Bigg Boss Telugu Season 9 is going to witness a double elimination this week. The eliminated contestants are Suman Shetty (first elimination, cited for low voting, lack of activity in games, and appearing dull); Bharani (second elimination, despite having a chance for top 5).
Top 5 finalists heading into the finale are:
Kalyan Padala (already secured as the first finalist via Ticket to Finale task).
Emmanuel is the second finalist.
Then come Thanuja Puttaswamy, Demon Pawan, and Sanjjana.
Thanuja won a task to become the potential second finalist. She outperformed Emmanuel in a series of games (including a ball game where she scored 300 points despite an injury), ending with 750 points overall. Bigg Boss then offered her a deal: pay Rs 3 lakhs from the prize fund to buy immunity and directly enter the finale as the second finalist (reducing the total prize money). Thanuja rejected the offer, saying she wanted to advance based purely on audience votes rather than taking the shortcut. This decision is portrayed positively, as it reportedly boosted her popularity and chances of winning the show outright.