Nani

Nani, popularly known as the "Natural Star," made a significant impact on Telugu television when he took over as the host for the second season of Bigg Boss Telugu in 2018. Following a successful first season led by Jr NTR, Nani stepped into the role with the premiere on June 10, 2018. This season was notably longer than its predecessor, spanning 112 days and concluding on September 30, 2018. Hosted in the Telugu language and filmed at Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, the show featured a mix of 18 celebrities and commoners, a first for the Telugu franchise. Nani's involvement was a one-season tenure, as the hosting duties were handed over to Akkineni Nagarjuna from the third season onward.

During his time as host, Nani’s journey was marked by both professional growth and intense public scrutiny. He often described the experience as a "challenge" that introduced him to the "real world," noting that the three-month period was one of the most stressful phases of his career. Despite his best efforts to connect with the audience, he faced considerable backlash from social media groups, most notably the "Kaushal Army"—fans of contestant and eventual winner Kaushal Manda. These viewers frequently accused Nani of being biased toward certain participants, such as Geetha Madhuri or Tanish, leading to the trending hashtag #NaniUnfitForBB2Host on Twitter. Nani eventually addressed these allegations directly, maintaining that he treated everyone equally and had no influence over voting or eliminations.

Beyond internal show dynamics, Nani's hosting tenure was also clouded by external controversies, most notably serious allegations from actress Sri Reddy. She claimed that Nani had used his influence to block her participation in the show and leveled further personal accusations against him. Nani responded by filing a defamation case and serving a legal notice, stating he would not "join the filth" by reacting further in public. Despite these hurdles, the season achieved significant viewership, and many former contestants later expressed their gratitude for Nani’s guidance. Ultimately, while the actor proved his ability to handle the high-pressure environment of reality TV, he publicly stated after the finale that he did not intend to return to the Bigg Boss stage, choosing instead to focus back on his successful film career.