The Circle: The reality show that’s become all too real

by JORDAN HAYTER

The Circle is back for its third season; however, the format now seems all too familiar.

The ground-breaking show premiered its premise in 2017. The show’s contestants were each moved into their own refurbished flat, to communicate solely through a social media-type platform created for the show. The contestants could be whoever they wanted to be with the aim to become the most popular. The show lasts for around three weeks, meaning the contestants are forced to live alone and only talk through screens for nearly a month. Sound familiar?

As the show begins its third season, it all seems too close to home. It represents how most of us have spent our lives for the past year, sat at home, desperately clinging to technology for any sort of human contact. It certainly adds the ‘reality’ to the ‘reality show’. Viewers tuning in commented on how it reminded them of the previous year and wondered how the show would add a more humorous and entertaining take on life.

After episode 1, it surely has. Along with many entertaining, true to themselves characters like the adorkable Vithan and the bubbly Tally, there are many interesting fake accounts. In the show, people can be whoever they want to try and become the most popular, so it is rather common to see a catfish appear. This season is no different with Hashu pretending to be a 63-year-old man, a father and daughter duo acting as “Penny” and, most controversial being ex-Gladiator star “Hunter” (also known as James) pretending to be a nurse named Gemma.

James or “Gemma” has caused a bit of uproar on twitter due to the risky choice of pretending to be part of the NHS. Due to the pandemic, NHS workers have become the nation’s heroes and some people are upset that the contestant is using their hard work to win the show. Many are deeming him as the “villain” of the season and want him out of the show. However, he became the first influencer, as he was rated by the other contestants as the most popular, so who knows when he will leave the show.

The show left viewers buzzing when it revealed a shocking twist when the first player was removed from the show, or blocked. The player was given a second chance to enter the circle, but they were told they had to choose a player and clone their profile and pretend to be them. Viewers are heavily anticipating the next episode.

Tune in to the show on channel 4, every day at 9pm.