Mumbai: After Akshay Kumar, the new Hindi general entertainment channel from Viacom 18 – Colors, has roped in Shilpa Shetty to host a reality show Bigg Boss Season 2. The channel’s driver action reality show Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi hosted by Kumar hosted will be replaced by Bigg Boss Season 2 from 17 August.
Bigg Boss Season 2 is the Indian version of Big Brother. Incidentally, last year Shetty participated in the UK version of Big Brother as a participant and emerged the winner.
The show will be aired every day at 10 pm. This is the first time that a show has been launched that will be aired every day.
Additionally, there will be half an hour live and unedited slot everyday starting from the second week that will air starting 12.30 am.
Fourteen handpicked strangers will be locked in a house, who will live with each other to survive in the Bigg Boss Season 2 house. The winner gets a cash prize of Rs 75 lakhs.
Colors CEO Rajesh Kamat said, "Fear Factor- Khatron Ke Khiladi was one of our driver shows during the launch phase that helped us to capture a significant position in the consumer’s mind space. As soon as Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi ends Big Boss Season 2 is our next big ticket offering that will accelerate this momentum even further and keep the Colors audiences on the edge of their seats for the next three months."
Endemol India country head Deepak Dhar added, "Bigg Boss has connected extremely well with Indian audiences because it showcased reality in its truest, unadulterated form. This will be enhanced with the combination of celebrities and members from the public coming together to spend 12 weeks in the same space, cut off from the rest of the world. This new twist is bound to create entertaining television driven by the reality of what each contestant will experience in the Bigg Boss house."
Colors programming head Ashvini Yardi added, "Bigg Boss Season 2 will lend a new hue to the existing Hindi General Entertainment category with a reality show covering the entire spectrum of emotions. Shetty has been roped in as the host of the show as she has been in this situation and knows exactly how the contestants would feel. She will be like a mentor for the 14 participants as she is experienced and will have a great chemistry with the contestants."
Shetty said, "I have been through what these 14 contestants will go through, and therefore understand their needs and feelings. I remember what it was to live with strangers in a house cut-off from the outside world with nobody to trust and vouch for. But one thing is sure; it will definitely change the lives of the participants. It’ll give them memories to last a lifetime and emerge as stronger individuals."
Every Monday to Thursday, viewers will get to see these 14 people struggle to cope up with the pressure built up in the boundaries of the Bigg Boss house. Fridays would be the day of eviction while Saturdays would offer the spin off episode. Sundays would spice up the show with andekha masala.
