Bigg Boss Telugu is the Telugu-language version of the hugely popular Bigg Boss franchise, which itself is based on the Dutch show Big Brother. Since its debut in 2017, the show has become a major entertainment platform in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, drawing in both big celebrities and audience-favourites among housemates. Contestants live together in a specially built house, cut off from the outside world, participate in weekly tasks, nominations, and evictions, culminating in a finale where a public-voted winner is declared. Over its many seasons, Bigg Boss Telugu has delivered drama, friendships, controversies, emotional arcs — and produced winners who often go on to greater visibility in the entertainment industry.
In this article, we’ll dig into the show’s format, winners, runner-ups, hosts for all seasons:
Bigg Boss Show Format
Here’s how Bigg Boss Telugu works — broadly the same core as other Bigg Boss versions, with some regional tweaks and production values:
- Contestants (“Housemates”): Usually a mix of celebrities (actors, anchors, social media personalities etc.), and in some seasons ordinary/common people are also allowed or considered.
- Isolation & Surveillance: The housemates stay in a Bigg Boss house for many weeks (often around 70-100+ days), with cameras recording almost everything, and without outside internet, news etc.
- Tasks & Challenges: Weekly tasks, sometimes luxury budget tasks, punishments, captaincy or leadership roles, etc. Helps decide rewards, power in nominations, immunity etc.
- Nominations & Evictions: Housemates nominate, public votes, sometimes twists like double eviction, wildcard entries, etc. The audience has a big say.
- Host: A prominent star (often a Telugu film actor) hosts the show, interacts with evicted contestants, conducts weekend episodes etc. In most seasons so far, Nagarjuna has been the host; earlier seasons had Jr NTR, Nani.
- Prize & Finale: At the end of the season, one contestant wins the trophy plus cash prize (and sometimes other perks: vehicle, plot etc.).
Winners, Runner-Ups, Hosts for Bigg Boss Telugu Seasons
| Season | Year | Host | Winner | First Runner-Up | Prize Money / Other Prizes |
| Season 1 | 2017 | Jr. NTR | Siva Balaji | Aadarsh Balakrishna | ₹50 lakh |
| Season 2 | 2018 | Nani | Kaushal Manda | Geetha Madhuri | ₹50 lakh |
| Season 3 | 2019 | Nagarjuna | Rahul Sipligunj | Sreemukhi | ₹50 lakh |
| Season 4 | 2020 | Nagarjuna | Abijeet Duddala | Akhil Sarthak | ~₹25 lakh + extras (bike etc.) |
| Season 5 | 2021 | Nagarjuna | VJ Sunny | Shanmukh Jaswanth | ₹50 lakh + extras (bike, plot etc.) |
| Season 6 | 2022 | Nagarjuna | L. V. Revanth | Shrihan Shaik | Prize: varied; smaller compared to some, but included other perks. |
| Season 7 | 2023 | Nagarjuna | Pallavi Prashanth | Amardeep Chowdary | ₹35 lakh etc. |
| Season 8 | 2024 | Nagarjuna | Nikhil Maliyakkal | Gautham Krishna | ₹55 lakh + a car (highest so far) |
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 1 (2017)
The first ever Bigg Boss Telugu started on 16 July 2017 and ended on 24 September 2017. Jr. NTR hosted, and there were 16 contestants. After about 70 days in the house with weekly tasks, nominations and evictions, Siva Balaji emerged as the winner, defeating Aadarsh Balakrishna as the runner-up. The prize was ₹50 lakh. This season set the style: a mix of strong personalities, regional flavour, emotional moments, alliances and conflicts. The debut season drew huge attention with Jr NTR’s star power and captivated audiences.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 2 (2018)
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 2 premiered on 10 June 2018. Host was Nani, and the show extended longer — 113 episodes. With 18 housemates, contestants were tested in various tasks and gameplay dynamics. Kaushal Manda won the season, earning the trophy and ₹50 lakh, while Geetha Madhuri was the runner-up. This season saw more intense rivalries and more aspirational housemates. It built on the success of season 1, with higher stakes, more viewer engagement, and more drama and twists in nominations.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 3 (2019)
Season 3 launched in July 2019, hosted by Nagarjuna. Seventeen housemates entered; the episodes ran around 106 days. Rahul Sipligunj won the season, with Sreemukhi as runner-up. Prize money was about ₹50 lakh. The season had strong fan followings and emotional arcs; some contestants became breakout stars. Notable moments included task-based conflicts, alliances changing, and the audience being very invested. With host Nagarjuna’s style and the mix of personalities, the show reinforced its popularity and social media trends.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4 (2020)
Airing in the COVID-era, Season 4 brought its own challenges, but audience hunger for Bigg Boss only increased. Hosted by Nagarjuna again, the season had 19 contestants. Abijeet Duddala won the title, Akhil Sarthak was runner-up. Prize money was lower (~₹25 lakh) with additional perks (like a bike) offered. The season had more dramatic tasks, emotional moments, and also controversies around evictions, viewer expectations. It was a turning point — showing that even with disruptions (pandemic etc.), reality TV in Telugu could evolve.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 5 (2021)
Season 5 began in September 2021, again under Nagarjuna’s hosting. It featured 19 housemates. VJ Sunny won the season; Shanmukh Jaswanth was runner-up. Prize money reverted to roughly ₹50 lakh along with extras like a plot, bike etc. The season had more colourful personalities, social media engagement, and memorable fights and friendships. It also brought more diversity in contestant background (YouTuber, anchors, actors etc.). It appealed especially to younger audience. production values, and inclusion of housemates with different follower bases made dynamics sharper.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 6 (2022)
Host: Nagarjuna. Season 6 was notable because it increased the number of housemates (21) and opened doors a bit more widely. L. V. Revanth won; Shrihan Shaik was the first runner-up. The prize and extras were somewhat different; at least in some reports the monetary prize was smaller, but other perks were given. The competition had many dramatic turns, emotional breakthroughs, and also contestants who were relatively lesser known but impressed with performance and audience connect. It reaffirmed the importance of consistency rather than merely spiking dramatics.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 (2023)
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 7 started 3 September 2023 and ran till 17 December 2023. Pallavi Prashanth won the title; Amardeep Chowdary was runner-up. Host once again was Nagarjuna. Prize was about ₹35 lakh plus additional prizes (jewelry worth ₹15 lakh and a car) for the winner. There were 19 contestants. The season witnessed highly competitive tasks, emotional arcs, and a more visible role of audience support. Winner was celebrated for consistent gameplay, calm demeanour, and forming alliances while maintaining authenticity.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 8 (2024)
Season 8 (titled Limitless) premiered on 1 September 2024, hosted by Nagarjuna, with about 22 housemates. The grand finale was on 15 December 2024. Nikhil Maliyakkal emerged as the winner; Gautham Krishna was first runner-up. Prize for winner was ₹55 lakh plus a car. This is the highest monetary prize so far in Bigg Boss Telugu’s history. The season had several twists, higher production, and strong competition throughout. Spectators noted better tasks, more surprises, and overall tighter nomination and eviction dynamics.
Reflection & What Makes Bigg Boss Telugu Stand Out
Bigg Boss Telugu has grown in just a few seasons to become one of the major reality TV sensations in regional India. What makes it special:
- The selection of hosts who are big-name stars (Jr NTR, Nani, Nagarjuna) helps credibility and draws big audiences.
- The mix of celebrities and, in some seasons, “common” personalities, gives both glitz and relatability.
- The format has continually raised the stakes: more contestants, longer durations, higher prize money, more twists.
- Audience involvement via public voting, social media buzz, controversies and emotional arcs have become central.