Bigg Boss is a popular Indian reality television show that follows a group of contestants who live together in a house for several weeks, cut off from the outside world.
The contestants, who are selected from various backgrounds, are given various tasks and challenges to perform and are also required to nominate each other for eviction. The audience votes to save their favorite contestants, and the contestant with the least votes is eliminated each week. The last one remaining in the house emerge as the winner and receives a cash prize.
The show is known for its controversies, intense drama, and occasional physical altercations between the contestants. The format has been adapted in many countries around the world and has become a cultural phenomenon in India. It is such a popular Indian TV show that there are 16 seasons of this show till now and many more are expected to come.
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Here is a brief overview of each season of Bigg Boss:
Season 1
Bigg Boss Season 1 was the first edition of the Indian reality TV show, which premiered on 3 November 2006, on Sony Entertainment Television. The show was hosted by Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi and featured 15 contestants from different fields of entertainment, including film actors, television personalities, and models.
The contestants included Rakhi Sawant, a dancer and television personality; Ravi Kishan, a film actor and politician; Bobby Darling, a transgender actress; and Aryan Vaid, a former Mr. India. Other contestants included Deepak Tijori, Carol Gracias, Amit Sadh, Hari Teja, and Anupama Verma.
One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Rakhi Sawant broke down on national television, revealing her troubled past and her struggles to make it in the entertainment industry.
The finale of the first season was held on 26 January 2007, and Rahul Roy emerged as the winner of the show.
Season 2
Bigg Boss Season 2 premiered on 17 August 2008, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty as the host. The second season featured 14 contestants from various fields, including television, film, and modeling.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 2 included Ashutosh Kaushik, a reality TV show winner; Raja Chaudhary, a television actor; Payal Rohatgi, a film actress; Monica Bedi, a former Bollywood actress; and Sambhavna Seth, a reality TV show contestant. Other contestants included Rakhi Vijan, Rahul Mahajan, Sanjay Nirupam, and Zulfi Syed.
One of the most controversial moments of the show was when Rahul Mahajan tried to escape the Bigg Boss house by jumping over the wall.
The finale of Bigg Boss 2 was held on 22 November 2008, and Ashutosh Kaushik emerged as the winner of the show.
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Season 3
Bigg Boss Season 3 was aired on 4 June 2009, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan as the host. The third season featured 15 contestants from dynamic fields.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 3 included Vindu Dara Singh, a film actor and television host; Pravesh Rana, a model and television host; Poonam Dhillon, a former Miss India, and Bollywood actress; and Aditi Gowitrikar, a model and Bollywood actress. Other contestants included Shamita Shetty, Bakhtiyaar Irani, Claudia Ciesla, and Tannaz Irani.
The third season of the show was also not devoid of drama and controversies. One of such moment of the show was when the Bollywood actor Kamal Rashid Khan (KRK) was evicted from the house for his unruly behavior towards the other contestants.
The finale of Bigg Boss 3 was held on 26 December 2009, and Vindu Dara Singh emerged as the winner of the show.
Season 4
Bigg Boss Season 4 premiered on 3 October 2010, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The fourth season featured 14 contestants from various backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 4 included Shweta Tiwari, a television actress; Ashmit Patel, a film actor; Veena Malik, a Pakistani actress and model; and Dolly Bindra, a reality TV star. Other contestants included Sara Khan, Sameer Soni, Manoj Tiwari, and Anchal Kumar.
The controversial moment of this season of the show was when Rahul Bhatt claimed Bigg Boss to be scripted. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry served a notice on Colors TV and changed the timings of the show. Later, the channel got a stay order from the Bombay High Court and the show continued on its prime time.
The finale of Bigg Boss 4 was held on 8 January 2011, and Shweta Tiwari was declared the winner of the show.
Season 5
Bigg Boss Season 5 premiered on 2 October 2011, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actors Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan as the co-hosts. The fifth season featured 14 contestants.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 5 included Shonali Nagrani, a former Miss India and television host; Mahek Chahal, a Norwegian-Indian model, and Bollywood actress; Pooja Bedi, a television personality and Bollywood actress; and Siddharth Bhardwaj, a television personality and VJ. Other contestants included Amar Upadhyay, Juhi Parmar, Sidharth Bhardwaj, and Sunny Leone.
One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Sunny Leone, a former adult film actress, entered the house, causing a stir among the other contestants and the Indian audience.
The finale of Bigg Boss 5 was held on 7 January 2012, and Juhi Parmar emerged as the winner of the show.
