Netflix's Big Brother, and for good reason. Part of the show is figuring out if the people playing are indeed who they claim to be, like in Catfish. But it's also about having a great social game, like in Big Brother.
Indeed, these two elements go hand in hand on The Circle. Having a good social game, is what makes a player a good catfish in the first place. Being able to convincingly pull off a persona that is fictional (even if it's based in some reality) takes a lot of hard work and strategic thinking. Not every catfish on The Circle has been able to pull off the ruse flawlessly, but others were very, very convincing.
Updated by Kevin Pantoja on August 10th, 2022: Fans are eagerly anticipating season 5 of The Circle, especially after the wild ride that was season 4. More than ever this time around, catfishes ran the game. In the past, it seemed like being yourself was the key to success, and indeed, Frank won season 4 by being himself. That being said, season 4 saw four players really stand out for the strategy they put forth while catfishing the rest of the house. There was Parker who was outed almost immediately but the other players performed extremely well.
Nick Uhlenhuth (Vince) – Season 3
Nick played a unique game on The Circle, managing two profiles at once, one as himself and one as the fictional Vince. Although playing as Vince didn't accomplish much in of using the twist to his advantage in the game, Nick nonetheless did a good job of convincing the others that Vince was a real person.
Nick fully committed to the catfish, running back and forth from one room to another to chat first as himself, then as Vince. He even donned a black cape whenever he was texting as Vince to ensure he was fully in character. When Nick told a ghost story as Vince, who was supposed to be a professional ghost hunter, he used very specific technical terminology and told a compelling and haunting tale. It had everyone convinced that Vince was not only real but also indeed a ghost hunter.
Ava And Chanel Capra (Michelle) – Season 3
Sister Ava and Chanel weren't particularly good at the game seeing as they were voted out first and their initial catfish concept of playing as one person fell short. But they did a good job with the clone profile when they got a second chance to re-enter the game in one of the best twists on The Circle season 3, by pretending to be fellow player Michelle.
Not only did Ava and Chanel convince the rest of the Circle that they were Michelle while disregarding the real Michelle as an imposter, but they ended up getting Michelle blocked because of it, continuing to play as her even after she left the game.
Rachel Ward (Jackson) – Season 3
Rachel had Nick's jaw dropping to the floor when he met his buddy "Jackson," only to realize that the hunky dude was really a young, attractive woman named Rachel.
Rachel stumbled a few times trying to catfish as one of the guys. In the end, she raised a lot of suspicion about whether she was who she said she was. Yet everyone who saw her when she revealed her true identity couldn't believe it, suggesting that they must have believed her on some level. For that part of the game at least, Jackson was real.
Alex Lake (Adam) – Season 1
Fans loved how fun and bubbly Alex was playing as a conventionally handsome, model-esque 27-year-old when he was really an overall-wearing and bespectacled 32-year-old. Sure, some people were suspicious about his true identity, but Alex was one of the best catfishes from the show because he was so committed to playing his character.
Adam had a lot of fun with the show and pretending to be someone he wasn't. Most of his time was spent chatting with Seaburn, aka Rebecca, with the two slyly trying to convince each other that the other wasn't a catfish.
John Franklin (Carol) - Season 4
Most of the time, players who everyone believes is a catfish are eliminated once they're suspected. However, John Franklin pulled off a surprising feat as many people figured out that he wasn't actually "Mama Carol" yet he remained in the game until near the very end.
Players felt that John tried too hard to say motherly things, with some even wondering if Carol had any other personality traits besides being a mom. John did nail some aspects, which makes sense given that Carol is his actual mother, and he earned the trust of several players, keeping him around.
Emma Bunton & Mel B (Jared) - Season 4
Fans of The Circle were blown away by the season 4 trailer when they learned that two of the Spice Girls were going to be part of it. Emma Bunton and Mel B, better known as Baby and Scary Spice, were added in another great twist on the show, hoping to bump up the winner's pot at the end of the show.
They were tasked with playing as someone they weren't prepared for and convincing everyone that they were real. They played so well that they weren't picked as catfish and they were able to get the eventual winner an additional $50,000, proving their worth as catfish.
Alex Brizard (Nathan) - Season 4
Coming into The Circle, Alex had a pretty smart strategy. He played as Nathan, a young frat boy who could bond with the guys and flirt with the girls. He set up an intricate board to help understand his fellow players and he came prepared with notes.
Alas, he nearly blew it when he struggled on a golf question that anyone who plays would know. Players were still shocked when his true identity was revealed, especially after he forged friendships with Bru and Yu Ling.
Jack Atkins & Lisa Delcampo (John) – Season 2
After being blocked, Jack and Lisa both got a second chance to play The Circle by teaming up as John, an older man. They worked well together playing as the mystery man, using Jack's grandfather as a model for the fake character and using details from both of their lives to create a believable backstory.
They added some twists to John so he could relate to other players, including making him from West Virginia, gay, and a part-time Santa (although the show listed psychic as John's primary profession). It was near impossible for the other players to dislike John after reading his profile and seeing his happy, smiling profile photo.
