In A First, Bigg Boss Contestant's Times Square Ad For votes

YouTubers Abhishek Malhan and Elvish Yadav initially had a professional connection but grew into close friends during their time in the Bigg Boss OTT 2 house. Many fellow contestants consider them each other's strongest rivals in the competition. Despite their friendship inside the house, their fans on social media have created a rivalry as the show's finale approaches. Recently, an advertisement featuring Abhishek was showcased in New York's Times Square. Elvish's supporters claimed it resembled an ad that had previously featured Elvish in the same iconic location.

Elvish's ad was seen on August 6, while Abhishek's appeared on August 12. One of Elvish's fans wrote, "Congratulations, brother! Now even you guys have started following the 'Systumm.' This victory belongs to the Elvis and Systumm army. If you want to stay, you'll have to be under Systumm." Another tweet read, "You've been caught editing, you're very clever, bro. Who begs for alms like this?"

In a recent episode, Abhishek accused Elvish of participating in negative PR against him outside the show. However, Elvish denied this, emphasizing that he wouldn't have become close friends if he had intended to create a rivalry. According to an ETimes report, Abhishek was quoted as saying, "I heard from someone that you and your team are spreading negative PR about me externally. But I want to verify it firsthand." Elvish responded, "You've been with me since the beginning, do you think I'd do something like this?"

Elvish later opened up to co-contestant Jiya Shankar, saying, "I haven't felt this hurt in the show until now. How could he believe I'm capable of something so negative? It's really painful." Jiya suggested he directly communicate his feelings to Abhishek, given their brotherly bond. The two YouTubers later discussed the issue and managed to preserve their friendship despite ongoing fan rivalries.

The grand finale of Bigg Boss OTT 2, hosted by Salman Khan, is scheduled for August 14. The top five contestants on the show are Bebika Dhurve, Manisha Rani, Pooja Bhatt, Abhishek Malhan, and Elvish Yadav. Bigg Boss OTT alum and choreographer Nishant Bhatt will choreograph the contestants' dance performances for the special finale episode.