The Circle series 3 and Celebrity special to air in 2021 on Channel 4

The Circle will be back for a third series AND a Celebrity special in 2021.

The hit reality show, which first aired in 2018, will be back very soon on Channel 4 after taking a break last year.

The Circle will return with a third series alongside an additional celebrity series, The Celebrity Circle, as part of the Stand Up To Cancer campaign.

It will start with the Celebrity special, airing for six episodes from Tuesday, 9 March at 9:15PM on Channel 4.

The line up for The Celebrity Circle was previously revealed ahead of it starting on TV.

Meanwhile Emma Willis is back to host with comedian Sophie Willan resuming her role as the inimitable voiceover.

In The Circle, contestants reside separately in their own apartments, with cameras watching their every move.

Never meeting one another in person, the only way they can communicate with each other is through the titular Circle, a voice-activated social network.

Players can choose to be whomever they think will make them most popular with other players, regularly rating one another with the least popular contestants being eliminated.

The next series will be pre-recorded without an audience or live shows due to current filming restrictions.

Presenter Emma Willis said: “The Circle is just brilliant, unmissable television. I loved every minute of being a part of it and I’m delighted to be returning to it for another series where I’ll be right at the centre of all the mischief and drama!

“To add to that, we’re also doing a celeb version – I can’t wait to see who’ll be in the line-up and whether they’ll play as themselves or as another celebrity, it’s going to be incredible.”​

Gilly Greenslade, who commissioned all three series for Channel 4 said: “When we were developing the series three years ago, I knew it would reflect how we live but I never expected it to be quite so prophetic.

“Now many more of us have had a taste of living our lives isolated and online, I am excited to see the strategies and tactics that the new players bring to the game.

“I hope that this show will bring some much-needed joy and hilarity to our TV screens.”

The Circle and The Celebrity Circle for Stand Up To Cancer will air on TV in 2021.