Michelle Buteau, who hosted The Circle’s U.S. run on Netflix for all seven seasons from 2020 through 2024, reacted to the show’s move to Hulu—confirming she won’t be returning as host as the series gets reimagined with civilians and celebrities.
Michelle Buteau didn’t dodge the question on Sunday.
During her appearance on the June 21 episode of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, the 48-year-old comedian was asked about major news for The Circle. She hosted all seven seasons of the Netflix reality competition series from 2020 through 2024, and the show has been on break since then.
Now Hulu has picked up the show for a new version. The plan is to bring everyday competitors and celebrity contestants together in the same game. with a new audience voting component included for the first time in the U.S. The format will be “reimagined” as a “fast-turnaround” social experiment set in real time.
Buteau said she was happy the series found a new home. calling it “a great show.” She then made it clear she wasn’t coming back. “I hosted the U.S. version. the longest-running version for seven seasons. and I put my foot in it. my back. my back fat. my right titty. I put all the stuff in it. But. they’re not going to go through with me being the host and so I say. good luck. bless up. I hope you have fun putting a square in the circle. ” she said on Watch What Happens Live.
The new Hulu version will keep the basic premise that separates players while forcing them to adapt. Contestants will move into separate apartments in the same building and be kept isolated from one another. They’ll be limited to communicating through a specific app using text and photos. with players able to choose to compete as themselves or as someone else.
The shift from Netflix to Hulu is also paired with a new way for viewers to weigh in, including audience voting for the first time in the U.S., while the “fast-turnaround” and real-time setup promises a different pace for the game.
For Buteau, though, the clearest takeaway was personal: she brought the show through seven seasons, and she’s cheering for it from the outside now. “Good luck,” she said—then added a line that matched the show’s premise, “I hope you have fun putting a square in the circle.”
Michelle Buteau The Circle Hulu Netflix Watch What Happens Live Bravo celebrity contestants audience voting reality competition