A second series of ‘The Circle’ will be coming to our screens later this year, Channel 4 has confirmed.
The new series will be slightly longer, as an “extended run” is being planned, with bosses also confirming plans to air a weekly live episode.
A press release announcing the news also teases a “more mischievous” approach, adding: “Viewers will also be given greater control and increased interactivity with the game.”
Kelly Webb-Lamb, Channel 4′s Head of Popular Factual has praised the show for “striking a chord with young viewers who were utterly gripped by the drama and relationships that unfolded on screen – even though the players never met”.
“The second series will have more of what the viewers loved – warmth, humour, more live elements and even more surprises,” she cotninued. “I’m excited to see how it will build on the success of series one.”
The first series was billed as having Maya Jama and Alice Levine as hosts, but as it continued viewers noticed they were largely absent, though they did present the finale.
It’s unclear whether or not the new they’ll be back for series two.
After a shaky start, ‘The Circle’ became a surprise hit with viewers as it progressed, after debuting on Channel 4 last autumn.
Just 1 million people tuned in for the launch show, but on streaming service All 4, the series became the channel’s biggest new original commission launch since 2012, with more than 10 million views.
The live final saw Alex Hobern – who had been cat-fishing his competitors by playing as Kate, a character largely based on his girlfriend – taking home the £75,000 prize.