Tony Blair and Gordon Brown were both dragged into the Celebrity Big Brother racism row today after an Indian Government minister expressed concern about taunts and insults suffered by a Bollywood actress appearing on the show.

A record 19,300 viewers have complained to Ofcom, the media regulator, about the alleged bullying of Shilpa Shetty by her housemates. That far exceeds the 9,000 who complained about the expletive-strewn musical Jerry Springer — The Opera after a concerted campaign by a Christian group.

Tonight, Channel 4 told Sky News that there has been no overt racial abuse directed at Shetty. Instead, the broadcaster said, viewers are witnessing a cultural and class clash between some housemates.

Ms Shetty's mother, Sunanda, spoke in Bombay today of the pain she felt watching "a bunch of people abuse her" and a protest was reported on the streets of Delhi at which effigies of the Big Brother organisers were burned.

As the outcry gathered momentum today, Hertfordshire Police confirmed it was investigating two e-mails threatening "a number of the housemates" over the incidents as security around the house was tightened.

The issue was even raised at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons. Mr Blair told MPs that he had not seen the programme, but added: "We should oppose racism in all its forms."

The Chancellor, making his first trip to India, delivered much the same message. "I understand that in the UK there have already been 10,000 complaints from viewers about these remarks, which people see, rightly, as offensive," he told reporters. "I want Britain to be seen as a country of fairness and tolerance. Anything detracting from this I condemn."

An aide said that Mr Brown had not seen the programmes in which the remarks were made, though he has watched Big Brother in the past.

This afternoon, Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, joined the tide condemnation, branding the alleged racism "completely unacceptable", according to Sky News.

The controversy has significantly boosted the show's ratings. The programme captured 4.5 million viewers last night, up by 20 per cent on the previous day.

But Charles Dunstone, the chief executive of Carphone Warehouse, told The Times that he was reviewing the firm's sponsorship of the Big Brother shows, for which it has paid an estimated £3 million a year since 2004. "Clearly, we are against racism," he said.

Complaints began to flood in at the start of the week after the former Big Brother housemate Jade Goody, her mother Jackiey Budden, Jack Tweed, her boyfriend, as well as Danielle Lloyd and Jo O'Meara, the pop singer, allegedly began bullying the Indian actress.

In one outburst, Lloyd asked Shetty: "Do you get stubble?" In another, Budden, who constantly called her "the Indian", asked: "Do you live in a house or a shack?"

The actress has been called a "dog" and contestants have complained about her touching their food. Ms O’Meara declared that Indians were thin because they were always ill as a result of undercooking food. Shetty’s accent has also been mocked. Channel 4 has denied reports that Tweed called the actress a "f***ing Paki".

Speaking to Sky News from her home in Bombay, Shilpa's mother, Sunanda, said today: "As a mother I find it it very painful and alarming to watch my daughter cry.

"To see her cry on TV while a bunch of people abuse her is very painful thing for a parent. I have never seen her cry, maybe when has been heartbroken, but she's normally a very happy person."

She that said her daughter decided to do the Channel 4 show as an "experiment".

"She did not have to do it, she is a film star," she added. "Perhaps the experience will give her personal growth."

The online live version of the show has been closely followed in India because of the appearance of Shetty, 31, and the actress's treatment has raised hackles.

Anand Sharma, India's junior minister for external affairs, told journalists in New Delhi today that the Government would "take appropriate measures" once it found out more details about the show.

"We are awaiting a report about the show. The Government will take appropriate measures once it gets to know the full details," Mr Sharma said. "Racism has no place in civilised society."

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Over the Wall
• Why Africa welcomes the ‘new colonialism’
• Which will come out on top: paper or gold?