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After only four episodes, fans already love the new cast of Netflix‘s The Circle Season 5. And the eclectic group will only get even better when Shubham Goel enters The Circle in the next set of episodes. But will he be playing the game as himself? Or will Shubham, aka “Shooby,” have to conceal his true identity from the other contestants?

Shubham Goel, who stars in 'The Circle' Season 5 on Netflix, wears an orange shirt.
Shubham Goel | Netflix

Shubham Goel previously played as himself in ‘The Circle’ Season 1

As The Circle fans know, Shubham first appeared in the show during season 1. He was one of the original players, and although he placed last in the first rankings, Shooby’s popularity would soon skyrocket.

For the following four rankings, Shubham was an influencer. The other contestants’ votes earned him first place two times and second place two times. For the second to last rating, Shubham came in second place again, securing his spot in the finale.

Sadly for Shooby, Joey Sasso had a slight edge over him. Joey came in first place during the final rating, making him the winner of The Circle Season 1. Meanwhile, Shubham fell just short of the $100,000 grand prize and came in second place, making him the runner-up.

Viewers saw a tease of Shubham’s return to the show at the end of The Circle Season 5 Episode 4. He will officially join Raven Sutton, Chaz Lawery, Marvin Achi, Sam Carmona, Tom Houghton, Billie-Jean Blackett as “Bruno,” and Brett Robinson and Xanthi Perdikomatis as “Jennifer” in the game in episode 5. But who will Shubham be playing as?

Shubham will play as a catfish in ‘The Circle’ Season 5

During an interview with E! Insider, Sam and Shubham shared how they felt about being on the first season of The Circle, which featured only single people (or individuals who lied about being in a relationship).

“Going into it, I was very transparent in my bio,” Sam explained. “I said, ‘My love life is a s*** show.’ The only issue I had is that the options that I had were way too pretty for me. I like my men with dad bods and insecurities. Like Marvin was gorgeous! I was like, ‘Oh no. You’re too pretty for me. You have all of your teeth. No, I can’t do it.'”

She continued, “So when the game started to roll out and I kind of caught wind, like, ‘Oh, OK. [An all-singles season] is what they are doing. How can I be a part of it while staying far away from it at the same time?'”

Shubham added, “When I was in The Circle, I definitely caught wind of Marvin and a few other people on the flirt train. But I think I was nervous as a girl to flirt. So maybe I tried to, like Sam, stay a little away. But I was always open to it.”

Based on his answer, it’s safe to say that Shubham will catfish as a girl in The Circle Season 5. It made sense for him to disguise himself since the other players would have undoubtedly recognized him. But we’ll just have to wait to learn more about Shooby’s new identity.

Related

‘The Circle’ Season 5: Who Is Raven Sutton?

When do new episodes of ‘The Circle’ come out?

The first four episodes of The Circle Season 5, which only briefly show Shubham, are now streaming on Netflix. But when can fans expect to see more of this season?

The episode release schedule for The Circle Season 5 is as follows:

  • Week 1, Episodes 1-4: Dec. 28
  • Week 2, Episodes 5-8: Jan. 4
  • Week 3, Episodes 9-12: Jan. 11
  • Week 4, Episode 13, the finale: Jan. 18

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