Chloe Veitch went from the tropical paradise of Too Hot To Handle to lounging on her couch in The Circle. Shubham Goel was her favorite player from Season 1, which says a lot about her own role in Netflix's newest season.
The fan-favorite of Netflix's hit competition reality show knows how to keep us entertained with her unique strategy and sense of humor. She exclusively told TheThings about her personal reflections.
'The Circle' Compared To 'THTH'
How did you prepare for 'The Circle' differently than 'Too Hot To Handle?'
"To be honest, I didn't really prepare. With 'THTH' it's completely different. I had months, I knew that I was practically going to go on 'THTH.' We were having serious meetings, I was going to London and talking to the execs, doing psych tests. But with 'The Circle' it was like, we want you to go on 'The Circle' and you've got two weeks."
What was going on in your mind during those days leading up to, then walking into your room?
"The days leading up to it I was just really panicking. You're in a room on your own. You've got no one else to bounce off of and I thought, 'Am I enough?'...I just think my insecurities started to come into play a little bit and I just thought oh my God, this is so surreal!"
Veitch noted that while those worries arose early on in the process, she felt a sense of assurance once she opened the door of her colorful apartment that we see onscreen.
Talking To 'The Circle'
Did it feel weird saying stuff out loud, what's in your head and what you want to message? How long did that take to get used to?
"I think it took a few days. It takes ages to send a message because it has to be punctual. The exclamation points and dots need to be put in the right places. Then you have to wait for the other person to think of a reply, say the reply, then send it. So it's a lengthy process."
It looks like it's so off-the-cuff. How much time do you think between you sending a text do you wait for someone to reply?
"I would say twenty minutes. Then you've got to think of a reply. Everything you want to say, you just want to speak and get everything out. You can't because they have to answer one question at a time. You then have to cut what you've said in half, send that as a first message, and then follow that up with a second message. It's crazy."
Scoping Out The Catfishes
Is there anything you noticed in Emily's messages before the whole makeup scenario that you picked up on and you were like, is she a college girl or a catfish?
"To be honest I think it was her being really submissive in her answers. Every time we would try and have a conversation I would ask her opinion. She just wasn't giving me anything so I thought..."
"I had no doubts that she was who she said she was. I thought she was Emily. I think that's just my naivety though. I thought everyone was real! Then when I see, oh wow they're catfishes, that was crazy."
When later discussing her alliances, the unicorn-loving gameplayer that fixating on exposing the catfishes ruins your game. It's not about who's pretending to be someone else, but instead about creating relationships that will back you up in rankings.
Even with Trevor, you had no inkling?
"I did at the beginning. At the beginning, he was playing on the single dad part a bit too early. He's definitely trying to pull over some heartstrings."
"Then I thought with Deleesa, which is 'Trevor,' won the challenge that she kind of guessed Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen. I thought it's definitely Trevor. From then on I just knew, he is real."
She assumed the best in the other players, which undoubtedly worked out in her favor. The reality television local used kindness as her greatest strength in The Circle. She did, however, have solid opinions on who she ended up viewing as the most and least genuine.
Reevaluating Alliances
Who would you say out of your alliances are the most genuine and who was the shadiest, or that you couldn't trust them?
"I would have said River (as) the most genuine. But I watched the episodes yesterday and he said when he was voting as the secret influencer, he mentioned my name. So I was like, 'No! Okay, he's definitely playing the game.' So I would say the most genuine would be Trevor."
"The most disingenuous and the game player would be Courtney. I mean he played that game. He did a really good job and I love him. I still talk to him now but he would do anything. He would step on anyone."
Do you still talk to anyone else from the show?
"Ya, Mitchell! He's my favorite. I talk to him all the time."
Behind-The-Scenes
What do you do with all of your extra time?
"You're just waiting. Waiting around, cooking, cleaning, sitting down."
Did they tell you to go into different rooms? Like if someone was 'working out', were they actually working out?
"Ya! We got told that we have other places to go. We had the hot tub, the gym, the yoga room and to be honest I only went out once. That was to the gym and I didn't really...I was sitting on the bouncy ball and I wasn't even working out properly. I was just bored."
Did you get cabin fever and just get too zoned into the game?
"You start investing yourself too much into the game. It starts to send you a little bit loopy. Then you kind of have to take a step back and think, 'Oh my God, it's just a game.' Enjoy the process because before you know it it's going to be over."
We've loved Veitch's positive energy throughout it. She truly kept in mind that everyone's a human and you don't want to hurt someone's feelings too bad. While it's a high-stakes competition with $100,000 on the line, she kept real connections at the forefront of her approach.
Staying Out Of The Drama
If you want to speak on the Savannah and Terilisha drama, after seeing all of the episodes come to light are you on one 'team' or the other?
"I'm not choosing a side. I think it was more Savannah that wanted me to go but that's only because she knew that she could save me in the first round and I'd be gunning for her. She made the right choice because I would've and I did."
"I did kick her out, but ya. I'm not on any side. There shouldn't be arguments. It's a game and I just feel like the girls have gotten so wrapped up in who said what. They just need to let bygones be bygones."
The importance of remembering that at the end of the day, there's a world outside of The Circle has kept her grounded.
We noticed that the true bonds she invested herself into created a lasting effect. When she was voted the most popular player time and time again, the message hit home.
What was the most rewarding part? We actually saw you tear up in one of the episodes that you were able to be yourself completely and people appreciated that.
"When I was younger I never fit in. Never. I was always bullied, I was always the outcast, I was always the weirdo. No one ever wanted to talk to me. It went from eating lunch in the toilets to being on 'The Circle' playing myself and being the most popular."
"It really touched me and I just thought all these years I've been putting myself down for thinking I'm not good enough. I am and it's not me being egotistical or big-headed. I actually am enough."
Do you think that goes into how kind you are to other people, that you know what it's like to be on the other end of that?
"A hundred percent, definitely. I'll never forget where I come from. I'll always be me, always be humble. I would never think I'm better than anyone else just because I've been on a couple of TV shows. Everyone has their own path of life and I've just been extremely blessed. I think being a nice person will get you far in life."
