Bigg Boss Season 5 is hosted by two actors: Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan. It participants come from various backgrounds. This season has twelve ladies, one man and a transgender. This would last till January 2012. It is aired on Colors channel from 2nd October 2011. There are fourteen participants in the show.

Housemates of Big Boss Season 5
Shakti Kapoor is a Bollywood actor who is known for his comic and villainous roles. He has acted in more than 700 films.

Pooja Bedi, was a Bollywood actress. She is a television talk show host. She is the daughter of actor Kabir Bedi and late Indian Classical dancer Protima Bedi. She has also participated in reality shows earlier and is a columnist with publications and chairs the board of a charitable organization (The Grassroots Foundation).

Shonali Nagrani is TV anchor. She had won the pageant of Miss India International in the year 2003. She was a television anchor for the Indian Premier League shows for Sony TV India and ITV. She has also appeared in few Hindi films.

Nihita Biswas, wife of Charles Sobhraj. She allegedly married Charles Sobhraj on October 9, 2008 inside the jail premises in Kathmandu where he is presently lodged.

Shraddha Sharma is a television actress. She has worked in couple of Hindi serials.

Mandeep Bevli was an anchor with Headlines Today.

Raageshwari Loomba is a pop singer, former MTV VJ and television anchor. She shot to fame in her portrayal of a naughty Sardaji on BPL Oye. She has released several successful music albums and performed at numerous stage shows world wide.

Vida Samadzai is Miss Afghanistan 2003. She was the first Afghan woman to participate in an international beauty pageant Miss Earth 2003 since 1974.

Mahek Chahal, is a Bollywood actress and a Norwegian model. She did her Bollywood debut in 2003 in the film Nayee Padosan. She has done major television commercials for many big brands.

Sonika Kaliraman Malik is a professional national wrestler. She is the first woman Bharat Kesari title-holder and 10 times National Wrestling Champion. She is one of the best wrestlers in the country.

Pooja Misrra, is a VJ, Page 3 socialite and talk show anchor. She has participated in reality shows earlier.

Gulabo Sapera is a well-known folk singer-dancer from Rajasthan. She has a Jazz band with Titi Robin and teaches in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Laxmi Narayan, is a dancer, dance instructor, and a well-known transgender activist in India. She works for the community through her campaign group `Astitva`.

Juhi Parmar is a television actress and a versatile anchor, singer and dancer. She had won the Miss Rajasthan title in 1999 and is married to television personality and businessman Sachin Shroff.

Amarr Upadhyay is a film and television actor. He became famous for his role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi where he played the character Mihir Virani. He entered Big Boss house on Day 8 as the second male contestant.

Siddharth Bhardwaj is a winner of MTV Splitsvilla. He is also an MTV VJ. He entered the house on the fifteenth Day as the third male contestant.

Akashdeep Saighal is a television actor who played Amar Upadhyay`s son in "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" .He is the winner of the Gladrags Manhunt contest (1998). He has also participated on several reality shows. He entered Bigg Boss house on the twenty third day as the fourth male contestant.

Swami Agnivesh is a social worker, Arya samaj scholar and a Hindu social activist. He is known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front which he founded in 1981. He entered the house on the thirty seventh day as fifth male contestant.

Sunny Leone is a famous Indo Canadian porn star.

Andrew Symonds is a former Australian cricket team all-rounder. He is a right-handed middle order batsman and alternates between medium pace and off-spin bowling.

Nominations in Big Boss Season 5
Shakti Kapoor was asked to select four names from the remaining housemates who would be up for nomination. Laxmi, Gulabo, Nihita and Pooja Misra were exempt from nominating for this week as they were chosen. The remaining nine housemates were allowed to cast their votes.

Nihita Biswas was out of Bigg Boss 5. While she was leaving she was asked to send a person to jail. This is called Big Bomb which can be used only by the evicted participant. She sent Pooja Bedi to jail.

