Saira Khan and James Whale have ‘race row’ on the first day in the Celebrity Big Brother house
TV show hosts get in heated debate over the possibility that James comes across as 'racist'
THEY hadn't even been in the house for more than a few hours but Saira Khan and James Whale came head-to-head in Celebrity Big Brother's first 'race row' of the series.
Loose Women star Saira approached the bald-headed broadcaster and admitted that she had researched some of her fellow contestants ahead of her stint on the show.
She then asked him: "Why have you got a tag that you could come across as being a racist person?"
James, 65, was shocked at the allegation and replied: "I don't know, I've never heard that before."
He then backed up his statement by recalling a time that a listener on his radio show called up to complain about "foreigners" in the country and said: "I'd never heard so much rubbish in my entire life."
James then added: "I don't think I am known for that. Am I known for that? I don't know. I really don't know."
He then added that he had been a judge for the British Curry Awards for the past ten years.
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Later on the pair clashed again when Whale approached the subject again and claimed that Saira thought he was a racist.
The mum-of-two then raged at him for "twisting" their previous conversation and that wasn't what she said at all.
James then backed down and said he was just "winding her up".
She accepted his apology, but added: "Don't wind me up. Because they're quite serious allegations."
Saira has already managed to earn herself elimination from next week's eviction after convincing Christopher Biggins to put her up for eviction.
In a twist known to the whole house except Biggins, his power in the house is a ruse set up by Big Brother, and anyone he chooses to nominate will instead be saved.
She decided to tug on the lovable entertainer's heartstrings by pulling him to one side and saying that she felt she wouldn't last because she missed her children.
The plan worked and now she is safe for at least a week - telling her fellow housemates she felt 'liberated' that her plan worked.
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Watch all the drama unfold on Celebrity Big Brother, weeknights on Channel 5.
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