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When Taylor Swift premiered her newest music video for her song "Fortnight," many were shocked to see actors Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles from the film Dead Poets Society make a surprise appearance.

Now, Charles is talking about his experience filming the music video, praising Swift as his "favorite kind of director." The actor sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to answer all his questions about the project and Swift, including, "How is Taylor Swift as a director?"

"I will tell you this," he began. "She's an incredible director, my favorite kind of director, because she knows what she wants, and when she's got it...we move on." 

Charles went even further in his praise for her, adding, "I was already a fan of her music, but if any of you ever get to meet her, like, your fandom for her will just go up through the roof. She's just such a genuine, cool, approachable person." 

Both Charles and Hawke played the role of doctors in a Frankenstein-esque situation in the "Fortnight" music video, running tests on Swift. The two's appearance is a reference to the album title, The Tortured Poets Department, and its similarity to the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. 

This also isn't Swift's first time behind the camera, with her journey as director starting when she co-directed her music video "Mine" with Roman White in 2010. She then co-directed the music videos for "Me!", "Lover," and "You Need to Calm Down," before taking the lead for the first time on "The Man."

Swift went on to direct the music videos for "Cardigan" and "Willow" before making a big leap as she helmed All Too Well: The Short Film, starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. Swift is reportedly planning to make her directorial film debut soon, although there haven't been any updates of late. 

Next, Josh Charles on Keeping Taylor Swift Music Video Cameo a Secret: "I Didn't Even Tell My Kids"

The days of weekend barbecues are almost here, and what's a cookout without a nice, creamy potato salad? It will be a favorite among your guests, so make sure you have enough for them to pile high on their plates. Use our guidelines below to determine how much potato salad per person you'll need to go around at your barbecue.

How Much Potato Salad to Make Per Person for Your BBQ

If you are making homemade potato salad from scratch, you can figure that each person will eat 1/2 cup of potato salad. Here's how much you will need to make, based on these guidelines:

4 people –  2 cups
6 people – 3 cups
12 people – 6 cups
20 people – 10 cups

Related: 30 Memorial Day Picnic Salads To Make For Your Family

How Many Pounds of Potato Salad to Buy Per Person for Your BBQ

If you are buying potato salad ready-made, the measurements won't be so exact, and you'll probably end up with a little extra. A good rule of thumb to know is that a quart of potato salad will typically feed 6 to 8 people. 

A standard serving size person is about /2 cup of potato salad. With all that being said, here's how many pounds of potato salad you'll need to purchase to feed your:

4 people –  1 pound
6 people – 2 pounds
12 people – 3 pounds
20 people – 5 pounds

Happy grilling!

More Potato Salad Recipes:

• Best No-Mayo Potato Salad Recipes
• Slow Cooker Deviled Egg Potato Salad
• Fall Potato Salad
• Grilled Sweet Potato Salad
• Martha Stewart's Potato Salad
• Kimchi Potato Salad
• Red Potato Salad

Up next: I Tried Patti LaBelle's Famous Fried Chicken Recipe

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This Mother’s Day, there are plenty of exciting deals not only on flowers and fashion—but on personal care items that Mom will actually use (and love) as well. One of the most thoughtful gifts you can give this year? A sleek, ultra-powerful electric toothbrush that’s sure to make a difference in her daily routine.

Many dentists are fans of electronic brushes because they get rid of plaque up to 11-21% more effectively than a manual toothbrush. However, because some options on the market are either affordable, but lack power or a lasting charge, or have plenty of power but are pricey (Sonicare has models reaching up to $330, for example), it’s understandable that consumers are left wondering if there is an affordable, high-quality alternative. That’s where Laifen comes in.

Courtesy Laifen

Laifen launched in 2019, creating products with innovative technology. The company started with its first fast-dry hairdryer (with an improved design in its line of Laifen High-Speed Hair Dryers) and continues to make accessories to help people’s everyday lives, including the Laifen Wave Electric Toothbrush, which offers a 60° oscillation range and a high-frequency mode capable of producing 66,000 vibrations per minute for higher cleaning efficiency, starting at a reasonable $69.99 price point.

