Zoe Ball’s son is among the new contestants taking part in the second series of The Circle, it has been revealed.
Woody Cook – the 18-year-old son of Zoe and her ex-husband Norman Cook – has said he won’t be telling his fellow contestants about his famous parents, so as not to be “pre-judged or to live in their shadow”.
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The "profile picture" Woody will use to communicate with his fellow players
Channel 4
In The Circle, contestants never actually meet face-to-face, instead communicating via a custom-built social media platform, which means they can be as honest (or dishonest) with the rest of the cast as they like.
Before joining the show, he revealed he can be wary of people “taking advantage” of him because of his family, claiming he wants to enter The Circle to “experience life without the baggage of being ‘Fatboy Slim’s son’ or ‘Zoe Ball’s kid’”.
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Woody ahead of his debut on The Circle
Channel 4
Revealing his parents have been “supportive” of his decision to take part in the show, he said: “They have given me a lot to think about from past experiences and advice.
“They said that what you say on TV is out there forever and you can’t unsay it and that once you share too much you never unshare it.”
To stay in The Circle, contestants need to get a consistently high “rating” from their fellow players, with the one who rates highest at the end eventually taking home prize money of £50,000.
Also taking part in the new series – which Emma Willis is set to take over as host – are a 31-year-old lesbian who wants to see how differently she’s treated if she tells her fellow contestants she’s younger and straight, a young man pretending to be a single mother and a mum playing as her 25-year-old son.
The Circle launches on Tuesday 24 September on Channel 4.
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