I’m extremely pragmatic and I analyse things.
“In hindsight I want to believe it wasn’t [racist].”
On being referred to as “the Indian” by Ms Goody’s mother Jackiey, also one of the housemates, Ms Shetty said: “I’m very proud to be an Indian and I’m not offended when someone calls me that. That’s the way I look at it.”
She added: “Of course it was bullying. I’ve never denied that.”
The issue caused an international incident, forcing Chancellor Gordon Brown to make public statements about Celebrity Big Brother during a visit to India.
Mr Vaz, a former Europe minister, raised the issue of Ms Shetty’s treatment in an Early Day Motion and at Prime Minister’s Questions.
He called on Channel 4 bosses to take “effective action” against “unacceptable” language.
Media regulator Ofcom received more than 40,000 complaints about housemates’ behaviour during the show.
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