Colors gets Shilpa to host Big Boss

Viacom 18's Colors has raised the curtain on another reality show – this time, season two of Bigg Boss, which will be aired daily on the channel from August 17. The show is the Indian version of UK reality show, Big Brother. Shilpa Shetty has been signed on to host the second season, perhaps after her win at Big Brother last year.

Shetty claims to have agreed to host the show because of her familiarity with its format. "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."

Speaking about the show's 14 contestants, Ashvini Yardi, programming head, Colors, said, "We cannot discuss more about them at the moment. But this time, the characters that we've invited come from a wider selection. Some of them are from Mumbai, some of them are from other cities. Instead of just film or television celebrities, we're calling them 'newsmakers'. You've seen each of them in newspapers across different sections."

Speaking on how different the show is going to be from Sony's version of the show last year, Rajesh Kamat, CEO, Colors, said, "This show, being a format show, is all about the characters that go into the house. What we've tried to do is to treat the format the way it's meant to be, which is that you get a view of what is happening in the house everyday. However, as the differentiator, we've got an anchor who can relate to the show since she's been part of the house before. That makes a big difference. Thirdly, we're going daily every Monday to Sunday."

In addition, Bigg Boss Season 2 will be aired live everyday, from 12:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to give its viewers a voyeuristic glimpse into the contestants' lives. For 84 days, the show aims to capture each waking moment of the lives of 14 housemates, with 32 cameras.