The Circle USA season two start date: Host, line-up, prize and news
Here's everything you need to know about the new series.
By: Jo Berry
It's been three weeks since The Circle USA returned to Netflix with season two and what a series it's been – from catastrophic catfishes to celebrity contestants (Too Hot To Handle's Chloe Veitch).
Now the wait for our second season winner is finally over, with The Circle USA final having landed on Netflix this morning and the final five players trying to schmooze their way to the $100,000 (£72,000) prize pot.
An American spin-off to the British series The Circle, this Netflix reality series sees eight contestants attempt to be the most popular on a specially designed social media app, where they can play either as themselves or a completely different person.
With Netflix releasing batches of four episodes each week, fans have been bingeing their way through each instalment in which contestants from all over the US navigate the various twists thrown their way.
If you're desperate to find out The Circle USA season two winner, make sure to check out our dedicated spoiler page – otherwise, read on for details about season two and how to watch the final.
When is The Circle USA season two on Netflix?
Season two of The Circle USA arrived on Netflix from 8am on Wednesday, 14th April.
There were 13 The Circle USA episodes spread over four weeks, with new episodes added on 21st and 28th April, followed by the finale on Wednesday, 5th May.
How do I watch The Circle USA season two final?
The Circle USA's season two final landed on Netflix this morning (Wednesday 5th May at 8am), with Jack Atkins (Emily/John), Lisa Delcampo (Lance Bass/John), Lee Swift (River), Courtney Revolution, Chloe Veitch and Deleesa Carrasquillo (Trevor) making through to the last leg of the competition.
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How do you play The Circle?
A cast of eight contestants enter The Circle at the start, where they flirt, befriend and annoy each other via the unique social media platform, and compete in challenges against each other.
Each lives in their own apartment and only connects with the other players via the profiles and messages on The Circle. They can never meet – if they leave their apartment to visit the roof garden, for example, they are accompanied by a chaperone.
The contestants get to rate their fellow players, too, with the ones gaining the most votes becoming the ‘influencers’ of the Circle – gaining the power to block a contestant, eliminating them from the game.
The ultimate goal is to be crowned top influencer which has a $100,000 prize, so expect lots of devious moves, betrayals and schemes as the contestants try and figure out who is being themselves and who has created a fake profile, who is trustworthy and who is playing to win.
The makers of the show also promise some new tricks to keep the contestants on their toes that will make this season more strategic than ever before.
Who is The Circle USA host?
Michelle Buteau returns as the host of The Circle USA.
The New Jersey-born stand-up comedian also works as an actress in movies like Isn’t It Romantic, Happiest Season and Always Be My Maybe, and hosts the podcast Late Night Whenever!.
Who are the contestants in The Circle USA season two line-up?
The contestants comprising The Circle USA cast for the second season include 34-year-old Terilisha from Dallas, 25-year-old Savannah from Los Angeles, 58-year-old Lee from Dallas, 20-year-old Jack from Connecticut, 32-year-old Deleesa from The Bronx in New York, 28-year-old Courtney from Los Angeles and 27-year-old Bryant from Chico in California.
You may recognise the eighth contestant – it’s 22-year-old Essex resident Chloe Veitch from Too Hot To Handle.
The trailer hints that there is also a late, ninth edition to The Circle apartment building – pop band NSYNC’s Lance Bass (whom Chloe has never heard of!).
Where is The Circle USA filmed?
The first season of the British version of The Circle was filmed in London, but since then all series – both in the UK and the US – have used an apartment building in sunny Salford, Manchester in England.
For the first season in the US, attempts were made to hide the fact it was filmed in England – the Milwaukee Record reported that footage of Milwaukee’s skyline and Chicago’s were used throughout the series.
The Salford building has 12 ready-to-use, fully finished apartments, an exercise room and a rooftop lounge with hot tub. Each apartment has a TV for the contestants to use to communicate via The Circle, and, of course, there are cameras almost everywhere to capture everything. There is also a ‘testimonial room’, where the players go to film their goodbye videos after they have been blocked and eliminated.
Is The Circle USA prize the same as the UK prize?
The winner of The Circle USA takes home an impressive $100,000 – and there is also a $10,000 fan favourite award.
The winner of the first UK season won £50,000, which was raised to £70,000 for season two – there was also a viewer’s champion prize (voted for by the public) of £30,000.
This year, The Circle 2021 winner Natalya walked away with a massive £100,000 cash prize after she was rated the most popular by the other contestants.
The Circle USA season two arrives on Netflix on April 14th. Check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide. Also visit our hub for more Entertainment news.
