Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty has turned up in the UK to give her backing to Keith Vaz who is standing in Leicester East as an Independent candidate in the British general elections on July 4.

And thereby hangs many a tale.

Back in India, media reports say Shilpa and her husband, Raj Kundra, “have been accused of cheating a prominent trader in Mumbai. The accusation, made by bullion trader Prithviraj Saremal Kothari, has prompted the Mumbai Sessions Court to order a thorough investigation into the matter”.

But in Britain, Shilpa is famous for having won the 2007 edition of Celebrity Big Brother — the programme inspired Bigg Boss in India — when she was subjected to racist abuse by three of her white housemates, the late Jade Goody, Danielle Lloyd, and Jo O’Meara.

That year, Vaz went out of his way to show his support for Shilpa, both in Parliament and by taking her to his home city of Leicester, which has a big Asian population. Shilpa even got to curtsy to the Queen (which Indian women generally don’t do these days). She met the British Indian businessman Raj Kundra and the couple started a new life together in Mumbai.

Vaz’s back story is one of promise unfulfilled. The Cambridge-educated solicitor was first elected Labour MP for Leicester East in 1987 as the first Indian-origin member of Parliament in modern times. He was considered an excellent constituency MP for Leicester East which he held for 32 years with increasing majorities.

But he was forced to step down before the 2019 general elections after papers, who now refer to him as “the disgraced Keith Vaz”, accused him of buying drugs for an encounter with male prostitutes. As a very effective chairman of the Commons home affairs select committee, the eloquent Vaz could well have been a senior cabinet minister or even the Labour leader.

Shilpa, who has now returned to Leicester to return an old favour, told voters in a statement: “Hello Leicester! Hello Belgrave. I am delighted to be in Leicester after 17 years to support the election of my dear friend Keith Vaz. I remember the ecstatic welcome I got from Leicester, it wasthe first and only city I visited in the UK, when I won Celebrity Big Brother. My family’s friendship with Keith Vazgoes back many years. Hehas been a champion forlocal people in Leicester and from India equally. He is dedicated and hardworking, and has taken up 41,000 Leicester cases in his 32 years as an MP. His hard work for Leicester is legendary. Please votefor Keith Vaz on 4th July. His symbol is the Sun (Sooraj).So, let the sun rise. Please support Keith Vaz on 4th July. Vote Vaz.”

Vaz, who has now been formally kicked out of the Labour party for standing against its official candidate, Rajesh Agarwal, a deputy mayor in London, said: “Shilpa and her family are old friends of ours. I am so delighted that she has come to Leicester to support my campaign. It is a true honour and a privilege to have her here. It is clear from the reaction of local people how much she is valued and how much she is loved.”

Vaz last won Leicester East in 2017 with a thumping majority of 22,428 on a turnout of 52,424. He has certainly queered Agarwal’s chances of winning the seat but the Tory candidate, Shivani Raja, will be delighted that Vaz will split the Labour vote.