The Circle (2018–2021) watch online

The Circle, sometimes called The Circle UK, is a British reality television game show and the original version of The Circle franchise. Produced by Studio Lambert and Motion Content Group and airing on Channel 4.

The series bills itself as a game based around social media, and features contestants who live in different apartments in a complex isolated from the outside world and each other. The players only communicate through a social media platform called "The Circle", as they compete to be deemed the most popular in the group. As they communicate through "The Circle", players can portray themselves as whoever they wish. Throughout the course of the competition, players are "blocked" from "The Circle", until only one remains and wins the cash prize. The show has been compared to Big Brother and Catfish in format, as well as Black Mirror episode "Nosedive" with the concept of having to rate other people.

The show is narrated by Sophie Willan, whilst the first and last episodes of the first series were hosted by Maya Jama and Alice Levine (later replaced by Emma Willis from the second series onwards).

The first series was won by 26-year-old Internet comedian Alex Hobern, who had played the game claiming to be a 25-year-old woman called Kate, using photos of his real-life girlfriend Millie. Hobern also won the "viewers champion" for an additional £25,000, claiming £75,000 in total. The second series was won by Paddy Smyth, with Tim Wilson winning the "viewers champion" vote. In June 2020, The Circle was renewed for a third series. The Celebrity Circle was also announced. The Circle was cancelled by Channel 4 in May 2021. The same month it was reported that Studio Lambert in talks with Netflix to launch the British version of the show on the streaming service.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)