Alert! Netflix’s ‘The Circle’ is back with a new cast, including A.I. chatbox. Any Florida contestants?
The cast list for season 6 of The Circle is finally here, with an A.I. chatbox and a dog. Here's what to know about the cast, premiere date Netflix's hit show "The Circle" is set to return with a new cast, including a new city and some interesting looking catfishes. The show, which debuted in 2020, will move to Atlanta with some new twists, including an artificial intelligence bot playing the game while pretending to be a human contestant named Max. This will be the first time in the show's history that a bot will play the game. The new season will be filmed in Atlanta, Georgia. Michelle Butau is returning for her sixth season as host of the show. While no contestants from Florida have been listed, the show has previously featured memorable contestants from the state.
Published : 4 weeks ago by Samantha Neely in Entertainment
Circle chat is almost open! Get your one-liners, hashtags and strategically placed emojis ready.
Entertainment Weekly shared the first look at the season 6 cast of Netflix's hit show "The Circle," which includes a new city and some interesting looking catfishes.
According to the official season description, the show is moving to Atlanta with some new twists, but says it's still the same game as "catfish, connections, and chaos await as new influencers enter the chat and compete for a huge cash prize."
For the first time in the show’s history, an artificial intelligence bot will play the game while pretending to be a (human) contestant named Max. According to reports, it has studied interactions from past season and won't receive any assistance from producers during the game.
What is 'The Circle' on Netflix?
For those not familiar with the platform's multiple reality shows, "The Circle" debuted in 2020 (perfect timing for peak pandemic viewing) as a social experiment-like game where players must choose whether to be themselves or pretend to be other people (catfish).
During the show, each player is isolated in their own apartment and can only talk with others through the voice-activated platform called "The Circle." Throughout the competition, players must compete to become the "Influencers" of the group each week, which allows them the ability to send a player home. Some use this advantage to catch a catfish or to vote out a top player.
For the first time, The Circle is filming in its home country, as the previous five seasons of the show filmed in the U.K. to utilize the same apartments that other versions of the show have used. The new season will be filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.
What does catfish mean in 'The Circle'?
Catfishing is when someone creates or steals an entire online identity to convince you they're someone else and form a relationship. Catfishers might do it because they enjoy the freedom of being someone besides themselves, because they're exploring their own sexuality or gender identity, or for fraudulent or dangerous reasons.
The term is from the 2010 documentary "Catfish," about American TV host Nev Schulman's experiences falling in love online with a 19-year-old woman named Megan who turned out to be a 40-year-old married housewife. Schulman later created and hosted the 2012 MTV reality show "Catfish: The TV Show."
Meet the cast of 'The Circle' season 6:
• Jordan "Big J" Staff, 24 - Playing as himself but using photos from before weight loss
• Kyle Fuller, 31 - Playing as himself but has his dog with him
Are any of the season 6 contestants on 'The Circle' from Florida?
As of April 4, none of the player's locations have been revealed.
It should be noted that even if this first crop of contestants doesn't have any Florida natives, the show adds new players almost every episode. There's a chance we could see someone representing the Sunshine State this season.
Look back at past Florida contestants on 'The Circle'
While this current season does not list anyone from Florida, the show has featured some memorable contestants from the state.
In the first season, Miami's Sammie Cimarelli quickly became popular while playing the game as herself. She even won $10,000 for being the fan favorite on the show despite placing only third in the over competition. Since 2020, Cimarelli has gained a massive following and has appeared in campaigns for Rihanna's "Savage x Fenty."
In season three, Fort Walton Beach's Sophia Layne also placed third in the competition. In an interview with Northwest Florida Daily News, she shared what it meant to go on the show and some of the behind-the-scenes magic.
“I've always been such a busy go-do person, and then quarantine and COVID happened and it was the first time I ever had to stop and not work or not go to school,” Layne said. “I wanted to take the extra step and put myself in ‘The Circle,’ one, because what an amazing show and I would love to do that, and two, to see how I would handle myself with no entertainment or cellphone or anything. It was definitely a challenge but one that I needed for sure.”
Who is the host of 'The Circle'?
Comedian Michelle Buteau is returning for her sixth season as host of The Circle.
What do contestants on 'The Circle' win?
When the group gets down to the top five players, a final rating will take place before the contestants meet face-to-face. The top finisher of that final ranking wins the game and a $100,000 prize.
When does 'The Circle' season 6 premiere?
The first four episodes of The Circle will premiere on Wednesday, April 17 on Netflix. New episodes roll out every Wednesday leading up to the finale on May 8.
C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida, contributed to this article.