For week 2 Pooja Misra, Gulabo and Mandeep were nominated. On the eighth day Sonika Kaliraman was ejected from the house due to health reasons. On fourteenth Day Gulabo Sapera was evicted from the house after facing the public vote. On fifteenth day a new Housemate Siddharth Bhardwaj entered the house as the third male contestant. While Gulabo was leaving a special power by the name of `Bigg Bomb` was provided to her by which she had to chose one housemate to wash dishes for the rest of the week. Gulabo chose Pooja Misra.

Raageshwari was nominated by Bigg Boss as a punishment for not being able to complete the secret task given to her. Raageswari was evicted out by public vote. A new participant Akashdeep Saigal entered the Bigg boss house. When Raageshwari left she was asked to send one person to jail by a special power called `Bigg Bomb` and she choose Siddharth and locked him up in the jail.

A new housemate Akashdeep Saighal entered the house as the fourth male contestant. Mahek was nominated by Shonali. When Shakti was leaving he was asked to nominate two housemates for eviction on Week 05 as per the power given to him as Bigg Bomb. Shakti chose Pooja Mishra and Amar adding 1 vote for each of them in the upcoming nomination. Shakti Kapoor was evicted from the house after facing public vote.

In week 5 Pooja Mishra was nominated by Shonali. Other nominations include Amar, Mandeep and Mahek. When Mandeep Bevli was leaving she was asked to save one housemate from next week`s nomination. She chose Siddharth and protected him from the eviction of Week 6.

On 37th day a new Housemate Swami Agnivesh entered the house as the fourth male contestant. Akashdeep has been nominated by Shraddha. Others nominated for eviction are Pooja Mishra, Mahek and Laxmi. Laxmi Narayan Tripathi was evicted and while leaving she was asked to save one house mate from eviction of next week. She chose Mahek. Swami Agnivesh was asked to leave by Big Boss after staying for three days. This week Shraddha, Pooja Misra, Vida and Shonali were nominated for eviction.

Vida was nominated out of Big boss season 5. She was asked to elect two people for next week`s eviction. She chose Shraddha and Siddharth. On the 49th day Sunny Leone entered Big Boss house as wild card entry.

Akashdeep Sehgal, Pooja Bedi, Mahek and Siddharth were nominated for eviction. Pooja Bedi was evicted from Bigg Boss. She was asked to save one inmate from next week`s nomination. She chose Juhi Parmar. Pooja Misrra was thrown out from the house by the Bigg Boss after assaulting Siddharth. Shraddha and Sunny were nominated for eviction. Shraddha was evicted out. Shraddha was asked to give two names for captaincy for Week 11. She chose Amar and Mahek.

Housemates were asked to nominate two housemates. They saved Akashdeep and Sunny. Siddharth, Amar, Mahek and Shonali were nominated for eviction. Cricketer Andrew Symonds makes an entry into the Bigg Boss House on the sixty seventh day.

Mahek Chahal was evicted from after facing the public vote. While leaving Mahek was asked to choose a housemate who would take over as the captain. She chose Siddharth. The relatives of the housemates were asked to nominate two names excluding Pooja Misrra, Siddharth Bharadwaj and Andrew Symonds. Amar and Shonali were nominated. Siddharth was removed from the post of the captain. Shonali Nagrani was evicted from house. While leaving she had to choose one housemate who would cook food for everyone. She chose Akashdeep Sehgal.

Amar, Juhi, Siddharth and Sunny were nominated. There was no eviction and Mahek returned to the house via "Wildcard Voting Contest"

Bigg Boss nominated all housemates to give them all an equal chance of going to the final week. Housemates nominated for the week were as follows: Akashdeep, Amar, Siddharth, Juhi, Mahek and Sunny. Sunny Leone was evicted. In the final week the public voted for who they wanted to win Bigg Boss. The finalists for the title were Akashdeep, Amar, Siddharth, Juhi and Mahek.