THE CIRCLE: EPISODE 9 PREVIEW

Following the last few days of events, Gemma (James) wants to clear the air with Andy and starts a private chat. After Andy sussed that Gemma was not telling the truth about the football chat she had with Billy, Andy has been feeling doubts towards her. He says: “I hate the idea of being duped. I accept it’s a game, but if I can make her say ‘honestly, I’m not catfishing’ and she is, it’s on her and not me”

Andy approaches the topic directly, asking Gemma, “no judgement here, you would tell me if you were catfishing me, wouldn’t you?”. Gemma (James) is momentarily stunned and considers how best to respond. James jokes to himself, “He’s gonna get a shock when I rock up with two bulldogs and a penis”

The Circle gives the players paints and a canvas to create artworks of each other anonymously. Syed (Hashu) paints Manrika, Manrika paints Gemma, Gemma (James) paints Felix, Felix (Natalya) paints Dorothy, Dorothy (Scott) paints Tally, Tally paints Andy, Andy paints Vithun and Vithun paints Syed.

The players each have half an hour to paint their masterpieces before presenting them anonymously in Circle Chat.

Gemma’s (James’s) portrait of Felix presents him as a topless, parachuting flirt, with a caption “I will pump anything”. Manrika is unimpressed and challenges the artist to speak up. Elsewhere, Vithun’s painting suggests that Syed is a catfish, which Syed (Hashu) picks up on. He jokes in response “Very funny. If I was catfish, I would come in as a model or the bodybuilder”.

Dorothy’s (Scott’s) painting of Tally includes “#fishy”, but Tally is unimpressed. Believing that it’s Felix behind the painting, she sends a message to the group saying “this is definitely a boy’s painting”.

After succeeding in her assassin mission, Gemma (James) is immune from the ratings but can rate. Manrika’s loyalties are divided between her Circle boyfriend Felix (Natalya) and her geezer gal pal Tally. And when the ratings results are revealed, The Circle has a surprise the players weren’t expecting…