The Circle: Interview with Sy
Category: Press Pack ArticleNAME: Sy
AGE: 35
OCCUPATION: Farmer
FROM: Somerset
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single
PLAYING AS: Himself
IN A NUTSHELL: Sy is a fourth-generation farmer who loves the countryside and working on the farm. He describes himself as confident, loud and cheeky. He’ll be playing the game as himself, using photos of his life on the farm. His dad is beginning to drop hints that he’d like Sy to settle down and have children to continue the farming dynasty, and he’d love to meet the right woman who’d be happy to chuck on some boots and help pull a calf out.
MOTIVATION FOR ENTERING THE CIRCLE: Sy is looking for an adventure in the city and sees The Circle as the perfect opportunity to meet new people – potentially even a farmer’s wife – and take home the £100k to buy himself a prize bull. He’s never lived on his own in an urban environment before, so having a shiny apartment to himself in The Circle, away from his usual surroundings of tractors and livestock, will be a new experience for Sy.
STRATEGY: Sy plans on being totally honest with all his fellow players. He is keen to educate the other players on the realities of farming and country life – something he feels not many people will have knowledge of. He’ll use photos of him and his dogs and cows to win over the animal lovers in The Circle.
Can you describe your profile in The Circle?
My profile is me, the grubby farmer from Somerset doing his thing.
Why did you decide to be yourself when you could be anyone?
I can't lie, I find it impossible to. I wish I could, but my memory is so bad I could not lie. Also, I'm not so bad, why would I want to be anyone else?
What's your strategy to win?
I like to get on with everyone so I'm just going to try and get on with everyone the best I can and see how far that gets me. Because I don't lie, if I know people are lying I won't sit down and let them get away with it. Hopefully the nice guy won’t finish last this time.
How easy do you think it will be to win people over with just pictures and words?
I guess I'm quite lucky because I lead quite a different lifestyle than most so I'm hoping that me with animals and dogs kind of gives other players an insight as to who I am and that I’m a nice guy.
Can you tell me how you will decide which pictures to use?
I only really have a certain range of pictures which is predominantly me and my dogs and cows. I didn't really have much to choose from so I was backed into a corner with that one!
Would you be open to flirting and love on The Circle?
Yes, if it's there and there is a connection for sure!
What social media platforms do you use at home?
I use Instagram mainly, Facebook and Snapchat but Snapchat is just for my farm friends. We love to send pictures of our cows and tractors. We also have a WhatsApp group with all the men in the village that we love to have a bit of bants on.
Have you ever been in contact with a celebrity on social media?
No.
Do you have a favourite star that you follow on social media?
Ricky Gervais.
Have you ever had a bad experience on social media?
Only getting catfished.
Can you talk about being catfished?
I chatted to someone on a dating site and it turned out to be someone the polar opposite of what they led me to believe. We talked for maybe a week. It was annoying. It put me off online dating sites for a while.
Do you think you'll be able to spot any catfish in The Circle?
If you're talking to someone face to face it's easy to know whether they are pulling the wool over your eyes. I guess it's going to be a little bit harder when it's just text messages. Hopefully someone will slip up and I'll find out but it's not going to be easy.
Is there anything that really bugs you about social media?
Only people that pretend to be someone they are not. I can't stand them.
Were you popular at school?
Yes, I like to think so. I was quite lucky. I was a bit of an academic when it came to lessons and then as soon as it was playtime, I'd run around with the ball with the naughty crew. So through that I kind of knew everyone really.
How far would you go to win?
I won't ever not be me. I won't change who I am to try and win. So I will go as far as I feel comfortable, but I wouldn't push too many boundaries.
What would you do with the prize money if you won?
There is a barn conversion on the farm. I think I'd chuck a lot of money at that. That would be lush. And of course, there’s the prize bull!