The ninth season of Bigg Boss Telugu will be hosted by Nagarjuna and is slated to premiere in September. Before the main launch, the producers are rolling out a pre‑show called Agnipariksha, promising to amp up the drama twofold.
Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9 is set to go on air this September, already generating buzz thanks to a fresh pre‑show twist. Nagarjuna returns as the anchor, bringing a brand‑new format and a host of surprises. For the first time, the franchise has introduced the Agnipariksha challenge, where ordinary people will compete against celebrities for a chance to enter the primary BBTS 9 house. The contestants will share the house with a panel of judges specially selected for the Agnipariksha pre‑show.
The Agnipariksha pre‑show will debut on Jio Hotstar on 22 August and run through 5 September. During this period, fifteen everyday participants will tackle a series of tasks, and only three will win a spot inside the main Bigg Boss Telugu 9 house.
From a pool of 40 applicants screened online, fifteen non‑celebrity contestants have been chosen for Agnipariksha. According to a report by Siasat, the shortlist includes Anusha Ratnam, Divya Nikhitha, Shriya, Swetha Shetty, Demon Pawan, Prasanna Kumar, Dammu Sreeja, Miss Telangana Kalki, Dalia, Priya Shetty, Maryada Manish, Lawyer Prashanth, Masked Man Hriday, Pawan Kalyan and Shakib. These participants span social‑media influencers, fitness coaches, models and other diverse backgrounds, though the producers have not yet issued an official announcement.
The celebrity lineup reportedly features Alekhya Chitti Ramya—co‑founders of the home‑grown pickle brand Alekhya Pickles—alongside a host of TV and film personalities such as Deepika, Debjani, Kavya, Tejaswini, Shiva Kumar, Ritu Chaudhary, Kalpika Ganesh, Sumanth Ashwin and Sai Kiran. Comedian Emmanuel and singer Saket are also said to be part of the star roster.
In a recent promotional clip, former contestant Sreemukhi introduced a new twist in the selection of the common‑er participants and unveiled the judging panel. The Agnipariksha segment will be evaluated by Abijeet (winner of Bigg Boss Telugu Season 4), Bindu Madhavi (winner of Bigg Boss Telugu OTT), and Navdeep (top finalist of Bigg Boss Telugu Season 1).
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With the Agnipariksha twist, host Akkineni Nagarjuna announced that two separate houses will be used this season—one for celebrities and another for commoners. The two groups will compete against each other to survive and ultimately claim victory, delivering double the drama and double the entertainment. The show will be broadcast on Star Maa and streamed on Jio Hotstar.
