Turn off Big Brother, says Conservative leader

London, Jan 19: Conservative leader David Cameron has said viewers unhappy at alleged racist content on Celebrity Big Brother show should switch off their televisions.

Answering questions sent in to the BBC he said, ''There was a great regulator called the off button, adding that people had to ''take responsibility''.

Mr Cameron added that all racism was ''distasteful'' and had to be opposed.

Answering questions e-mailed to the BBC News website, he said, ''I completely abhor racism. Everyone has got a responsibility here.'' He included Channel 4 and the broadcasting regulator Ofcom in this category and said,'There's a great regulator called the off button and I think we should use it.'' The Tory leader said he had not seen the incidents which prompted the complaints, but added ''From what I read it sounds very distasteful.'' Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons he had not seen the show, but said: ''We should oppose racism in all its forms.'' The economic secretary to the Treasury Ed Balls told the BBC, ''The thing which I think we should stand back and think about, in the last couple of days this has been a major national news story in India, with people talking about Britain with words like 'racist' and the kind of image it projects of Britain around the world is appalling. I feel ashamed of it.''

UNI