07 August,2026 05:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Shilpa Shinde, Shivangi Joshi and Salman Khan (Pictures via Yogen Shah and Instagram)
Shilpa Shinde has opened up about her experience on Lock Upp, revealing that she missed Salman Khan during her stint on the reality show. The actor, who has previously participated in and won Bigg Boss, said she felt the absence of a host who would take a stand when contestants crossed the line.
Shilpa and fellow television actor Shivangi Joshi frequently found themselves at loggerheads during their time inside the Lock Upp house. Their disagreements often escalated into heated arguments, with both contestants making personal remarks about each other. Reflecting on the experience after the show ended, Shilpa claimed that several incidents involving her were not shown during the telecast.
In a recent interaction with the media, Shilpa became emotional while recalling how she was spoken to on the show. She alleged that Shivangi had engaged in what she described as age-shaming and work-shaming. According to Shilpa, such moments reminded her of Salman's approach as a reality-show host, particularly when he would intervene in situations involving disrespect. She said, "Very frankly, a lot of things were not telecast. The way I was spoken to, especially Shivangi Joshi's age-shaming and work-shaming, was very insulting. That reminded me of how Salman ji used to take a stand on such issues. I missed that here."
Shilpa said she missed Salman because she felt he would have addressed such behaviour. She also expressed disappointment over the way Shivangi's gameplay was appreciated by the hosts despite their disagreements. She added, "After that, when you say that you are playing the game really well, you are also sending a message to today's youth that speaking disrespectfully and responding in this manner means you are playing a good game. I didn't like that, and I genuinely missed Salman sir because there is no one like him."
While Shilpa acknowledged that Farah Khan appeared to like her as a contestant and did not show favouritism, she questioned the message being sent when disrespectful behaviour was praised as effective gameplay. She felt that appreciating such conduct could potentially encourage younger viewers to believe that speaking rudely or responding aggressively is simply part of playing a successful reality-show game.
The rivalry between Shilpa and Shivangi became one of the talking points of Lock Upp. Shivangi had questioned Shilpa's lack of work and suggested that her personality was responsible for it. Shilpa, in turn, accused Shivangi of putting on a fake persona and allegedly using her equation with actor Harshad Chopda to strengthen her game.
Their clashes eventually became more intense, with Shilpa making serious personal allegations about Shivangi's relationships with her co-stars. The two continued to disagree throughout their journey, making their equation one of the more controversial aspects of the season.
Lock Upp Season 2 concluded on August 5, with Shreya Kalra defeating Shivangi Joshi to win the trophy. Shilpa, who had developed a close friendship with Shreya inside the house, was seen getting emotional after her victory. Shivangi and Yogesh Rawat finished as the runners-up.
