Bigg Boss Telugu is the Telugu version of the Indian reality TV series “Bigg Boss” that airs on Star Maa and also streams on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar. The TV series “Bigg Boss” is the adaptation of the Dutch TV series “Big Brother.” The show has completed its four seasons as of 2021. It is one of the most expensive and most-watched shows in the Telugu television industry. The set of the show was initially built in Lonavala, Pune, for season 1 and later, it was shifted to Hyderabad, Telangana, for the rest of the seasons.
Bigg Boss Telugu is a platform where a number of contestants known as ‘housemates’ enter the house on day one of the show and compete with each other. Each week, the nominations take place and one contestant is eliminated from the show. Elimination is done on the basis of public votes. The process repeats itself until the final week where the top 5 compete with each other to win the coveted trophy along with the prize money of the show. Now, let’s have a look at the winners of Season 1 to 4 of Bigg Boss Telugu.
Season 1 (2017)
Season 1 of Bigg Boss Telugu was launched in 2017 with the Television Viewer Rating (TVR) 16.18. The show ended with 14.23 TVR. There were 16 housemates (celebrities) who entered the house and the show went on for a period of 70 days. The show was hosted by Jr NTR (actor & singer).
Winner- Siva Balaji
Launch Date- 16 July 2017
Finale Date- 24 September 2017
Prize Money- Rs. 50 Lakh
Siva Balaji is an Indian actor, producer, and television personality who mainly works in the Telugu film industry. He came into the limelight by playing the role of ‘Ajay’ in the Telugu film “Arya” (2004). He won the show with a margin of 8.5 lakh votes.
Runner-ups: Aadarsh Balakrishna (first runner-up), Hari Teja (second runner-up), Navdeep Pallapolu (third runner-up), Archana Shastry (fourth runner-up)
Season 2 (2018)
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 2 was launched in 2018. The show opened with 15.0 TVR and ended with a TVR of 15.05. There were 18 contestants who entered the house; 15 celebrities and 3 commoners. The season lasted for 112 days and it was hosted by the Indian actor and producer Nani.
Winner- Kaushal Manda
Launch Date- 10 June 2018
Finale Date- 30 September 2018
Prize Money- Rs. 50 Lakh
Kaushal Manda is an Indian actor and model who mainly works in the Telugu film and television industry. Kaushal made his acting debut in 1999 by playing a supporting role in Mahesh Babu’s Telugu film “Rajakumarudu.” In 2019, he stepped into politics by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Runner-ups: Geetha Madhuri (first runner-up), Tanish Alladi (second-runner-up), Deepti Nallamothu (third runner-up), Samrat Reddy (fourth runner-up)
Season 3 (2019)
Season 3 of the game reality TV show “Bigg Boss Telugu” was launched in 2019 with a TVR of 17.92. The show received a TVR of 18.29 on its final episode. A total of 17 contestants (all celebrities) entered the house and the show lasted for a period of 105 days. The show was hosted by Akkineni Nagarjuna, an actor, film producer, and television presenter.
Winner- Rahul Sipligunj
Launch Date- 21 July 2019
Finale Date- 3 November 2019
Prize Money- Rs. 50 Lakh
Rahul Sipligunj is an Indian playback singer, songwriter, musician, and actor who mainly works in the Telugu music industry. He began his career by releasing his music videos on YouTube. Sipligunj has worked as a singer in more than 50 Telugu films.
Runner-ups: Sreemukhi (first runner-up), Baba Bhasker (second-runner-up), Varun Sandesh (third runner-up), Ali Reza (fourth runner-up)
Season 4 (2020)
Bigg Boss Telugu season 4 was launched in 2020 with an opening TVR of 18.5. The final episode of the show recorded a TVR of 21.7. The show welcomed 19 contestants in the beginning and was hosted by the actor, film producer, and TV presenter Akkineni Nagarjuna. It lasted for 105 days.
Winner- Abijeet
Launch Date- 6 September 2020
Finale Date- 20 December 2020
Prize Money- Rs 25 Lakh and a Bike
Abijeet is an Indian actor who predominantly works in the Telugu film industry. He came into the limelight after playing the role of ‘Sekhar Kammula’ in the Telugu film “Life Is Beautiful” (2012). Abijeet also appeared in all three seasons of the Viu app’s web series “Pelli Gola.”
Runner-ups: Akhil Sarthak (first runner-up), Syed Sohel Ryan (second-runner-up), Ariyana Glory (third runner-up), Alekhya Harika Sheru (fourth runner-up)