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Season 6
Bigg Boss Season 6 premiered on 7 October 2012, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The sixth season featured 15 contestants from a diverse range of fields.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 6 included Urvashi Dholakia, a television actress; Imam Siddique, a fashion stylist; Sapna Bhavnani, a celebrity hairstylist; and Niketan Madhok, a model. Other contestants included Rajeev Paul, Delnaaz Irani, Sana Khan, and Aashka Goradia.
The sixth season of the show was full of drama, controversies, and unexpected twists. One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Imam Siddique got into a heated argument with Salman Khan and even removed his clothes at midnight after a fight with other participants.
The finale of Bigg Boss 6 was held on 12 January 2013, and Urvashi Dholakia emerged as the winner of the show.
Season 7
Bigg Boss Season 7 premiered on 15 September 2013, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The seventh season featured 15 contestants from various fields.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 7 included Gauhar Khan, a Bollywood actress, and model; Tanisha Mukherjee, a Bollywood actress; Kamya Punjabi, a television actress; and Pratyusha Banerjee, a television actress. Other contestants included Sangram Singh, Kushal Tandon, Andy Kumar, and Elli Avram.
The seventh season of the show was full of drama, controversies, and unexpected twists just like the other seasons. One of the most controversial moments of the show was when Kushal Tandon got into a heated argument with Tanisha Mukherjee and even tried to leave the house.
The finale of Bigg Boss 7 was held on 28 December 2013, and Gauhar Khan emerged as the winner of the show.
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Season 8
Bigg Boss Season 8 premiered on 21 September 2014, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The eighth season featured 12 celebrity contestants and 4 non-celebrity contestants, also known as "the challenger" or "the minion" contestants.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 8 included Karishma Tanna, a television actress; Gautam Gulati, a television actor; Diandra Soares, a model; and Upen Patel, a model and actor. Other contestants included Puneet Issar, Soni Singh, and Deepshikha Nagpal.
The eighth season of the show was full of drama, controversies, and unexpected twists. One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Karishma Tanna got into a heated argument with Gautam Gulati and even slapped him.
The finale of Bigg Boss 8 was held on 31 January 2015, and Gautam Gulati emerged as the winner of the show.
Season 9
Bigg Boss Season 9 premiered on 11 October 2015, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The ninth season of the show was titled "Bigg Boss Double Trouble" and featured 20 contestants, including 10 pairs of celebrities and non-celebrities.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 9 included Prince Narula, a reality show star; Mandana Karimi, an Iranian model and actress; Rochelle Rao, a model and television actress; and Rimi Sen, a Bollywood actress. Other contestants included Kishwer Merchant, Suyyash Rai, and Keith Sequeira.
One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Kishwer Merchant’s disgusting act of spitting in Rishabh Sinha’s water and food.
The finale of Bigg Boss 9 was held on 23 January 2016, and Prince Narula emerged as the winner of the show.
Season 10
Bigg Boss Season 10 premiered on 16 October 2016, on Colors TV, with Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. The tenth season of the show featured a unique concept where common people were given a chance to participate in the show along with celebrity contestants. The show had a total of 15 contestants, out of which 8 were commoners and 7 were celebrities.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 10 included Manveer Gurjar, a commoner and dairy farmer; Lopamudra Raut, a model and beauty queen; Bani J, a fitness model; and Manu Punjabi, a commoner, and businessman. Other contestants included Rohan Mehra, Gaurav Chopra, and Mona Lisa.
One of the most talked-about moments of the show was when Swami Om, a self-proclaimed Godman, threw his pee on fellow contestants during a task.
The finale of Bigg Boss 10 was held on 29 January 2017, and Manveer Gurjar emerged as the winner of the show.
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Season 11
Bigg Boss Season 11 premiered on 1 October 2017, on Colors TV, with Salman Khan as the host. This season of the show was titled “Bigg Boss 11: Padosi Bajayenge Barah” and featured 19 contestants from various backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 11 included Hina Khan, a television actress; Lucinda Nicholas, an Australian model, actress, and yoga instructor; Shilpa Shinde, a television actress; and Akash Dadlani, a rapper and related to Vishal Dadlani. Other contestants included Hiten Tejwani, Puneesh Sharma, Luv Tyagi, and Sapna Choudhary.
The controversial moment of this season of the show was when Zubair Khan attempted suicide to get out of the show. He was hospitalized for consuming pills.
The finale of Bigg Boss 11 was held on 14 January 2018, and Shilpa Shinde was declared the winner of the show.
