Premiering in 2020, “The Circle” is a US Netflix reality TV show based on the popular British series of the same name. Each season a group of strangers enters a colorfully decorated apartment building and engages in chats, games and blockings with each other all while remaining completely anonymous. In “The Circle,” you can choose to play as yourself or as someone entirely different, aka a catfish. Michelle Buteau hosts the fun and flirty program, though she doesn’t get to officially meet the contestants until the finale, when the $100,000 grand prize is given to the player who the others rated the highest ($150,000 as of Season 4). There are various other versions of the social media game show around the world, including in France and Brazil, but the photo gallery below highlights “The Circle” winners and finalists from the US Netflix seasons. Gallery originally published May 2021.
-
Season 1: Joey Sasso
Image Credit: Netflix Played as: Himself
Finale Date: January 15, 2020
Age: 25
Hometown: Rochester, New York
Entered: Episode 1
Exited: Episode 12
-
Season 1: Finalists
Image Credit: Netflix 1st place: Joey Sasso (as himself)
2nd place: Shubham Goel (as himself)
3rd place: Samantha “Sammie” Cimarelli (as herself)
4th place: Chris Sapphire (as himself)
5th place: Seaburn Williams (as catfish Rebecca, his real-life girlfriend)
-
Season 2: Deleesa St. Agathe
Image Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix Played as: Trevor, a catfish who was really her husband
Finale Date: May 5, 2021
Age: 32
Hometown: The Bronx, New York
Entered: Episode 1
Exited: Episode 13
-
Season 2: Finalists
Image Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix 1st place: Deleesa St. Agathe (as catfish Trevor)
2nd place: Chloe Veitch (as herself)
3rd place: Courtney Linsen (as himself)
4th place: Lee Swift (as catfish River, a younger version of himself)
5th place: Jack Atkins and Lisa Delcampo (as catfish John, a psychic Santa)
-
Season 3: James Andre Jefferson Jr.
Image Credit: Netflix Played as: Himself
Finale Date: September 29, 2021
Age: 30
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Entered: Episode 6
Exited: Episode 13
-
Season 3: Finalists
Image Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix 1st place: James Andre Jefferson Jr. (as himself)
2nd place: Matthew Pappadia (as catfish Ashley, his best friend)
3rd place: Sophia Layne (as catfish Isabella, her beautiful sister)
4th place: Keisha “Kai” Ghost (as herself)
5th place: Nick Uhlenhuth (as himself)
-
Season 4: Frank Grimsley
Image Credit: Netflix Played as: Himself
Finale Date: May 25, 2022
Age: 28
Entered: Episode 1
Exited: Episode 13
-
Season 4: Finalists
Image Credit: Tom Dymond/Netflix 1st place: Frank Grimsley (as himself)
2nd place: Trevor St. Agathe (as catfish Imani, his wife’s friend)
3rd place: Yu Ling Wu (as herself)
4th place: Rachel Evans (as herself)
5th place: Eversen Bevelle (as himself)
-
Season 5: Sam Carmona
Image Credit: Netflix Played as: Herself
Finale Date: January 18, 2023
Age: 34
Entered: Episode 1
Exited: Episode 13
-
Season 5: Finalists
Image Credit: Netflix 1st place: Sam Carmona (as herself)
2nd place: Chaz Lawery (as himself)
3rd place: Raven Sutton (as herself, with interpreter Paris McTizic)
4th place: Tasia Lesley (as catfish Tamira)
5th place: Brett Robinson and Xanthi Perdikomatis (as catfish Jennifer)
-
Who’s next?
Image Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix Who will be next to enter the winner’s “circle” for Season 6? We’ll all find out sometime in the near future, as Netflix has officially renewed the reality TV show for a sixth installment. Stay tuned for more alerts!
-
Host: Michelle Buteau
Image Credit: Ben Blackall/Netflix Michelle is an actress, author and comedian who got her big break when she hosted the popular podcast “Late Night Whenever” in 2018. She later starred in Netflix’s “The Comedy Lineup” with other aspiring comedians. Her list of films includes “Marry Me,” “The Stand In,” “Happiest Season,” “Work It,” “Always Be My Baby,” “Someone Great” and “Isn’t It Romantic.” In 2021 she won the Critics Choice Award for her stand-up special “Michelle Buteau: Welcome to Buteaupia.”
