Brown: Get Goody out
Gordon Brown has called on the public to throw Jade Goody off Big Brother.
His dramatic high-level intervention in the race row comes as viewers prepare to evict either Goody or Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty in a phone vote.
Tensions are now so high that Channel 4 have said there will be no public audience at the Big Brother eviction, amid fears Jade Goody could be attacked by a hostile crowd.
A spokesman for Applause Store, the company which handles ticket allocation, said: "Due to the controversy and heightened feelings surrounding the evictees, there will be no crowd for tonight's eviction."
The Chancellor on an official visit to India, said about Big Brother: "I hope people vote for tolerance."
In a new twist, police have launched an investigation into claims that Jade and other housemates racially bullied Shilpa.
Video...the Celebrity Big Brother race row escalates • Windows Media Player
Read more... • Jade 'manipulated' into race apology to Shilpa
• The party's over for this Cinderella
• Taunts could cost Jade her £8m empire
• Richard Littlejohn: This is the REAL racism on Channel 4
• Tessa Jowell accuses Big Brother of 'presenting racism as entertainment'
• Jade has never been a racist says mum Jackiey
And Jade will get a police guard if she has to leave the Celebrity Big Brother house live on the show tonight.
Mr Brown has been caught up in the controversy during his four-day tour to promote business links.
Speaking in Mumbai, the capital of the Indian film industry, he said: "I am here in Bollywood representing Britain and I have been treated with respect. Shilpa is in Britain representing Bollywood and she should be treated with respect."
Sources close to Mr Brown explained that he wanted to see Shilpa rather than Jade survive tonight's eviction.
A total of 38,000 viewers have contacted Ofcom. Initially the police were passing formal complaints they received about the programme, which is filmed in Elstree, to the broadcasting watchdog.
But a police source said today: "It has become a serious investigation and we have received a wave of complaints. We will be looking at all the tapes including the material that has not been broadcast. At some stage we will be talking to the contestants involved."
Officers could enter the Big Brother house today to begin their investigation.
The police emergency number has been swamped and they have asked people to contact them by email.
Last night, as viewing figures for the show peaked at 5.9 million, Goody tried to make peace with Shetty and the pair hugged.
But critics slammed the 25-yearold's apology, where she insisted she was "not racist", as being too little too late.
Shetty has been mocked by Jade, her mother Jackiey and others over her food, accent and behaviour.
In live footage, set to be shown in tonight's show, Jade backtracked and apologised to Shilpa for calling her "Shilpa Poppadom".
Actress Cleo Rocos, 44 also joined in the making up session.
Shortly after calling Shilpa "Poppadom" and "Shilpa F***awala" Jade was called to speak to Big Brother producers, with only a brief section of the conversation broadcast on TV.
She said: "If I have offended any Indians out there I apologise."
Speaking to Shilpa she said: "I didn't say it in a racial way, I do not judge people by the colour of their skin."
But Big Brother fans accused Channel 4 bosses of manipulation in a bid to salvage the career of Jade.
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On the programme's official web forum, one viewer said: "Those girls have definitely been tipped off regarding racism and it's so twofaced."
Yesterday Jade's perfume Shh... was taken off the shelves of several high street retailers, including Boots.
Today Channel 4 caved in to pressure to donate to charity all the money from text and phone votes from tonight's vote.
Yesterday executives said that only 10p in every 50p call would be donated but when it emerged that it stood to make £3 million, they changed tack.
Bookies William Hill said that Jade is 1-33 on to be evicted tonight.
Shilpa is now the favourite to win the show at 8-11 with tens of thousands of pounds being put on the Bollywood star.
Rocos is second favourite to win. Next favourite to be booted out is Danielle Lloyd.
