Sunny Leone has been hosting the dating reality show Splitsvilla for several seasons. But never before has a season been “absolutely cuckoo, crazy, and bananas”. “I don’t know what happened. Everybody in the creative and production team went crazy,” laughs Leone, referring to the constant twists in the 16th season.

The creative aspect and the contestants in this instalment, Leone shares, were too much to handle. “I can’t even tell you how many pep talks and counselling sessions I had with the contestants this season,” says Leone. She adds that it was emotionally challenging for both the contestants and her. “I am sensitive to violence. So, I wanted to help the boys and girls grow as individuals, without resorting to [unfavourable] behaviour. They are young kids, so they’re [bound] to make mistakes,” she says.