Exclusive| Bigg Boss 18 to have 18 contestants, Shoaib Ibrahim and Dheeraj Dhoopar confirmed, Nia Sharma not part of Salman Khan’s show

 

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Also Read: Bigg Boss 18: After skipping Bigg Boss OTT 3, Salman Khan is set to return as show’s host, fans say ‘Real Bigg Boss is back’

While it has been reported that Dheeraj Dhoopar and Nia Sharma have signed up to get locked inside the Bigg Boss 18 house, our sources reveal that Shoaib Ibrahim has also joined the list. Shoaib’s name for the show has been speculated for the longest time and while the actor has denied going on the show, a source tells us, “When they sign Bigg Boss, it comes with an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) so they will not confirm the news. During Bigg Boss OTT 3, Sai Ketan Rao also denied the news at first but later went on the show. So Shoaib is very much a part of the upcoming season.”

Another source tells us, that this year there will be a total of 18 contestants on the show. We have also learned that Isha Koppikar is in final talks for Bigg Boss 18. A source tells us, “Isha was initially in talks for Bigg Boss Marathi, but given the exposure with the Hindi version is much bigger, she might join the Salman Khan-hosted show.” Though it was reported a few days back that Dheeraj would be the highest-paid contestant this season, the amount he was offered was reportedly around Rs 5 crores for his entire stay on the show.

As per reports in India Today, Nia also signed her contract two days back. However, our source tells us that since Nia is a part of Laughter Chefs already and the show has gotten an extension till January 2025, it is highly unlikely that she would enter the Bigg Boss 18 house. However, if she decides to quit Laughter Chefs midway, then she would take this show up. But out of the two other confirmed contestants, one of them is Nia’s co-star from Suhagan Chudail – Deb Chandrima Singha Roy. Actress Chahat Pandey has also been locked for Bigg Boss 18.

 

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We have also learned that actor Rithvikk Dhanjani is in the final stages of negotiations for Bigg Boss 18 and he might also get locked soon, however, no official confirmation about the same has been made yet. Other contestants rumored to join this season are Kedar Aashish, Niayti Fatnani, Shanthi Priya, Jannat Zubair and Mr Faisu, Deepika Arya, Thugesh, and Maxtern.