The Circle: Channel 4 viewers outraged by woman pretending to be a cancer doctor on 'Black Mirror' style show
Channel 4’s latest reality show The Circle has already caused controversy thanks to its risque premise. Now, after seeing the first episode, viewers are also calling out one particular contestant for lying about her occupation.
The Circle follows a group of people who all live the same block of flats. Rather than meeting each other face-to-face, they are are locked in their apartments and can only communicate via a custom built social media app: The Circle. Participants are able to lie about themselves, and whoever proves to be the most popular person at the end of three weeks wins £50,000.
Thanks to the ability to create a fictional online persona, various contestants have outraged the audience watching from home. Arguably causing the most concern is Jennifer, a 40-year-old ad executive who has started the series pretending to be a 34-year-old oncologist. She told the camera before entering the flats that she knows lying about being a “cancer doctor” is “morally questionable” but she is intent on winning the prize money.
“This is going to get me lambasted,” she said during the first episode. “At the end of the day its a popularity contest it’s not real, so what’s the problem? It’s a game.”
Viewers have already criticised Jennifer on social media:
I am all for ANY sort of reality tv but when you’ve got people pretending to be a CANCER doctor and completely lying about who they are to be popular I am 1000% out.
Stupid concept and potentially very very damaging. #TheCircle— TV Hideout 👁 (@BigHideout) 18 September 2018
Yes...people *will* think pretending to be a cancer doctor to gain the trust of others is immoral...because it is you fucking mororn!! This person is not a prime example of a middle aged Geordie...I promise!!! #TheCircle
— Nicola Jackson (@nickstrel) 18 September 2018
You can pretend you have a dead dog but you can’t pretend you’re a cancer doctor. That’s the line between white lie and fucking scum. #thecircle
— Mostly Grumpy (@mostly_grumpy) 18 September 2018
It’s interesting BUT pretending to be a cancer doctor is a bit too far... #TheCircle
— Ashley Hoyland (@ashhoyland) 18 September 2018
How embarrassing for Channel 4 that there is an advert for Stand Up To Cancer when we’ve got a cunt of a person pretending to be an oncologist in the circle #TheCircle #StandUpToCancer #Channel4
— GaryEFC (@fatwap73) 18 September 2018
When there’s a serious Stand Up 2 Cancer ad during the break for #TheCircle, a show in which a woman is pretending to be a cancer doctor to win money pic.twitter.com/EzDCnIMsY5
— Sarah Doran (@sarahisnothere) 18 September 2018
Other contestants to set social media on fire include Alex, a YouTuber from London, who has decided to use a picture of his girlfriend as his own profile picture and invented a female character to play, and Freddie, who is openly gay in real life but has decided to “play it straight” on the series.
I am completely BAFFLED by Alex on #TheCircle. Why would you want to pretend to be your girlfriend?
— Olivia ✨ (@oliviamchale) 18 September 2018
Alex going full catfish. Winner#TheCircle
— Rich Jones (@RichWLJones) 18 September 2018
Nah Alex is real life catfishing. Hahahahaha this problem is nuts #TheCircle
— Mo Gilligan (@MoTheComedian) 18 September 2018
Alex’s girlfriend is at home lapping up all these compliments. She’s the real winner here #TheCircle
— 🍪 (@zxena_) 18 September 2018
Honestly, Alex makes me sick to my stomach. He wants to watch other guys flirt with his girlfriend 😷 WHY? #TheCircle
— Olivia ✨ (@oliviamchale) 18 September 2018
I don’t mean to be rude about Alex’s Machiavellian plan or his general craftiness but I give it about two hours before he forgets half the lies he’s told and trips himself up #thecircle
— Steven Perkins (@stevenperkins) 18 September 2018
All power to Freddie from #TheCircle, but let’s hold up a minute: No camp or “obviously #gay” man should EVER feel he has to hide who he is in order to “come out on top”. Let’s not normalise this. There is NOTHING to be ashamed of. Be out. Be proud. Be who you are. #LGBTQ 🏳️🌈 https://t.co/13qh0xh3Nb
— Dr Adrian Harrop (@DrAdrianHarrop) 18 September 2018
Alex and Freddie once they find out they’ve been catfishing each other: #TheCircle pic.twitter.com/Rc5oVw8M6a
— too tall for this universe (@blacknsad) 18 September 2018
The Circle has also drawn comparisons with the Netflix TV show Black Mirror, particularly the Bryce Dallas Howard-starring episode “Nosedive”. The premise of the episode regards a social media app which allows users to rate each other out of five. The Circle, likewise, sees contestants rate each other out of five and each person is given a cumulative rating.
#TheCircle looks like a black mirror level of fucked up. Im weiridly intrigued though what it has to offer.
— Rebekah 🍁☕🎃🍂 (@Bekah_26) 18 September 2018
Is it just me or is Channel 4 going full Black Mirror tonight? #TheCircle followed by Naked Attraction is a special kind of dystopian hell that I cannot willingly bear witness to 🙅🏻♂️
— Jakob Lewis Barnes (@jumpcutjakob) 18 September 2018
#TheCircle is like something straight out of Black Mirror – feels almost like it encourages catfishing as a means to popularity and I’m not here for it 😕
— Berni Botto (@BerniBotto) 18 September 2018
#TheCircle is real life black mirror man, a lad pretending to be his girlfriend flirting with a guy who’s pretending to be straight this is mad 😩
— Lucy Weir (@LucyWeir_) 19 September 2018
I’ve watched 5 minutes of #TheCircle and had to double check it’s not a new episode of Black Mirror.
— Dan Gasser (@DanGasser) 18 September 2018
#TheCircle is so reminding me off an episode of #BlackMirror pic.twitter.com/crIfpbVLtD
— Hel (@helc80) 18 September 2018
Read The Independent‘s review of the first episode here.
The Circle continues weekdays on Channel 4 at 10pm