By Saurav Mehra Bigg Boss Kannada is one of the most successful reality television shows in Karnataka. It is the Kannada-language version of Bigg Boss, which is based on the international Big Brother format. Contestants live together inside the Bigg Boss house without normal contact with the outside world and face weekly tasks, nominations, eliminations and audience voting.
The Kannada edition premiered on 24 March 2013 and became the first South Indian adaptation of Bigg Boss. Actor Kiccha Sudeep has hosted the programme since its first season and has become closely associated with the franchise. As of 2026, 12 regular seasons have been completed, while Season 13 is scheduled to begin in September 2026.
Bigg Boss Kannada Winners List of All Seasons
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Host |
| Season 1 | 2013 | Vijay Raghavendra | Arun Sagar | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 2 | 2014 | Akul Balaji | Srujan Lokesh | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 3 | 2015–16 | Shruthi | Chandan Kumar | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 4 | 2016–17 | Pratham | Kirik Keerthi | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 5 | 2017–18 | Chandan Shetty | Diwakar | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 6 | 2018–19 | Shashi Kumar | Naveen Sajju | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 7 | 2019–20 | Shine Shetty | Kuri Prathap | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 8 | 2021 | Manju Pavagada | Aravind KP | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 9 | 2022 | Roopesh Shetty | Rakesh Adiga | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 10 | 2023–24 | Karthik Mahesh | Drone Prathap | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 11 | 2024–25 | Hanumantha Lamani | Trivikram | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 12 | 2025–26 | Gilli Nata | Rakshita Shetty | Kiccha Sudeep |
| Season 13 | 2026 | To Be Announced | To Be Announced | Kiccha Sudeep |
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 1 Winner – Vijay Raghavendra
The first season of Bigg Boss Kannada premiered on 24 March 2013 on ETV Kannada. Actor Kiccha Sudeep made his debut as host.
The season was filmed at the Bigg Boss house in Lonavala and ran for approximately 98 days.
Actor Vijay Raghavendra emerged as the first Bigg Boss Kannada winner, while actor and artist Arun Sagar finished as runner-up.
The grand finale was held on 30 June 2013. Vijay received the title after securing the highest audience support among the finalists.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 2 Winner – Akul Balaji
Season 2 premiered on 29 June 2014 and moved to Suvarna television. Kiccha Sudeep returned as host.
Actor and television presenter Akul Balaji won the second season, while Srujan Lokesh finished as runner-up.
The season ran for 98 days and concluded on 5 October 2014. Akul received the winner’s trophy and ₹50 lakh prize money.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 3 Winner – Shruthi
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 3 premiered on 25 October 2015. The programme moved to Colors Kannada, while the Bigg Boss house was shifted to Bengaluru.
Actress Shruthi emerged as the winner, with actor Chandan Kumar finishing as runner-up.
The competition ran for 98 days and concluded on 31 January 2016. Shruthi became the first woman to win the Kannada edition of Bigg Boss.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 4 Winner – Pratham
Season 4 premiered on 9 October 2016 with Sudeep continuing as host.
Actor and filmmaker Pratham won Bigg Boss Kannada Season 4. Kirik Keerthi finished as runner-up.
The season was extended beyond the usual duration and continued for 112 days. Its grand finale was held on 29 January 2017.
Pratham remained one of the most discussed contestants of the season and eventually secured the highest public vote among the finalists.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 5 Winner – Chandan Shetty
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 5 premiered on 15 October 2017 on Colors Super.
Rapper and music composer Chandan Shetty emerged as the winner, while Diwakar finished as runner-up.
The season lasted for 105 days and concluded on 28 January 2018. Chandan received ₹50 lakh as winner’s prize money.
Season 5 was also notable because the programme opened its doors to non-celebrity contestants selected through auditions, expanding the traditional celebrity-based format.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 6 Winner – Shashi Kumar
Season 6 premiered on 21 October 2018, once again with Kiccha Sudeep as host.
Shashi Kumar emerged as the winner of Bigg Boss Kannada Season 6. Singer Naveen Sajju finished as runner-up.
The season featured both celebrities and contestants selected through auditions. It also became notable for including the first transgender contestant in Bigg Boss Kannada.
The grand finale was held on 27 January 2019.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 7 Winner – Shine Shetty
Season 7 premiered on 13 October 2019 on Colors Kannada.
Actor Shine Shetty emerged as the winner, while comedian Kuri Prathap finished as runner-up.
The season ran for 112 days, longer than the standard duration used by several earlier editions.
The grand finale aired on 2 February 2020. Shine received the Bigg Boss trophy, cash prize and additional rewards after securing strong audience support.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 8 Winner – Manju Pavagada
Season 8 premiered on 28 February 2021 with Kiccha Sudeep returning as host.
The season faced an unusual interruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Production was suspended in May 2021 after 71 days.
The competition later resumed on 23 June 2021 as its “Second Innings,” allowing the remaining contestants to return to the house.
Comedian and actor Manju Pavagada eventually won Season 8. Aravind KP finished as runner-up.
