Emma Willis joins The Circle on Channel 4

5 June 2019

Wednesday 5th June 2019:  Emma Willis is to host the next series of Channel 4’s ground-breaking reality gameshow series, The Circle, it was announced today.  This year the show will come from Greater Manchester and will feature more live episodes -  hosted by Emma.

The Circle is the popularity game where anyone can be anyone.   Players can choose to be whomever they think will make them most popular with other players.  They don’t get to know each other face-to-face, meeting each other through the profiles they choose to share through The Circle (a purpose-built, voice activated social media site) and the information they release via chats. Last year, contestant Alex Hobern won £75,000 catfishing as ‘Kate’.   

The players live in separate apartments in a single building and play games and chat with each other through The Circle.  They rate each other frequently and unpopular players are blocked. Once blocked, and before leaving the show, the eliminated players will get to meet other players in person for the first time. Ultimately, the most popular player wins a cash prize of up to £100,000.  

The second series will build on the success of last year’s launch series with an extended run and weekly live episode, hosted by Emma. The live shows will give viewers at home the chance to influence the narrative in The Circle in different dramatic ways via the show’s bespoke app.

Emma Willis: “I’m an avid people watcher and fascinated by the positives and negatives of social media. I got hooked on the first series and thought it was a smart format that highlights how we shouldn’t take everything on social media at face value.

“I’m delighted to be part of something that is incredibly relevant and can’t wait to join the team and see how mischievous people are prepared to be for £100,000.”

Kelly Webb-Lamb, Channel 4 Deputy Director of Programmes and Head of Popular Factual commented: “We’re so excited to welcome Emma into The Circle.  She’s a fantastic talent for Channel 4 and will be the perfect person to guide us through the gameplay and mischievousness of The Circle.”

Tim Harcourt, Studio Lambert Creative Director said: “Emma brings charm, warmth and humour to all of her TV projects. She has a great passion for her shows which is why the audience love her. We’re thrilled to have her on The Circle.”

Martin Oxley, Motion Content Group’s Executive Producer commented: “The Circle is all about being the most popular version of yourself, and in all her shows Emma constantly brings out the best in everyone. As host of The Circle we know she will live the journey of our contributors and care as much as the producers and our viewers.”

The Circle was commissioned by Channel 4 Deputy Director of Programmes Kelly Webb-Lamb and Factual Entertainment Commissioning Editor Gilly Greenslade.  The series will be made in Greater Manchester by Studio Lambert North and Motion Content Group. Executive producers for Studio Lambert will be: Tim Harcourt, Darrell Olsen, Daisy Lilley, Susy Price and Toni Ireland. Martin Oxley will be executive producer for Motion Content Group.

The new series returns later this year.  You can register to apply for the series by visiting www.thecirclecasting.com

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• The Circle was Channel 4’s most popular new factual entertainment series for young viewers in 2018, proving a massive hit with young audiences on social and critics alike, becoming the channel’s youngest profiling show since 2012
• It had an average of 49.4% profile of 16-24s
• On All 4, The Circle was the biggest new original commission launch since 2012, with over 10 million views
• In the live final last year, catfishing Alex Hobern, who took on the persona of Kate throughout the series, won a total prize of £75,000

 

PICTURE ENQUIRIES TO:

PicturePublicity@Channel4.co.uk

 

PRESS ENQUIRIES TO:

Channel 4: Susan Wilks swilks@channel4.co.uk, T: 0207 306 3751

Studio Lambert: Lou Plank, lou@plankpr.com, T: 020 8995 3936 / 07801 321 965 or Victoria Hartley-Wilson, victoria@plankpr.com, T: 07841 655 670

Motion Content Group: Bella Osborne  Bella.Osborne@motioncontentgroup.com, T: 0203 192 0704

 

About Studio Lambert

Studio Lambert is a production company based in London, Manchester and Los Angeles producing high-quality scripted and unscripted series. It was established in 2008 by Stephen Lambert, creator of many well-known global formats including the Primetime Emmy-winning Undercover Boss (CBS and Channel 4) and BAFTA-winning Wife Swap (ABC and Channel 4). Last year the company's true story drama miniseries Three Girls for the BBC won five BAFTAs and the Prix Italia. Studio Lambert is currently producing scripted series for the BBC, Amazon and Liberty Global and new unscripted series for several UK and US networks. The company's creative director, Tim Harcourt, created the new reality series The Circle, which launched on the UK’s Channel 4 in September 2018. In a recent UK industry poll, the company was ranked #1 by its peers.

 

About Motion Content Group

Motion Content Group is a global content investment and rights management company. It invests and partners with the world’s leading talent, producers and distributors to fund, develop, produce and distribute premium content. Motion supports editorially and commercially vibrant networks and platforms by helping meet the ever-increasing demand for premium content, for the benefit of advertisers and its content partners. Headquartered in London and Los Angeles, Motion currently operates in 26 countries worldwide and has a broad range of award-winning programming distributed globally. Motion Content Group is part of GroupM, the world’s leading full-service media investment management operation, a WPP company.

 

Follow Motion on Twitter here: @motion_content