Finally, Jade Goody and former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd apologised to Shilpa Shetty on Thursday night.

Goody said, "I know what has happened has not been nice for you... and a lot of stuff got said the other day from you and from myself. I don't say it in a racial way... I do not judge people by the colour of their skin."

Shilpa replied, "I know that. I don't think you're racist. I really appreciate that you took the first step."

The two then hugged and made up after giggling over how trivial the argument was. As the housemates went to bed, it was Lloyd's turn to apologise, crouching beside Shilpa's bed to claim she was 'disgusted' by her behaviour.

She told Shilpa: "I didn't agree with some of the things you said to Jade, but I especially didn't agree with some of the things that Jade said to you."

But tormented as she is in Big Brother's house the leggy lass Shilpa Shetty has something to look forward to in the coming days. Our beloved circuit who hosts the British show's desi counterpart is going to be in England later this month. He plans to reach out with a comforting hand to his colleague and fellow country-person.

The buzz is that the channel 4 has realised the gravity of the situation. They feel Shilpa needs some assurance from outside to know that we're all with her. Arshad will apprise her of the huge global impact that her treatment in there has made.

The actor is upset at treatment meted out to Shilpa Shetty. And therefore, he has decided to give Jade a piece of his mind.

As for Jade, he says, "I don't care. I think Jade is as good as Rakhi Sawant and Kashmeera Shah put together. She has unwittingly made Shilpa an international star."

But India Tourism Office has some other plans. The invitation has been extended in an open letter published in The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph by ITO here. It has offered her a "welcoming hand". The letter is titled "To Jade Goody and friends".

Using the "Celebrity Big Brother" furore to hardsell 'incredible' India to western tourists, the ITO reminded Goody and other readers of India's "bustling cosmopolitan cities", "snow-clad mountains" and "long sandy coastlines".

The letter reads: "Dear Jade Goody. Once your current commitments are over, may we invite you to experience the healing nature of India? Being one of the world's oldest civilisations, our land is one where the ancient and the modern culture co-exist and a multitude of religions live in harmony.

"As a beauty therapist, you may be especially interested in visiting one of the many spas where you can cleanse your stresses away, enjoy yoga in the land that invented it and experience Ayurvedic healing, which promotes positive health and natural beauty."

As India's tourism experts pitch into exploit the reality show's potential, the Shilpa show has led to adverse financial returns to others.

While the main Carphone Warehouse withdrew its sponsorship, Goody and fellow contestant glamour model Danielle Lloyd have lost out lucrative contracts.

The perfume Shop, the retailer selling Goody's Shh... perfume announced it was withdrawing the product from its shelves while Lloyd lost a six-figure modelling contract.

Both Goody and Lloyd are among contestants accused of racism against Shilpa.

After Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor Gordon Brown, Culture secretary Tessa Jowell also intervened into the debate, and termed Wednesday night's show as "disgusting" and deplored "racism being presented as entertainment".

Tonight, Shilpa will go head to head with Goody in a public vote for eviction, with the latter the favourite to go.

Last night, viewers saw Goody refer to Shilpa as "poppadom" later explaining she wanted to use an Indian name and the only word she could think of was an Indian food.

Meanwhile, there are reports that no promotion events have been planned by HarperCollins, the publisher of Goody's biography, next month. Lloyd lost a contract to be the face of motorcycle insurance firm Bennetts.

The company said: "Bennetts is strongly opposed to any form of racism and bullying and, in light of the accusations made against Miss Lloyd, has taken the decision to terminate its arrangements with her with immediate effect."

A statement issued on her behalf rejected the claims.

Charles Dunstone, the chief executive of main sponsor Carphone Warehouse, said: "We are totally against all forms of racism and bullying and feel that as long as this continues, we are unable to associate our brand with the programme."

Andy Duncan, the Channel 4 chief executive, said: "The debate has been heated, the viewing has at times been uncomfortable but, in my view, it is unquestionably a good thing the programme has raised these issues and provoked such a debate."

Duncan said he was "not ashamed of what was broadcast, quite the opposite", and added that the programme, which Thursday night had 5.2 million viewers "has touched a real nerve".