Versatile actor and ‘Makkal Needhi Maiam’ (MNM) party president Kamal Hassan has announced a temporary break from hosting the hugely popular reality show Big Boss Tamil this current season.

Citing prior cinematic commitments, the veteran film star took to X to make his decision public on exiting the Season 8 of the show.

Addressing viewers of the show he said, “With a heavy heart, I wish to inform you that I will be taking a small break from our journey that began 7 years ago. Due to prior cinematic commitments, I’m unable to host the upcoming season of Big Boss Tamil.”

Kamal’s presence as the host itself was a huge attraction for the programme and he had used it to provide space to popularise authors and literary works by introducing them at the close of every show. His conduct of the show was, however, not without criticism, especially in the last season which provoked an online debate.

He has been associated with the programme since its inception and continued to host it even after taking the political plunge by launching his political party MNM in February 2018 and contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha and 2021 Assembly elections. In the 2024 LS poll, the MNM joined the DMK-led INDIA combine and he was its star campaigner while refraining from entering the fray in return for a future Rajya Sabha membership.

Expressing confidence that the upcoming season 8 will be a grand success, he acknowledged the love and affection he had received as a host.

“I have been privileged to reach your homes. You have showered me with your love and affection, for which you have my everlasting gratitude. Your spirited and passionate support for the contestants is at the core of what makes Big Boss Tamil one of the best television reality shows in India,” the film star said.

Though the Kamal-Shankar combo’s ‘Indian 2’ has failed to be a box office hit, Kamal has teamed up with ace film maker Mani Ratnam after 37 years for ‘Thug Life,’ is also part of ‘Kalki 2’ of film maker Nag Ashwin.

Further, he plays a role in the Malayalam web anthology ‘Manorathngal, based on Vasudevan Nair. With a hectic film engagements Kamal has taken this break giving rise to expectation as to who will be his replacement in hosting the show.