Bigg Boss 9 Telugu’s ‘Agnipariksha’ show, streaming on Jio Hotstar, shortlisted 15 contestants from thousands of applicants. Prasanna Kumar and Shweta Shetty were recently eliminated, leaving 13 contestants, of whom five will enter the Bigg Boss house, three selected by judges and two by audience votes.

Several celebrities initially agreed to join Bigg Boss 9 but later backed out, citing fear of the Agnipariksha contestants who already have a strong fan base.

Harshith Reddy (‘Shubham’ hero) and Mukesh Goud (‘Guppedanta Manasu’ star) both withdrew after learning how much popularity the Agnipariksha contestants gained.

Concerns about being labeled negatively for confronting these contestants also influenced their decision. Contestants like Dammu Sreeja and Harish are reportedly intimidating some celebrities.