Was Gaurav Khanna 'fixed winner' on Salman Khan show? Bigg Boss 19 winner breaks his silence: 'They don’t like...'

Popular television actor Gaurav Khanna emerged as the winner of "Bigg Boss 19", hosted by Salman Khan. The 'Anupamaa' actor is believed to be taking home a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh, along with the prestigious Bigg Boss trophy. Farrhana Bhatt, who was among the top two contestants this season, became the first runner-up. However, Khanna's win was marred by accusations that his win was fixed by the Bigg Boss makers, given his popularity on the small screen. Also, some questioned his game plan, calling him 'fake' and not an active participant on the reality show. 

Was Gaurav Khanna 'fixed winner' on Bigg Boss 19?

Gaurav Khanna defended his victory, and gave back to all those who labelled him 'fake', 'fixed winner' and 'back foot' player. Dismissing all allegations, he said, "First of all, these are their allegations; we shouldn’t even cater to them. Today, in the age of social media, everybody is a keyboard warrior. I don’t think I need to answer them. If they don’t like me, fair enough. I am not God’s gift to mankind that every person needs to like me. But I am happy that most people like me," he told India Today. 

Further, Gaurav Khanna said that he's not bothered by the opinions of those who don't like him. He believes he played the game authentically, without pretending to be someone he's not. Gaurav emphasised that his calm and composed nature isn't a strategy, but a part of who he is. Addressing the "fake" tag, he explained that he didn't try to manipulate people or play games. Instead, he focused on being true to himself, which resonated with the audience. Gaurav also clarified that he didn't pay for votes, relying on his genuine connection with people to win.

“If I were a fake, I would have woken up in the morning and dressed up in designer outfits, and put on makeup. I would have had a plan and played accordingly. I would have broken plates worn saris jewellery. I didn’t do anything like that. I worked out in my slippers. I ate rice with my hands, and even kneaded dough," he added.

Reflecting on his journey, Gaurav said he's always given his best and approached each day with the same enthusiasm. He believes Bigg Boss is a marathon, requiring patience and consistency, rather than a sprint.

Bigg Boss 19

Meanwhile, Bigg Boss 19" premiered on August 24, 2025, with 16 contestants, including Ashnoor Kaur, Zeishan Quadri, Awez Darbar, Nagma Mirajkar, Nehal Chudasama, Baseer Ali, Abhishek Bajaj, Natalia Janoszek, Neelam Giri, Kunickaa Sadanand, and Mridul Tiwari. The season also saw two wild-card entries in the form of Shehbaz Badesha and Malti Chahar. 

Singer Amaal Mallik became the first contestant from the top five to be evicted from the show. After Amaal, one of the most talked about contestants this season, Tanya Mittal also lost the race to the finale. Becoming the second runner-up for season 19 of "Bigg Boss", Pranit More was also eliminated after Tanya, leaving Gaurav and Farrhana as the top two finalists.