Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa Shetty.

The beautiful Bollywood star has become something of an apologetic heroine in Britain. Ever since Jade Goody launched her "racist" bullying tirade against Shetty in the Big Brother house, the country's scurried in support.

It's quite sad, really. I think Jade Goody's behaviour was a rather awkward insight into what Brits are REALLY like. This love affair with Shilpa seems to be the general public's way of saying "we're not like that... really...."

But of course we are - hence why we were so quick to forgive Jade Goody's cackle-buddy, disgraced Miss England Danielle Lloyd. That and her enormous cleavage.

Anyway. Shilpa was pretty washed out back home in Bollywood. That's probably why she decided to commit career suicide by entering the Big Brother house in the first place. But while her career is still languishing in India - she's made it big in Britain.

Her own show. Endless appearances in magazines... and now she's buying a house in London and starting her own business.

Which is where it all gets a bit silly.

Poor Shilpa was the victim of racial stereotyping. Jade offended her (and the nation, apparently) by calling her "Shilpa Poppadom." Imagine the horror! Making a joke like that just because she's Indian...

But what has the Bollywood babe gone and done?

She's started a chain of curry houses.

Now she could have started a modelling agency - back in India she was known as "The Body."

She could have launched her own beauty products - there were plenty of dark haired women who were delighted to see somebody famous and beautiful bleaching their upper lip.

She could even have started her own dojo - she's a black belt in karate.

But no. She went for the chain of curry houses. After all the fuss and bother of racial stereotyping, she goes and follows it. I wouldn't be surprised if she goes and names the chain "Shilpa Poppadom" just to really grind it in.

It's genius, really. A combination of Britain's two favourite things. Insincere apology and curry.

Best of luck to her, really. Shilpa is a real star - beautiful, talented and intelligent. If anybody's going to milk the British public, I'd prefer it was her. The alternative is Jade Goody - and if trash television like Big Brother has made any positive contribution to society, it was nailing that terrible woman's career.*

Read about the curry catastrophe here.

* Although in retrospect, it also launched her career as well. Endemol has a lot to answer for.