Season 12
Bigg Boss Season 12 premiered on 16 September 2018, on Colors TV, with Salman Khan as the host. This season of the show was titled “Bigg Boss: Vichitra Jodis” and featured 20 contestants from various backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 4 included Karanvir Bohra, a television actor and a reality TV star; Dipika Kakar, a television and film actress; Anup Jalota, a popular singer; and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, a former Indian cricketer. Other contestants included Neha Pendse, Shivashish Mishra, Romil Chaudhary, and Kriti Verma.
The controversial moment of this season of the show was when during a task Deepak Thakur said demeaning things about Megha Dhade in response to which she hurled a shoe and spit on him.
The finale of Bigg Boss 12 was held on 30 December 2018, and Dipika Kakar was declared the winner of the show.
Season 13
Bigg Boss Season 13 premiered on 29 September 2019, on Colors TV, with Salman Khan as the host. This season of the show was titled “Bigg Boss Tedha” and featured 21 contestants from various backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 13 included Shehnaaz Gill, a Punjabi singer and actress; Sidharth Shukla, a television and film actor; Koena Mitra, an actress and model; and Rashami Desai, a TV star. Other contestants included Arhaan Khan, Abu Malik, Shefali Bagga, Shefali Jariwala, and Dalljiet Kaur.
One of the controversial moments of this season of the show was when Sidharth Shukla was constantly referring to Rashmi Desai as “aisi ladki” and in response to this, she threw tea on him.
The finale of Bigg Boss 13 was held on 15 February 2020, and Sidharth Shukla was declared the winner of the show.
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Season 14
Bigg Boss Season 14 premiered on 3 October 2020, on Colors TV, with the Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. This season of the show was titled “Bigg Boss: Ab Scene Paltega” and featured 22 contestants from various fields.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 14 included Rubina Dilaik, a television and film actress; Jaan Kumar Sanu, a musician/singer and son of Kumar Sanu; Abhinav Shukla, a model and actor; and Nikki Tamboli, a film actress. Other contestants included Eijaz Khan, Shehzad Deol, Shardul Pandit, and Arshi Khan.
One of the most-talked moments of this season of the show was the heated argument between Abhinav Shukla and Rakhi Sawant in which Rakhi verbally abuse him. Rubina Dilaik threw a bucket of soapy water on Rakhi.
The finale of Bigg Boss 14 was held on 21 February 2021, and Rubina Dilaik was declared the winner of the show.
Season 15
Bigg Boss Season 15 premiered on 2 October 2021, on Colors TV, with the Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host. This season of the show was also referred to as Bigg Boss: "Sankat in Jungle" or “Bigg Boss: Pan Pana Pan Pandrah” and featured 24 contestants from diverse backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 15 included Jay Bhanushali, an actor and television presenter; Tejasswi Prakash, a television actor; Karan Kundrra, a TV actor and model; and Akasa Singh, a singer. Other contestants included Vishal Kotian, Rajiv Adatia, Umar Riaz, and Afsana Khan.
One of the many controversial moments of this season of the show was when Vidhi Pandya and Donal Bisht were evicted as a part of double and mid-week eviction by the housemates. The fans got angry and started to protest by claiming that the eviction was unfair.
The finale of Bigg Boss 15 was held on 30 January 2022, and Tejasswi Prakash was declared the winner of the show.
Season 16
Bigg Boss Season 16 premiered on 1 October 2022, on Colors TV, with the Bollywood actor Salman Khan as the host; Karan Johar and Farah Khan as guest hosts; and Shekhar Suman as Bigg Bulletin host. This season of the show was also referred to as Bigg Boss: Game Badlega, Kyunki Bigg Boss Khud Khelega! and featured 17 contestants from diverse backgrounds.
The contestants of Bigg Boss Season 16 included Abdu Rozik, a Tajikistan singer and boxer; MC Stan, a rapper and music producer; Shiv Thakare, a reality TV star; and Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, an actress and model. Other contestants included Sajid Khan, Ankit Gupta, Sunny Waghchaure, Vijay Vikram Singh, and Priyanka Chahar Choudhary.
The controversial moment of this season of the show was the heated arguments between Mc Stan and Shalin Bhanot over several issues and threats from both sides.
The finale of Bigg Boss 16 was held on 12 February 2023, and Mc Stan was declared the winner of the show.
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Summing Up
Bigg Boss is an Indian reality television show that airs on the Colors TV channel. The show is based on the format of the international reality show "Big Brother" and has been adapted to Indian culture. In this show, a group of celebrities from different fields are locked up inside a house for a certain period of time and are expected to live together while being constantly monitored by cameras.
