The Circle: Interview with Jan
Category: Press Pack ArticleNAME: Jan
AGE: 58
OCCUPATION: Retired
FROM: Kent
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single
PLAYING AS: Herself
IN A NUTSHELL: Jan will be 100% herself in The Circle. She believes she will naturally take on the motherly role in The Circle, but also the naughty Aunty, as she has a very mischievous side! She is adamant that she will not allow her morals to be compromised and will do her best to get on with everyone. Considering herself to be very worldly and in touch with current affairs, Jan will make her views known in The Circle.
MOTIVATION FOR ENTERING THE CIRCLE: Jan is single, her daughter is about to fly the nest to go to university and she is putting her house on the market. It’s time for her to have her own adventure, experience new challenges and maybe even find herself a man along the way!
STRATEGY: She plans on taking on the motherly role in The Circle and hopes that the other Players will accept her at face value. She thinks that by using her own photos that show her at her happiest and most relaxed, the other Players will instantly warm to her friendly face and find her endearing.
Can you describe your profile in The Circle?
I'm being myself. I'm kind of funny, an extrovert, compassionate and sensitive. I'm kind of everything to everybody.
Did you ever consider playing anyone else?
I never considered being anyone else because I just thought it's a job where you’ve got to remember what you said, how you said it. It's very difficult to put yourself in someone else's shoes. I don't really want to slip up.
What's your strategy for winning?
I don't really have a strategy. All I can do is just go in there and be me. I can't be anyone else, they are all taken. I just let people know that I am me. I'm always the mum of the group.
How easy do you think it will be to win people over by just using pictures and words?
I suppose if you think about it, that happens all the time in social media anyway. You are whatever people think you are, and people believe what they want to believe. I can be very comical, I hope people will appreciate my daft sense of humour.
How did you decide which pictures to use?
Just the ones that don't have too many ‘bingo wings’ in! I used the ones that I think represent me in life. I wanted to make sure that people saw that I cuddle the world because I do. I talk to the world. Everywhere I go I talk to people. I wanted my photos to represent the fun-loving me. I'm a big woman and I didn't want people to look at them and go, 'Oh my God! Mutton dressed as lamb!’ I wanted to make sure they represented me as a classy 58-year-old.
Would you be open to meeting someone in The Circle and flirting with them?
I’m the biggest flirt, the day I stop flirting is the day I die.
What social media do you use at home?
I just use Facebook.
Have you ever been in contact with a celebrity on social media?
Yes. Russell Grant the astrologer. I absolutely adore him. I sent a message supporting a campaign for The Alzheimer’s Society and he messaged back which I thought was absolutely lovely.
Do you have a favourite social media star?
No.
Have you ever been catfished?
Yes I’ve been catfished a couple of times but I even had one guy tell me he was the nephew of Gloria Estefan. If it smells fishy, it is.
Is there anything that really bugs you about social media?
Yeah, people who think I want to see what they're eating for dinner.
Were you popular at school?
I was always the class clown. But because I was short, fat and ginger, I did get bullied so needed to stand up for myself, but it taught me I'm a lover not a fighter.
Are you excited to meet Emma Willis?
Absolutely. She's lovely. She's sort of everything to everybody. Yeah, she's the mum, she's the wife, she's not a silly girl. She's old enough to have been there done it. But she's not so old that she doesn't connect with the younger age range.
How far will you go to win?
I will only go as far as my conscience takes me and my conscience is louder than everything.
What would you do with the prize money?
I’ll take two of my friends away on holiday. The fact that I have got to sell a house and buy a property means the money will go some way to helping me sort my life out. And maybe I'll get some liposuction if they've got a big enough machine!
ENDS