And consumers are singing its praises. One Amazon shopper wrote that Laifen’s Wave Toothbrush is an “upgrade from [Sonicare],” referring to the Philips Sonicare line of brushes.

“I finally replaced my Sonicare [sic] toothbrush,” they wrote. “I like the size of this better and the brush works really well. It comes with three different brush heads that focus on different tasks and the brush has three different modes. I think it’s a real upgrade and a good price!”

The Wave comes with three different modes and the Laifen app allows users to adjust their brushing modes across 3 settings and 10 intensities for a personalized brushing experience.

Courtesy Laifen

Another bonus? Its seamless build has no gaps for dirt and toothpaste to accumulate in and is key to its IPX7 waterproof rating.

The Wave features a magnetic charging method that can fully charge the device in only 2.5 hours for up to 30 days of use. This charging method is also seamless, meaning there are no holes or gaps for debris to get stuck in.

Another buyer wrote that this single-piece design toothbrush with antibacterial brush heads is a major upgrade from regular toothbrushes.

“I've been using this for a week now, and every time, it feels like I've just come back from the dentist,” they said.

Courtesy Laifen

The Laifen Wave Toothbrush starts at $69.99 for its ABS plastic model, $79.99 for its aluminum alloy option and $99.99 for the stainless steel Wave.

Shop the Laifen Wave

• Available on Laifen’s site
• Available on Amazon

Apart from the Laifen Wave, Laifen high-speed hair dryers are also truly unique and practical gifts to take mum’s self-care up a notch. Laifen hair dryers combine strong airflow with Smart Temperature Control and ionic technology in a lightweight design, which dries hair at least 5x faster than traditional dryers while protecting hair and scalp and adding shine.

Shop Laifen Hair Dryers

• Available on Laifen’s site
• Available on Amazon

Courtesy Laifen

Courtesy Laifen

Interested? Great timing—there is a Mother’s Day sale going on from now through May 14 on Laifen’s Wave Toothbrush and high-speed hair dryers (also available on Amazon), so you can get 15% off on these useful, yet luxe everyday essentials. 

Travis Kelce is continuing his foray into Hollywood, as promised, diving in head first with a guest spot on Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie.

We don't know much about the series yet, beyond its classification as a horror drama, but we do know that Kelce's time on set seems to have already come and gone, with costar Niecy Nash uploading several clips with him to her Instagram Stories after the news of his involvement broke on May 7. 

In one clip, which she captioned "That's a wrap!" he expressed his relief over making it through, telling her, "I'm just glad I didn't hurt nobody!"

In another, he warned fans to "buckle up," but not everybody was sold on the casting choice.  

“This guy” 😂😂@tkelce @NiecyNash pic.twitter.com/kDQsnvm8gU

— Travis Kelce Fan Page (@traviskelce_fan) May 8, 2024

Critics responded to Variety's announcement of the casting, with several calling him a "nepotism boyfriend" or similar variation, seemingly forgetting that, despite Swifties' senses of humor, Taylor Swift did not, in fact, put the Chiefs legend "on the map." 

Kelce and his managers, whom he's known since college, have a long-standing and "carefully manicured" business plan that has always been pointing him toward the entertainment industry, with the crew ultimately accepting the offer for his dating series Catching Kelce with the ideation that it could open other doors. 

Reality TV was no end game, and he spent several years campaigning for a slot on Saturday Night Live, eventually coming face-to-face with Lorne Michaels. Just after beating his brother Jason in the 2023 Super Bowl, he fulfilled his childhood dream of hosting and came back for a brief cameo with his girlfriend later that year. 

One fan pointed this out to those accusing him of using her to land new gigs, writing, "He signed on to do a lot of this stuff before Taylor though especially the game show. He did a great job on SNL. What is the issue?"

"Was booked and busy before he even shot his shot with Taylor," someone else clapped back. "Extra spot light didn’t hurt, but he was already making serious moves."

"Of cause he's booked and busy," wrote another. "He has the face, the charisma, the personality, AND the talent. Trav is going to crush it."

Next: Why Travis Kelce's Managers Worry He's Getting Too Famous Amid Taylor Swift Romance

A fudgy brownie is one of life's simple pleasures, but making the platonic ideal of the perfect brownie isn't. I should know, I've whisked my through many recipes all claiming to be the "best fudgy brownie" but most of them let me down.

