The 50: Nikki Tamboli Admits Being Sceptical About Working With Arbaz Patel; Reveals What Convinced Her

Nikki Tamboli is set to return to television as a contestant on the new reality show 'The 50', which airs on Colors TV and streams on JioHotstar. Nikki joins the format with boyfriend Arbaz Patel and expects intense competition because the show features 50 contestants together. Speaking to IWMBuzz, Nikki discussed strategy, personal equations, and the pressure of entering with a partner. Nikki also shared how the decision changed over time, from rejecting the concept at first to finally agreeing when new details about the format and rewards emerged.

Nikki Tamboli The 50 reality show: first offer, doubts and Endemol pitch

Nikki's initial response when she was asked about 'The 50' in an exclusive interview with IWMBuzz was, "At first, I said no, but later, in November, I received an offer for this show from Endemol, as they considered introducing a format like this then. I attended a meeting. When Endemol contacted me initially, I said no, I'm not interested, because there would be 50 people, and I wasn't sure what would occur, among other things, but they urged me to go to the meeting once, so I thought, "Fine, I won't turn it down outright, but I will attend and observe."

Those early doubts centred on the scale of 'The 50' and uncertainty about how the game would unfold. Nikki had earlier taken part in other reality shows with far fewer contestants, so the jump to 50 participants felt risky and unfamiliar when Endemol first approached.

Nikki Tamboli The 50 reality show: joining with Arbaz Patel and fan rewards

Nikki mentioned, "I was readily persuaded since Arbaz is also participating alongside me. Previously, I wasn't participating in the show, as I wasn't convinced by the idea. The initial factor that swayed me was learning that her fans would receive whatever I earned, and today, I owe my success to my fans, so it's clear I was easily persuaded. I have consistently lived my life through reality shows."

For Nikki, the combination of sharing the stage with Arbaz Patel and directing earnings towards fans changed everything. The star viewed this as a chance to give back to supporters who had backed every previous reality appearance, including shows like Marathi Bigg Boss, and shaped Nikki's television journey.

She added, "I'm not like those individuals, such as the couples who arrive, disrupt things, and leave. You are aware of the numerous couples that have appeared in Bigg Boss Hindi; I won't mention them specifically, but they created quite a stir, and even today, when they step out or are spotted, there are plenty of negative remarks mixed with positive ones on social media, with comments like "don't fake" and "I've seen you in Bigg Boss," etc. Therefore, it was also challenging for me to be with Arbaz because I'm unsure of how people will respond. Although we garnered a lot of affection in Marathi Bigg Boss, it felt like a genuine Yashraj movie. This time, there will be fifty participants; while we performed well with 15 to 20 players, the game has now doubled, and so have the contestants."

Nikki now approaches 'The 50' aware of possible scrutiny of the relationship on screen, especially after examples from Bigg Boss Hindi couples. Yet past appreciation in Marathi Bigg Boss and comfort with reality show formats give Nikki confidence while stepping into this large-scale game with Arbaz Patel.