Why was The Circle cancelled? Channel 4 boss reveal motivation behind controversial axe

Emma Willis hosted the show from 2018 until earlier this year (Picture: Studio Lambert)

It was one of the most inventive reality shows on telly, with a dedicated fan base and an ingenious premise – so why was The Circle cancelled? 

Channel 4 announced that the series was being dropped after three series back in May, much to the dismay of viewers. 

The Circle, hosted by Emma Willis, launched in 2018 and mixed social media with reality TV, with contestants hoping to win the top prize of £100,000 by playing as themselves or by posing as someone else – a catfish.

The news of its cancellation at Channel 4 came as a surprise, especially as its ratings continued to improve. Its third series, which was won by catfish Natalya Platonova, pulled in an average seven-day audience of 1.3million viewers, up from the 1.2million who tuned into series two in 2019. 

Now, Chief Content Officer at Channel 4 Ian Katz has spoken about the broadcaster’s decision making process.

Speaking at The Edinburgh International Television Festival, he said that the channel went in a different direction as it took up a ‘big chunk of our schedule’.

The show could still have a future on streaming platforms (Picture: Studio Lambert)

‘It was a terrific show for us. A hugely entertaining, compulsive show. But it was a big chunk of our schedule and we decided to try something new,’ he said.

While fans were understandably disappointed, there could yet be hope for the programme as Netflix was said to be in talks to pick up the UK edition earlier this year. 

More: Channel 4

Studio Lambert chief executive Stephen Lambert has stressed the company is in talks with Netflix about the future of The Circle where the streaming giant is home to The Circle US, which has already been commissioned for a third series.

‘We are grateful to Channel 4 for all they did to help launch this innovative and entertaining format,’ said Lambert. 

The Circle is available to stream on All 4.

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