8 Rules You Didn’t Know “The Circle” Contestants Have to Follow

Producers keep 'The Circle' contestants in complete isolation by enforcing these rules

Being a contestant on The Circle is like being on a deserted island or “prison” as U.S. season 2 player Chloe Veitch described it.

In pursuit of the $100,000 grand prize, contestants move into separate apartments within the same building. They’re in complete isolation for the entirety of the game, where the objective is to gain popularity on a social media platform called The Circle.

Contestants, who either choose to compete as themselves or pretend they are somebody else, only communicate via text chats and photos. As alliances and friendships form, players rate one another. Those with the lowest ratings are eliminated or “blocked.”

The Circle started as a British TV show in 2018 and has since expanded to the United States, Brazil and France. Between franchises, the parameters of the show vary slightly, but in general, contestants all agree to wear a microphone and be filmed constantly as they try to ascend The Circle's popularity ladder.

Here are all The Circle rules, including the guidelines that help producers keep the contestants successfully sequestered.

Players cannot chat with each other overnight

While it may look like players are communicating at all hours of the day and night, producers do turn off the chat function when it’s time for bed.

“We had to allow for people to sleep, so chats were regulated. We couldn’t chance bugging people during their beauty sleep!” executive producer Tim Harcourt told Decider in 2020.

Contestants can’t leave their apartments without permission (or supervision)

Players spend most of their time in their separate apartments. However, they are each allotted time to visit the building’s gym and rooftop. According to Harcourt, production’s “air traffic controller” ensures that only one player is moving around the complex at a time.

Contestants are not allowed to leave the building.

Players must wear earplugs when outside of their rooms

The player’s apartments are soundproof and there is an empty unit between each player to serve as a noise buffer. However, while moving throughout the building, players must also wear earplugs.

“When you’re moved to the roof or to the gym, you put earplugs in and then earmuffs on top of those earplugs so you can’t hear a thing,” U.K. season 1 contestant Alex Hobern said on his YouTube channel.

Players are not allowed to watch TV or use their phones

Similar to most reality shows, The Circle contestants are not allowed to have any contact with the outside world — this means no TV and they can’t use their personal cellphones.

To combat boredom, players are allowed to bring books and other activities, such as puzzles and crosswords.

Players must accept messages from competitors no matter what

Contestants aren’t allowed to ignore or decline another player’s chat request. According to Hobern, this is somewhat of an unwritten rule.

“It’s a popularity contest at the end of the day. If you start rejecting people’s chats you’re not going to be popular,” he shared. “And also, you’re just going to be sat there doing nothing, so you might as well chat to them.”

Blocked players don’t go home immediately

After a contestant is “blocked” from the game, they must remain isolated in their apartment until finale night with no access to The Circle, according to U.S. season 4 players John Franklin and Rachel Evans, who spoke to Distractify in 2022.

Eliminated players are then allowed to join their fellow contestants at the rooftop ceremony, which takes place during the last episode.

Players have to cook for themselves

Aside from the occasional pizza delivery, contestants are responsible for making their own meals. Players make grocery lists almost daily and production stocks their apartment fridges.

“I always remember Dan from series one used to make the most amazing meals. He was like hollowing out pineapples and then other players sat there with a pot noodle,” executive producer Toni Ireland told RadioTimes.com in 2021. “I love this sort of window into people’s lives. Some do a roast dinner on a Sunday, and then you had Billy who couldn’t even turn on the oven."

Contestants get one day off a week

While speaking with RadioTimes.com, Harcourt revealed that contestants get one “down day” a week.

“We make sure they get a day where they’re not on camera. The game just stops, like half time in a football match and most of them spend the day eating takeaway, watching Netflix or having a nap. We don’t let them watch the outside world like the news or anything,” he told the outlet. “That’s the closest it sort of gets to normal life in there.”

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