Mumbai, Aug 11 : Jashwanth Bopanna and Akriti Negi have won the latest season of the dating reality show 'MTV Splitsvilla X5: ExSqueeze Me Please'.

They defeated Rushali and Harsh, the other couple in the finals.

Jashwanth and Akriti proved to be this season's Ideal Match as they powered through highs and lows of their journey on the show.

Despite the odds stacked against them, thye stood rock-steady, won challenges, and made it to the finale.

Reacting to her win, Akriti said: "I can't describe my happiness! This journey was a rollercoaster of emotions. Winning 'MTV Splitsvilla X5: ExSqueeze Me Please' with my partner, Jashwanth is extremely special for me. It was truly challenging against such strong contenders but we stuck together through it all -- the winning title is more important to us than any other distractions that came in between, and we've proved it."

The finale episode surpassed viewers' expectations with the biggest fight so far by the Mischief Maker, that brought the show host Sunny Leone to tears.

Uorfi and special guest Munawar made an offer the finalists couldn't refuse to consider.

The Grand Finale challenge tested the strength, agility, compatibility, and tuning of the two couples.

Jashwanth Bopanna said, "Winning the title of India's OG dating reality show is an extremely proud moment for me. Especially when I was so close to claiming the title in both my previous reality shows. But this proves hard work never goes unnoticed. I am beyond thrilled to conquer the winning title of 'MTV Splitsvilla X5: ExSqueeze Me Please' with my true connection, Akriti. We climbed up the ranks against 30 strong contestants and we silenced all those who criticised us. I want to thank fans for their incredible support throughout the season."

Sunny Leone said, "Having witnessed the journeys of many contestants through all seasons of 'MTV Splitsvilla', Akriti and Jashwanth stood out for me this season. They truly deserve this victory. They played well, found love, and made it to the finish line. I wish them luck, and hope they continue to shine together."

'MTV Splitsvilla X5: ExSqueeze Me Please' airs on MTV and JioCinema.

/IANS