Dr. Shilpa Shetty!!!

Leeds Univ has confered Ms.Shetty with an honourable doctorate.

This is wat the press reports say:

A leading UK University today conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Indian actress Shilpa Shetty for her outstanding contribution to cultural diversity. Describing it as a "huge honour" and promising to live up to "expectations," 32-year-old Mangalore-born Shetty received the honour from Leeds Metropolitan University at a special ceremony in Leeds this morning. "It came as a huge surprise to me and I am really humbled by the gesture," the Bollywood actress said.

Shilpa Shetty was earlier presented with a Special IIFA award for the global impact of her "Big Brother" victory at the India International Film Academy Awards in Yorkshire. Shilpa Shetty is the youngest actor from the Indian film fraternity to join the ranks of Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi and Yash Chopra who have so far been conferred with the honour. "Sharing the platform with great stalwarts like Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan), Yashji (Yash Chopra), and Shabanaji (Shabana Azmi) is a huge honour," she said. Thanking the University for selecting her for the Doctorate, she said: "You have bestowed this great honour on me and I promise to act responsibly. I have tried my best to do my best in whatever I have done in my life and I am going to continue to do so." A spokeswoman of the University told PTI that selecting Shilpa for the Doctorate was part of its efforts to honour prominent Indian movie personalities who have contributed to the country's emergence as a fast developing cinema-proud nation.

Well, well, well. I have my own comments. Is it because of the controversy that arouse in the Big Brother show? Or something which she received from Richard Gere fetched her the honour? the answer could be "No" But then, I definitely can comment that these two episodes had definitely paid some dividends that brought her this laurel!!!