The winner\u2019s circle! Champions of Netflix\u2019s The Circle<\/em><\/a> have been outsmarting, outcharming and outranking the competition since the show premiered in 2020.<\/p>\n While living in isolation, contestants on the reality competition series<\/a> communicate with other players via \u201ccircle chat\u201d and attempt to get to know each other based on social media profiles. To become a finalist, participants must survive a series of \u201cblockings\u201d while trying to discover who among them is authentic \u2014 and who is a catfish.<\/p>\n Frank Grimsley<\/strong><\/a>, who became the season 4 winner in May 2022, always knew that he had the chops to be the last player standing.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that I am not like anybody else in this world. I knew that I could not only play the game, I knew that I could win the game. And I felt like I could do that by genuinely just being my authentic self<\/a>,\u201d the licensed therapist told Parade<\/em> <\/a>after his victory. Grimsley also explained why he was never tempted by the idea of playing as a catfish.<\/p>\n \u201cI really wanted to show little fat boys<\/a>, little fat girls, and other men and women of big size. I really wanted to show that we could get into these spaces and be just as popular. I think growing up, I had this idea that you\u2019ve got to have washboard abs to be popular,\u201d the Maryland native said.<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cYou never really see somebody my size being in a space and not only occupying it but owning it<\/a>. Because I believe every space I walk into, I own it. That\u2019s why I feel like my confidence is so high. So, I think I had to show not only that I knew that I could do it, but I had to show the world that I could be in these spaces, and I could be most popular, and I could win this game by being fat and Black.\u201d<\/p>\n Season 2 winner DeLeesa St. Agathe<\/strong>, for her part, took a different approach, choosing to play as Trevor \u2014 a single version of her real-life husband<\/a> \u2014 rather than herself. Although the New York native concealed her true identity on The Circle<\/em>, her advice to other catfishes on the show is to be authentic whenever possible<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs much as you can, be yourself! You don\u2019t need to lie and pretend to be this whole entire persona. When people read your messages, they connect with you when you are being genuine,\u201d she told Bustle<\/em><\/a> after her May 2021 win. \u201cI see a lot of comments where people are like, \u2018I don\u2019t want to root for catfish. I want a real person to win.\u2019 We are real people. We\u2019re all playing a game.\u201d<\/p>\n Scroll through to see what the Circle<\/em> winners are up to now:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of DeLeesa St. Agathe\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The winner\u2019s circle! Champions of Netflix’s The Circle<\/em><\/a> have been outsmarting, outcharming and outranking the competition since the show premiered in 2020.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Joey Sasso\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The New York native may have been a flirt during The Circle<\/em>\u2019s debut season in January 2020, but he was also a loyal player, forming tight bonds with fellow contestants Shubham “Shooby” Goel<\/strong> and Sammie Cimarelli<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n Nowadays, the bartender creates social media content for TikTok and Instagram. In May 2022, he made a cameo in the Peacock series Girls5Eva<\/em>. He\u2019s also still close friends with Goel, the runner-up from his season.<\/p>\n \u201cYears later me and my little Shooby snack are still going strong. Love you bro @shunham_goell,\u201d he captioned an Instagram video of him and his fellow Netflix personality in November 2022.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of DeLeesa St. Agathe\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n The Circle<\/em> winner found out that she was expecting baby No. 2 with her husband, Trevor St. Agathe<\/strong>, while on the show.<\/p>\n \u201cEven [after the positive pregnancy test], I tried to push it to the back of my head because I needed to focus on the game,\u201d she told Insider<\/em><\/a> in May 2021. \u201cI was like, \u2018I can’t have this take away from my game because now \u2014 especially at this point \u2014 the game is everything.\u2019 The game was everything, but now it’s everything times two.\u201d<\/p>\n DeLeesa lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with Trevor and their daughters: Tori, 18 months, and Toni, 3. She used her reality TV show winnings to help buy their first family home.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trevor, for his part, had his own stint on the Circle<\/em> in season 4, placing 2nd after playing as Imani, his wife’s friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of James Andre Jefferson Jr.\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Jefferson became the first late addition to circle chat to win the competition in September 2021. He married his longtime girlfriend, Brittany Jefferson<\/strong>, in August 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n In addition to pursuing standup comedy, the California native hosts his own podcast, \u201cThe James Andre Jefferson Jr. Show.