The grand finale was held on 8 August 2021, bringing the extended season to an end after 120 competition days.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 9 Winner – Roopesh Shetty
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 9 premiered on 24 September 2022.
Actor and radio personality Roopesh Shetty won the season, while actor Rakesh Adiga finished as runner-up.
The competition included contestants from different entertainment backgrounds and also featured participants connected with the Kannada OTT edition.
The grand finale was held on 31 December 2022, when Roopesh was officially declared the winner.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 10 Winner – Karthik Mahesh
Season 10 premiered on 8 October 2023 on Colors Kannada, with streaming available through JioCinema.
Actor and model Karthik Mahesh emerged as the winner. Drone Prathap, whose real name is Prathap N M, finished as runner-up.
The season ran for 112 days and featured 21 housemates in total.
The grand finale was held on 28 January 2024. Season 10 also featured six contestants reaching the final stage, making its finale different from several earlier editions.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 11 Winner – Hanumantha Lamani
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 11 premiered on 29 September 2024.
Singer and television personality Hanumantha Lamani entered the competition as a wildcard contestant on Day 21. Despite entering after the season had already begun, he quickly developed strong audience support.
Hanumantha eventually won the Season 11 trophy, while Trivikram finished as runner-up.
The season continued for 120 days, making it one of the longest editions of Bigg Boss Kannada. The grand finale was held on 26 January 2025.
Hanumantha also became the first wildcard contestant to win Bigg Boss Kannada.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12 Winner – Gilli Nata
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 12 premiered on 28 September 2025 on Colors Kannada and JioHotstar. Kiccha Sudeep returned to host the programme for the twelfth consecutive regular season.
Popular comedian and actor Gilli Nata, whose real name is Malavalli Nataraj, emerged as the winner.
Rakshita Shetty finished as the first runner-up, while Ashwini Gowda secured the next position among the finalists.
The season featured 24 housemates and ran until 18 January 2026.
Gilli Nata remained one of the most popular contestants during the competition and received strong viewer support throughout the season. He was officially crowned the Season 12 champion during the grand finale.
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13
Bigg Boss Kannada Season 13 is scheduled to premiere on 6 September 2026.
Kiccha Sudeep will return as host, continuing his long association with the Kannada edition.
The new season is expected to introduce another group of contestants along with changes and twists to the competition format.
Since Season 13 has not yet premiered as of August 2026, its winner and runner-up have not been announced. Their names will be added to the Bigg Boss Kannada winners list after the season concludes.
Bigg Boss Kannada OTT Winner – Roopesh Shetty
Apart from the main television series, the franchise introduced Bigg Boss Kannada OTT in 2022.
The digital edition premiered on 6 August 2022 on Voot and was also hosted by Kiccha Sudeep.
The competition ran for 42 days. Roopesh Shetty emerged as the top performer, while Rakesh Adiga, Aryavardhan Guruji and Sanya Iyer were among the contestants who qualified to enter Bigg Boss Kannada Season 9.
Roopesh later participated in the regular Season 9 and went on to win the television edition as well.
Since Bigg Boss Kannada OTT was a separate digital edition, it is not counted as one of the numbered regular Bigg Boss Kannada seasons.
Bigg Boss Kannada Host
One of the biggest differences between Bigg Boss Kannada and several other regional editions is the consistency of its host.
Kiccha Sudeep has hosted Bigg Boss Kannada from Season 1 onward.
He began hosting the programme when it premiered in 2013 and continued through all 12 completed regular seasons. He is also returning for Season 13 in 2026.
His weekend episodes generally include reviews of events inside the house, discussions with contestants, announcements, eliminations and major developments in the competition.
Bigg Boss Kannada House and Format
The first two seasons of Bigg Boss Kannada used the Bigg Boss house in Lonavala. From Season 3 onward, production shifted to the Bengaluru region, with specially designed sets created for the Kannada edition.
Contestants live inside the house with limited access to the outside world. Cameras and microphones continuously record their activities.
Housemates participate in weekly tasks, captaincy competitions and nominations. Contestants who receive nominations generally face audience voting, and one or more housemates can be eliminated depending on the week’s format.
Wildcard contestants can enter after the season has begun, while some seasons have featured a mixture of celebrities and commoners.
The competition gradually reduces the number of contestants until the finalists remain. Audience voting plays an important role in deciding the ultimate winner.
Final Words
Bigg Boss Kannada has become one of Karnataka’s most successful television reality programmes since its launch in 2013. From Vijay Raghavendra in Season 1 to Gilli Nata in Season 12, every completed season has produced a new champion.
The programme has also seen several important milestones, including Shruthi becoming its first female winner, Hanumantha Lamani becoming the first wildcard winner and Gilli Nata claiming the latest title in January 2026.
Kiccha Sudeep has remained the face of Bigg Boss Kannada throughout its television history. He will return for Season 13, scheduled to premiere on September 6, 2026, when another group of contestants will begin competing for the next Bigg Boss Kannada title.