London: Shilpa Shetty, at the centre of a raging race row, has been crowned the winner of British 'Celebrity Big Brother'.

The 31-year-old actress burst into tears on hearing she had won the public vote. The experience on Channel 4 show had been "incredible and overwhelming", she said after winning the show.

Asked about the race row by host Davina McCall, Shilpa insisted ringleader Jade Goody "didn't mean to be racist".

Shilpa was the firm favourite to win the contest, considered the most controversial in the show's history, after she became the victim of racist bullying by fellow contestant Goody.

The actress profusely thanked the public for a "fantastic opportunity to make my country proud".

Former beauty queen Danielle Lloyd, one of the contestants implicated in the racist abuse, earlier apologised for her remarks to Shetty.

Lloyd, 23, and fellow evictee Jack Tweed were heavily booed as they left the house in the first round of evictions held during the final show.

Both were upset when shown footage of their behaviour towards Shetty.

"I feel terrible," said Lloyd. Tweed, boyfriend of Jade Goody, said it had nothing to do with skin colour. Lloyd immediately apologised for her behaviour towards Shilpa in an interview with host Davina McCall. Lloyd said her remarks had been made "in the heat of the moment."

"I wasn't laughing at Shilpa... it was just nerves," said Lloyd. "I hate confrontation."

On Friday, after her eviction former S Club 7 star Jo O'Meara, denied that she was racist. "It's not because I'm racist at all. I think she's a very beautiful, very elegant woman. I can't say I am sorry for something I am not guilty of."

The race row on the show had subsided since viewers overwhelmingly voted last week to evict Jade Goody, 25, seen as the ringleader in the bullying of Shilpa Shetty.

Media watchdog Ofcom received more than 40,000 complaints about the racist bullying in the current series of the Channel 4 reality TV show. British lawmakers lined up to condemn the programme when the row was at its height last week. The show triggered a major controversy in Britain with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying in the House of Commons that he was opposed to racism in all its forms when NRI MP Keith Vaz raised the issue.

Former Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd and Jade Goody's boyfriend Jack Tweed were the first two housemates to be evicted in the final of Celebrity Big Brother last night .

The double eviction was a surprise for the housemates but not for the bookies, who had not offered odds on Jack winning and placed Danielle at 100/1.

Danielle immediately apologised for her behaviour towards the Bollywood star in an interview with host Davina McCall.

Asked by Davina what she had learnt in the house, she said: "Not to be such a bitch".

Davina replied: "Good."

The housemates were reunited on Russell Brand's Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth - all appearing except Jade, her mother Jackiey Budden, Jo and Danielle who were mysteriously absent.