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy of Frank Grimsley\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Along with his work as a school social worker, Grimsley is also a content creator for the New York City DMV, according to his Instagram bio.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCredit:<\/em> Courtesy Sam Carmona\/Instagram\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Carmona started off the fifth season in last place after the first rankings, but ended up claiming the cash prize in the end.<\/p>\n “[The first ratings] definitely lit a fire. In my real life, I’ve never been one to brown nose or kiss ass,” Carmona explained to Entertainment Weekly<\/em><\/a> following the January 2023 finale. “If I meet someone and they don’t like me, that’s it. I don’t ever have to speak to you again. I can completely detach. But when you’re in the game and being liked is a part of the game, it’s like, ‘Damn, now I’ve got to be nice. I’ve got to be fake. I’ve got to tell somebody I like their shoes when their shoes are crap.’ It was a mental battle within myself.”<\/p>\n The New York native currently creates videos on TikTok and has more than 700K followers on the platform.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\u2018The Circle\u2019 Winners: Where Are They Now? Frank Grimsley, DeLeesa St. Agathe and More<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n
\nWhile living in isolation, contestants on the reality competition series<\/a> communicate with other players via \u201ccircle chat\u201d and attempt to get to know each other based on social media profiles. To become a finalist, participants must survive a series of “blockings” while trying to discover who among them is authentic \u2014 and who is a catfish.
\n
\nFrank Grimsley<\/strong><\/a>, who became the season 4 winner in May 2022, always knew that he had the chops to be the last player standing.
\n
\n\u201cI think that I am not like anybody else in this world. I knew that I could not only play the game, I knew that I could win the game. And I felt like I could do that by genuinely just being my authentic self<\/a>,\u201d the licensed therapist told Parade<\/em> <\/a>after his victory. Grimsley also explained why he was never tempted by the idea of playing as a catfish.
\n
\n[jwplayer PE0Jtj9p-zhNYySv2]
\n
\n\u201cI really wanted to show little fat boys<\/a>, little fat girls, and other men and women of big size. I really wanted to show that we could get into these spaces and be just as popular. I think growing up, I had this idea that you’ve got to have washboard abs to be popular,\u201d the Maryland native said.
\n
\nHe continued: \u201cYou never really see somebody my size being in a space and not only occupying it but owning it<\/a>. Because I believe every space I walk into, I own it. That’s why I feel like my confidence is so high. So, I think I had to show not only that I knew that I could do it, but I had to show the world that I could be in these spaces, and I could be most popular, and I could win this game by being fat and Black.\u201d
\n
\nSeason 2 winner DeLeesa St. Agathe<\/strong>, for her part, took a different approach, choosing to play as Trevor \u2014 a single version of her real-life husband<\/a> \u2014 rather than herself. Although the New York native concealed her true identity on The Circle<\/em>, her advice to other catfishes on the show is to be authentic whenever possible<\/a>.
\n
\n\u201cAs much as you can, be yourself! You don’t need to lie and pretend to be this whole entire persona. When people read your messages, they connect with you when you are being genuine,\u201d she told Bustle<\/em><\/a> after her May 2021 win. \u201cI see a lot of comments where people are like, \u2018I don’t want to root for catfish. I want a real person to win.\u2019 We are real people. We’re all playing a game.\u201d
\n
\nScroll through to see what the Circle<\/em> winners are up to now:<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Gallery:](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Circle-Winners-Where-Are-They-Now-000014331.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Joey")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nJoey Sasso \u2014 Season 1<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Gallery:](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Circle-Winners-Where-Are-They-Now-0000143.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"DeLeesa")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nDeLeesa St. Agathe as ‘Trevor’ \u2014 Season 2<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Gallery:](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Circle-Winners-Where-Are-They-Now-000014.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"James")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nJames Andre Jefferson Jr. \u2014 Season 3<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"Gallery:](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/The-Circle-Winners-Where-Are-They-Now-00001.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Frank")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nFrank Grimsley \u2014 Season 4<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/The-Circle-Winners-Where-Are-They-Now-1.jpg?w=800&quality=86&strip=all\" "\\"Sam")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nSam Carmona \u2014 Season 5<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n