The Circle, Netflix’s renowned reality TV program, will return for a new season in less than a week. But there’s a new twist: To advance to the grand finals, candidates must either be single or catfish their way into convincing others that they’re single. This season has officially been titled The Circle: Singles and the only two requirements are that you be single or appear to be single and that you are not romantically linked with anybody. While the series boasts a slew of new contenders, one original cast member from season one is returning to try her luck at reclaiming the championship. Shubam Goel, a fan-favorite competitor, made it to the season one conclusion of The Circle, came close to winning and finished as the runner-up.
The official summary for Season 5 of The Circle is as follows:
“The Circle: Singles, the next season of the reality show, will follow contestants who claim to be romantically available as they compete for popularity with their secluded co-stars. Some of these participants will be speaking the truth, while others will be catfishing as a singleton in order to win Season 5’s cash prize.”
It goes on:
“Shubham “Shubi” Goel, who excelled in Season 1 of The Circle, will be one of those game participants. Expect more flirtation, turmoil, and shocks as these singles compete for the title of top influencer.”
With just a few weeks till the season’s debut, here’s everything you need to know about Shubham Goel.
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Shubham Goel of The Circle works for eBay as a project manager.
Shubham was a popular favorite from the first season. He is originally from Danville, California, and presently works for eBay as a project manager. Prior to this, he worked as a software developer at the iERP Company, which he co-founded. Following his involvement in the Netflix program, he garnered a large number of social media followers, often sharing material. On TikTok, he has over 380k followers. Shubham keeps his followers engaged and amused by releasing material regarding his time on the program as well as stupid comedic acts.
Shubham granted an exclusive interview to TIME after his stint on the reality TV series, in which he revealed what prompted him to go on the show. He revealed:
“When my buddies showed me the flier, I thought the idea was fascinating. A gathering of strangers from many walks of life talking on a social media site, hoping to connect while others try to catfish? This is the reality we live in right now.”
He continued:
“There is nothing else that really portrays the reality we live in. So I figured if I come in here and speak about my thoughts on social media and attempt to make genuine connections with people, I’ll be able to see how it goes. It seemed like a decent proving ground.”
