Rapper MC Stan declared winner of Bigg Boss season 16

Rapper MC Stan beat his pal Shiv Thakare to win the popular reality TV show "Bigg Boss" season 16 on February 12.

Salman Khan, the show's host and Bollywood superstar gave Stan the trophy, a car, and more than Rs 31 lakh in prize money. Thakare finished as the first runner-up in season 16, which premiered on October 1, 2022.

The anticipated winner, Priyanka Chahar Choudhary, a well-known TV personality, came in third. Model-politician Archana Gautam came in fourth, while Shalin Bhanot, an actor best known for roles in "Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar" and "Dill Mill Gayye," came in fifth.

Stan said to Khan after he was declared the winner. The bond between the "mandali," which also included Thakare, director Sajid Khan, Abdu Rozik, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, and Sumbul Touqeer Khan, was one of the highlights of "Bigg Boss 16."

Khan and other people were shocked by Choudhary's eviction, but she said she is overjoyed by all the support she has received. "I thought I might get evicted in one week but after your (Khan's) scolding, I started getting practical (about the show)," she said. 

The cast of the new show "Tere Ishq Mein Ghayal," hosted by Karan Kundra, as well as Bollywood star Sunny Deol and co-star Ameesha Patel attended the grand finale to promote their next film "Gadar 2."

At the beginning of the show, Khan thanked "Bigg Boss" fans and followers for their love and support for the contestants. Actors Tina Datta, Ankit Gupta, Soundarya Sharma, who appeared in the web show "Raktanchal 2", Sreejita De, and dancer Gori Nagori were also among the 17 participants of season 16.