Related: I Tried Katharine Hepburn's Brownies Recipe

With a kitchen hazy with cocoa powder, I nearly accepted defeat and settled for a life of second-rate (read: cakey) brownies when I ran across one more thing to try. Thanks to food writer and cookbook author Sohla El-Waylly's recipe I learned about the one ingredient that makes the fudgiest brownie in all the land, and it just so happens to be one of my favorite Asian pantry ingredients—sweet rice flour. 

View the original article to see embedded media.

What is Sweet Rice Flour?

Also known as glutinous rice flour, sweet rice flour is a flour made by finely grinding sticky or glutinous rice. Despite its name, sweet rice flour doesn't contain any gluten. The neutral-flavored flour has a high starch content and the benefits of the ingredient are similar to using corn starch or potato starch— it thickens soups and sauces instantly—and in baking, it creates a chewy texture beyond compare. You can buy boxes or bags of sweet rice flour at most Asian grocery stores. 

To give you a sense of the chewy potential of the ingredient, mochi and tang yuan are a couple of traditional Asian sweets that are made with sweet rice flour.

Related: 15 Gluten-Free Flour Substitutes and What You Need to Know About Them

How Sweet Rice Flour Makes Super Fudgy Brownies

Rather than making the brownies overly chewy and almost taffy-like, the sweet rice flour in El-Waylly's recipe (which completely replaces all-purpose flour) combined with hot milk creates a texture that's firm and a bit less starchy than typical sweet rice treats. The brownies are fudgy and rich but simultaneously super bouncy and light. Even a cosmic brownie can't have this much fun!

Related: 27 Sumptuously Sweet Asian Treats

How to Make Brownies with Sweet Rice Flour

You can't really substitute sweet rice flour for regular all-purpose flour in most standard brownie recipes. The best way to make fudgy brownies with sweet rice flour would be to follow Sohla's recipe for Future brownies from her cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook or another brownie recipe specifically developed with sweet rice flour. 

But for a quick sugar fix that doesn't skimp on the ultra-fudginess, try adding some sweet rice flour to boxed brownie mix. According to a baker on reddit, you can "start w(ith) a couple tablespoons probably and increase the liquid." On the flip side,"Trader Joe's has a butter mochi mix that you could add cocoa powder to as another potential option," suggested another baker.

No matter what, it's clear better fudgy brownies rely on a little (or a lot of) sweet rice flour. 

Up next: An Iconic Chinese Snack May Be Coming to Trader Joe’s Soon, and Fans Are Already Planning to Stock Their Carts Fast

While I'm still wishing Sanditon had gone on for a few more seasons, I am happy to see Miss Scarlet will be back for a fifth season and that Masterpiece's summer hit, Hotel Portofino, returns for a third season. Parade has the exclusive details about the season 3 premiere, including some first look images for the upcoming season! Take a look!

What is Hotel Portofino about?

Hotel Portofino takes place in the mid-1920s and follows the Ainsworth family after they relocate from England to the Italian coastal city of Portofino to open an upscale hotel. This period drama takes place after World War I when the world is in a global post-war upheaval. The charming Italian seaside town with its warm climate and enchanting culture and townspeople provides the perfect respite for the elite British traveler.

Fun fact: Almost all of the wardrobe in Hotel Portofino is authentic period garb, down to the shoes and jewelry. In some cases, they had to find extras that would fit the costumes instead of fitting the costumes to the actor.

When does Hotel Portofino Season 3 premiere?

Hotel Portofino Season 3 premieres Sunday, July 28 at 8 p.m. ET on PBS with episodes dropping weekly on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET through Sept. 1.

Where did the first season of Hotel Portofino leave off?

*Spoiler warning* If you haven't watched Season 1, stop reading and head to the PBS app to catch up. By the Season 1 finale of Hotel Portofino, Lucian (Oliver Dench) had proposed to Rose (Claude Scott-Mitchell), Constance's (Louisa Binder) secret was exposed and Bella (Natascha McElhone) had refused to accept Cecil's (Mark Umbers) gesture of supposed goodwill.

