Gaurav Dubey (MID-DAY; July 23, 2014)

After Salman Khan announced that he wouldn’t host the next season of Bigg Boss, many other leading names had begun to do the rounds. It was being said that Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Hrithik Roshan have been approached to host the new season. But now it has emerged that Salman will host the next season. What’s more, the actor will apparently be paid Rs 5-6 crore per week.

Says a source, “Speculation about the next season should be put to rest now that Salman is returning to host the eighth season. Last year, he had charged around Rs 2-3 crore per week but this time around, his fees have doubled; he will charge Rs 5-6 crore per week.” The source adds that this season will be grander than the previous ones. “The show will be aired at a different time slot,” says another source.

A source close to the actor says that Salman has agreed to return despite his busy schedule. “His dates will no longer pose a problem. Everyone wanted him to come back to the show.” Both Salman and the channel’s spokesperson were unavailable for comment.