Reaching for the sky!

no,but if it did I would prune those off.

Speaking from a position of total ignorance, since I have never grown a camellia, I believe they sometimes reveal their genetic inheritance by 'sporting' and producing different coloured flowers on the same plant. I was just wondering whether these shoots would in fact produce different flowers if they were left on. (How I have the cheek to contribute to this thread, I'm not sure. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.)

Have you pruned the bush recently?  The amount of rain we had last summer has affected some shrubs in unexpected ways.  Usually in a good way.

I would leave the shoots, unless you want the bush to remain small.  Perhaps tip prune them, but don't cut them right back.  You can be more drastic when you see how the bush develops.