What happened in Season 2 of Hotel Portofino?

*Spoiler warning* If you haven't watched Season 2, stop reading and head to the PBS app to catch up.

Created and written by Matt Baker and directed by Adam Wimpenny, Season 2 of Hotel Portofino begins in the summer of 1927. Bella is still devoting her energy to Hotel Portofino, which has overcome early troubles and is starting to flourish. Aside from her hotel duties, Bella is concerned for her children—Lucian, whose marriage to Rose might be facing trouble, and Alice (Olivia Morris), who needs a break from her responsibilities at the hotel. Bella’s husband, Cecil, had not been seen since returning to England at the end of the previous summer. With Cecil’s unannounced return to Portofino, the messy private lives of her children and a visit from a travel guide that could make or break the hotel’s future, Bella does her utmost to keep all the plates spinning.

What can we expect in season 3 of Hotel Portofino?

Bella is preparing for her father and sister’s arrival but is thrown off when Cecil appears requesting a divorce. Over the weeks, Bella must decide her future as well as avoid fascist leader Danioni (Pasquale Esposito). But with the Wall Street stock market crash, things get worse and Bella and Cecil lose everything. Dark secrets are exposed during another adventure on this sun-soaked 1920s Italian drama.

Meet the Hotel Portofino cast Natascha McElhone (Bella Ainsworth)

Bella Ainsworth is co-owner of Hotel Portofino with her husband, Cecil, and the spirit behind the family’s Italian adventure. Bella has persuaded her father to lend Cecil and her the money to buy and renovate the hotel, believing the fresh start it represents will help her family recover from the traumas of World War I and give her a chance to save her marriage. She is determined to succeed and subsequently finds liberation for herself and others in the novelty of Italy’s climate, cuisine and culture.

McElhone is probably best recognized for her roles on The Truman Show, Californication and Designated Survivor. She currently stars as Dr. Halsey in HALO, the TV series based on the popular video game, on Paramount+.

Fun fact: McElhone was a judge in 2021 for The Booker Prize and had to read literally hundreds of books in a span of months for consideration of the top prize.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About the Paramount+ series, HALO.

Mark Umbers (Cecil Ainsworth)

Cecil Ainsworth, co-owner of Hotel Portofino and Bella's husband, has been excused from active duty in WWI (though he fought in the Boer War) and has gradually lost patience and sympathy with the scars the conflict has left on his children. As the youngest son of an upper-class family, Cecil’s overriding concern is money, and he is constantly initiating ill-advised schemes to fund his dilettante lifestyle.

Umbers previously appeared on shows such as Mistresses, Collateral and Home Fires.

Oliver Dench (Lucian Ainsworth)

Lucian Ainsworth, Bella and Cecil’s son, enlisted at 18 in the last months of the war but was immediately injured and removed from the front line. Physically and mentally scarred by his experiences, Lucian is slowly recovering under the benign influence of Italy. A talented artist, last season saw Lucian organizing painting lessons and artistic excursions for the guests. Though he would have loved to stay in Italy, pressure from his father forced Lucian to get engaged to someone he doesn't love and return to England to take up a proper career. This season, Lucian finds his way back to Italy and to the woman who truly holds his heart.

Fun fact: If you're wondering if he's related to another actor named Dench, then wonder no more: Dame Judi Dench is his great-aunt.

Related: Everything We Need to Know About Sanditon Season 3

Olivia Morris (Alice Mays-Smith)

Alice Mays-Smith is Bella and Cecil’s daughter and the widowed mother of a 6-year-old girl, Lottie, whose father was killed during the war. Alice knows her chances of marrying again are slim, given the lack of available men of the right age and standing. She is unable to live independently on the small income her husband has left her. Religious and class-conscious, she is frustrated with her lot and has mixed feelings about Italy but is gradually seduced by the charms of Italian culture. Count Albani (Daniele Pecci) admires her and is most certainly in love with her. Will she accept his invitations?

Lily Frazer (Claudine Pascal)

Claudine Pascal epitomizes modern womanhood and is liberated by the social changes the war has unleashed and thus takes charge of her destiny.

Fun fact: Frazer is actually British and is a country music fan.

