The Celebrity Circle
Hit Channel 4 show The Circle returns for a six-part Stand Up To Cancer celebrity special
AS hit Channel 4 show The Circle returns for a six-part Stand Up To Cancer celebrity special, Danielle de Wolfe learns more about this year’s line-up.
Part social experiment, part engrossing reality entertainment, you could say that Channel 4 show The Circle was ahead of its time – confining contestants to their apartments while life plays out through the medium of social media.
Following two series of the hit show, The Circle is set to return to our screens once again as part of a six-part special.
This time, however, there’s a celebrity twist.
Presented by The Voice and Big Brother host Emma Willis, The Celebrity Circle will see 12 of the nation’s best loved stars take up residence in the nowfamous apartment block in aid of Stand-Up To Cancer.
Battling it out to be crowned the most popular player (all while raising money for charity), the contestants will be split into two camps – those staying true to their identity and those using a catfish profile (and plenty of guile) to play an entirely different celebrity.
Filmed non-stop over the course of a single week, the special will also see a number of celebrities move in together in a bid to play one character, all before scoring their fellow contestants and ultimately ejecting the least popular from The Circle.
Ahead of The Celebrity Circle hitting our screens, we take a look at the star studded line-up taking part in this year’s charity special.
Baga Chips
Best known for appearing in the first series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK, Baga Chips, 31, aims to catfish fellow celebrities into thinking she’s outspoken queen of clean Kim Woodburn.
Denise van Outen
Star of stage and screen, Denise Van Outen, 46, is shunning a catfish profile in favour of entering The Celebrity Circle as herself.
Rickie Haywood-Williams & Melvin Odoom
Radio DJs Rickie HaywoodWilliams, 40, and Melvin Odoom, 40, are probably best known for their joint stint as KISS FM presenters. Now, the duo are once again teaming up, this time in an attempt to convince fellow contestant’s they’re international musician, Will.I.Am.
Charlotte Crosby
Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby, 30, is embracing the concept of catfishing, entering The Celebrity Circle as none other than Mysterious Girl hitmaker Peter Andre.
Duncan James
Former Blue boyband member Duncan James, 42, is shunning catfishing in favour of playing himself. That, however, doesn’t stop the singer from pondering other possibilities.
Pete Wicks & Sam Thompson
Self-confessed best mates, The Only Way Is Essex star Pete Wicks, 32, and Made in Chelsea’s Sam Thompson, 27, are teaming up to catfish fellow contestants into thinking they’re Countdown mathematician, Rachel Riley.
Lady Leshurr
British rapper Lady Leshurr, 32, is set to go undercover as fellow rapper Big Narstie. Despite their size difference, Leshurr believes she has what it takes to fool her fellow contestants.
Kaye Adams & Nadia Sawalha
Loose Women presenters Kaye Adams, 58, and Nadia Sawalha,
56, are serving up a double helping of entertainment, as they enter The Celebrity Circle under the guise of The Only Way Is Essex icon, Gemma Collins.
“The thing about playing the GC is, she’s a very complex character. I think even people that hate her, love her. Even when she behaves outrageously, it’s funny. How she gets away with the diva-esque persona, I’ll never know. It’s going to be a challenge!” says Sawalha.
Saffron Barker
YouTube star and social media influencer Saffron Baker, 20, is one of three contestants entering The Celebrity Circle as themselves. Excited at the prospect, she’s already speculating about the identity of her fellow contestants.
“There are not many people I’d be star struck by other than probably Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby. I have actually met them before, and I think I did play it quite cool. And then the other person is Dwayne Johnson, but I highly doubt he’s going to be in an apartment next door!”
The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up To Cancer launches on Tuesday 9 March on Channel 4.