Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is set to host the third edition of reality TV show 'Bigg Boss' replacing Shilpa Shetty.

Bachchan, currently in Singapore, told PTI that he would be hosting the show.

The 66-year-old actor will step into the shoes of Shilpa, who hosted the second season of the show.

This will be Bachchan's second stint on the small screen. He hosted the popular game show Kaun Banega Crorepati for two seasons.

Bigg Boss, the Indian version of the Big Brother, first hit the Indian television screens in November 2006 and was hosted by Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi.

Bigg Boss 2 returned in August 2008 with Shilpa, who had previously won the fifth series of Celebrity Big Brother in the United Kingdom. As part of the latest format, 14 contestants lived in the Bigg Boss house built in Lonavala, 96 km away from Mumbai.

"...My participation would in a manner would give an opportunity to look into the minds of the people," said Bachchan.

"It would be nice if I, as a weekly reporter, would come in, talk to inmates and analyse what they did for the entire week. Not just talk to them but talk to the viewers and assess, debate about it and leave something for the audience to discuss over," Bachchan said.