It’s been over a decade, but Bigg Boss fans still haven’t forgotten the time Baywatch star Pamela Anderson entered the house in a saree and sent TRPs soaring. In 2010, during Bigg Boss Season 4, Pamela, one of the biggest Hollywood names of the 90s, flew down to Mumbai for a three-day guest stint. That season also marked Salman Khan’s debut as host, but Pamela had no idea who he was. Her appearance and that barely-there wardrobe stirred enough controversy to spark debates on whether she was even fit for Indian television, let alone a prime-time family show.
When Pamela Anderson walked into Bigg Boss in a saree and said she didn’t know Salman Khan
Before stepping into the Bigg Boss house, Pamela interacted with the media and said, “I’ve heard about Salman through the media, but I don’t really know who he is.” She said she’d seen a few Bollywood films but couldn’t recall any actor by name. “Maybe if I see him, I’ll recognise him,” PTI quoted her saying ahead of her 2010 entry. She also added, “I like doing household work. I do it at my place, so I have no issues with it.” Back home, Salman was already a massive name, he’d just taken over hosting duties from Amitabh Bachchan for season 4, so her headline-making line didn’t exactly sit well with Indian fans.
But for Indian TV and even the participants as well as celebrities, the bigger noise came from her paycheck. Pamela was reportedly paid ₹2.5 crore for the three-day guest appearance. That came out to over ₹80 lakh a day, an insane number even by today’s standards. The move created a lot of discussion about the show’s budget and the value of international celebrity guests.
Anderson arrived dressed in white, smiled her way through the press, and promised to be “unscripted.” She hadn’t seen a single episode of the show, just knew it was India’s spin on Big Brother, and was handed a quick contestant summary. “I’ll just be myself and have fun,” she said back then. Inside the house, Pamela stunned everyone by showing up in a traditional white saree. But there were also reports that not all her wardrobe picks sat well. According to the Times of India, an Indian designer who styled her claimed Pamela didn’t like “too many clothes,” allegedly saying she was “claustrophobic and clothesophobic.” For someone who made the red Baywatch swimsuit iconic, her saree moment became the most unexpected highlight of the season.
Her entry was meant to “spice up” the show, and it did. She danced with housemates, did the chores, and sent TRPs soaring. Still, her presence sparked debate: was she just Western glamour shoehorned into a desi setup? Many called it attention-seeking. Some said it felt like a cultural mismatch. At the time, the rest of the Bigg Boss 4 lineup included Shweta Tiwari, Dolly Bindra, Ashmit Patel, and Khali, with Shweta eventually winning the season.
