Nikki Tamboli was a name not many knew of before she decided to participate in television’s most popular TV reality show Bigg Boss 14. She was a lesser-known actor who had worked in a few Tamil and Telugu films. But now, after spending almost four and a half months inside Bigg Boss house, Nikki has become a household name.

When she entered the house, she was confident that she could be herself and did not need to fake as she wasn’t required to maintain an image like many other celebrities. “I can showcase my personality from day one, while others might have an image to maintain. Bigg Boss is a show where you cannot fake or act. And most of these television actors pretend to be the characters they play. I accept the audience doesn’t know me, but I am sure they will fall in love with me too,” Nikki told indianexpress.com.

Apne pehle din se winner ki tarah khud ko dekhne wali @nikkitamboli aa khadi hain #BB14FinaleWeek mein.
Dekhiye inka manoranjak safar, aaj raat 9 baje, #Colors par.

Catch it before tv on @VootSelect.#BB14 #BiggBoss14 @BeingSalmanKhan@AmlaDaburIndia @LotusHerbals pic.twitter.com/5JYvTehlm7

— ColorsTV (@ColorsTV) February 20, 2021

The 23-year-old won the hearts of ‘Toofani Seniors’ Sidharth Shukla, Hina Khan and Gauahar Khan in the first week itself. She made her intentions clear from day one: ‘I am here to win, and not to make friends or build connections. And, Nikki followed the mantra till the very end.

Today, as the fans of the actor await to see her lift the trophy of Bigg Boss 14, we take them through her journey which was full of ups and downs.

Journey of Bigg Boss 14 finalists | Rakhi Sawant | Rubina Dilaik | Aly Goni | Rahul Vaidya 

Nikki Tamboli became the first confirmed contestant

Toofani Seniors Sidharth Shukla, Hina Khan and Gauahar Khan were given a choice between Nikki and Pavitra Punia. All three of them chose Nikki as they said she has a strong personality, is more entertaining and has a passion for the show. This is how the model-actor graduated from ‘To Be Confirmed’ to ‘Confirmed Contestant’ status.

Nikki Tamboli’s friendship with Jaan Kumar Sanu

Singer Jaan Kumar Sanu was Nikki’s first friend in the house who later fell in love with her as well. But Nikki never reciprocated Jaan’s feelings. She often disrespected him and even accused him of kissing her despite her telling him not to. But, during one of the tasks, Nikki also destroyed her blanket to save Jaan from nominations. Eventually, Nikki and Jaan’s love-hate relationship caught many eyes and became one of the highlights of this season of Bigg Boss.

Nikki Tamboli’s eviction and comeback

In December, Nikki had to leave the house after getting the least number of votes from the audience. Her eviction came as a shock to her many fans who demanded a comeback. The makers got her back on the show along with the six challengers Arshi Khan, Kashmera Shah, Vikas Gupta, Rakhi Sawant, Manu Punjabi and Rahul Mahajan. But this time, the audience witnessed a change in Nikki and she returned with a different perspective. The actor understood that it is important to build connections inside the house to survive.

Nikki Tamboli’s fight with Rakhi Sawant

Though both the ladies entered the show together, they could not see eye to eye for a moment. They often fought with each other, and their fights got uglier by the day. Rakhi often used derogatory words for Nikki and even commented on her character. Nikki didn’t take Rakhi’s insulting words lightly and gave the dancer-actor the taste of her own medicine. On one occasion, when Rakhi made fun of Nikki’s cosmetic products and her face, the actor told her at least she has an ‘original’ face and not a ‘plastic’ one like Rakhi.

Nikki Tamboli’s sisterhood with Rubina Dilaik

During her entire stay, Nikki formed only one real bond with Rubina Dilaik. In the initial days, she mocked the Shakti actor for being a ‘teacher’ and not letting her husband Abhinav Shukla speak but after her comeback, Nikki grew closer to Rubina. She supported Rubina and stood by her during her fights with other contestants. Their bond grew so strong that it was Rubina because of whom Nikki became the first finalist of the show.

Nikki has played the game like a pro. Now, if she gets to be the winner or not, will be known on February 21.