TV actor Gautam Gulati was tonight crowned the winner of the eighth season of reality TV show 'Bigg Boss- Halla Bol' as he beat four other contestants in the grand finale after his stay in the house for 132 days.
The show, initially hosted by Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, was extended for a month with director Farah Khan taking over the duties of the host.
Farah handed the trophy and Rs 50 lakh as prize money to Gautam.
"I cannot believe that I have won. It has been an exceptional journey with plenty of ups and downs but it is an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
"I am greatly indebted to my family, friends and fans who have supported me throughout my journey on Bigg Boss, and cannot thank them enough. Emerging victorious is like a dream come true and I am now ready for the next phase of my career," Gautam said after his win.
The 27-year-old actor beat Karishma Tanna, Pritam Singh, Ali Quli Mirza and Dimpy to become the winner of the longest season of the controversial reality show that has celebrities holed up inside a house with cameras watching their every move.
Ali and Dimpy became the first two champions to be evicted on the finale, leaving behind Gautam, Karishma and Pritam in the race.
"It is an achievement that I came this far. Being a non-celebrity, it is a big thing. I think I took the right decision to quit the show with Rs 25 lakh," Pritam told PTI after coming out of the house.
The top three finalists were then offered an amount of Rs 25 lakh and an option to quit the game. RJ Pritam accepted the offer and exited the show.
Finally Gautam was declared as the title-holder, with Karishma finishing as the runner-up. Interestingly, both started out as enemies on the show, when it began but developed a cordial relationship in the last few weeks.
"I am happy that I have finished as the runner-up but at the same time I am feeling bad that I did not win. The show's win mattered to me. But I am happy for Gautam," Karishma told PTI.
Dimpy was the first to get evicted with Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha taking her out of the house after grilling all the finalists.