Louisa Binder (Constance March)

Constance March is a young woman from a humble background who arrives to take up a role as Lottie’s nanny and general help around the hotel. She is determined to liberate herself from her unpromising beginnings through an open mind and relentless self-improvement, escaping personal misfortune and seeking adventure and a fresh start in Italy. She and Lucian share an attraction almost from the very beginning.

Fun fact: This is Binder's first regular series role.

Pasquale Esposito (Signor Danioni)

Signor Danioni is Deputy Chairman of the Communal Council. He makes it his business to know the business of everybody connected to the hotel while trying to profit from it.

How many episodes of Hotel Portofino are there?

There are six episodes each in the first two seasons of Hotel Portofino. Season 3 will also contain six episodes for a total of 18 episodes.

How many seasons of Hotel Portofino are there?

There are currently two seasons of Hotel Portofino, with the third season set to premiere in July.

Where did Hotel Portofino film?

Hotel Portofino filmed mainly in Croatia.

Where can I watch Hotel Portofino?

You can watch Hotel Portofino on PBS or through the PBS app with a Passport subscription. The second season of Hotel Portofino will have a linear broadcast on PBS and will also be available to stream on Passport and PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel on Amazon.

Is there a trailer for season 3 of Hotel Portofino?

Not yet, but keep an eye out for updates!

Will there be a season 4 of Hotel Portofino?

No official announcement has been made by PBS regarding a fourth season of Hotel Portofino.

Take a look at images from season 3 of Hotel Portofino

Check out these select images from season 3 of Hotel Portofino.

View the 13 images of this gallery on the original article

Next, PBS Reimagines Classic Tom Jones in New Limited Series! Get All the Details!

Chicago Fire has a very Kelly Severide-centric (Taylor Kinney) episode airing tonight when the Firehouse 51 lieutenant is kidnapped and taken for a ride on Truck 81 by some bad dudes with a nefarious purpose in mind.

The idea sprung to the mind of the Chicago Fire writing team because first responders can go anywhere, which gives them entre to all kinds of occasions and situations.

“That the first responder rigs can go anywhere has been used in real life as ways to try and get access,” Chicago Fire showrunner Andrea Newman tells Parade. “This happened in Denver and Detroit, bad guys taking these rigs so that they could gain access to public events that they otherwise would be screened for. They don’t screen the trucks, they just let them right in.”

Newman credits writer Matt Whitney for ripping the story from the headlines but giving it the appropriate Chicago Fire twist.

She adds, “We really did want to do a Severide-centric action, 250th episode, so it’s so great to have him back in peak form. He’s such a great action star, Taylor. He does stunts, he is always doing fire training work. He’s so ready for this kind of thing, and as a character, Severide is so ready for this because he’s been desk-bound for a couple episodes, so he definitely is ready to throw himself into the action. So yeah, we embraced all that for that episode.”

Related: Eamonn Walker Exits Chicago Fire as a Series Regular, Marking the End of an Era for the Show

Severide’s mysterious disappearance has ramifications that go beyond Truck 81 being stolen. The title of the episode is “Inside Man,” and suspicion falls on the shady new guy Jack Damon (Michael Bradway) because it isn’t easy to start a firetruck. They don’t have keys.

“It’s so funny because we become consumed with the littlest details and that’s probably the one we’ve talked about in the room the most,” Newman explains. “That is crazy, but it makes so much sense. You can’t lose the keys, what if you lose the keys? It just can’t happen. But it’s a very intricate button switch situation to get it started, I think it’s called a Kaiser switch, but it’s complicated and certainly no layman would know how to do it. But somebody scheming could figure it out.”

Daniel Kyri

Photo by: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC

So, Damon, who has a secret reason for being at Firehouse 51, is put under scrutiny by the Chicago P.D. when Ritter (Daniel Kyri) reveals to Stella Kidd (Miranda Rae Mayo) the phone call he overheard. Even so, his mysterious reason for being there isn’t revealed.

My speculation is that he may be someone’s son. Someone who doesn’t know that he exists.

“You’re the first person to ask that,” Newman says. “Yeah, he’s young so I could see where that comes from. That’s a fun theory, I like that. We’ll see some twists and turns with him where we find out some things he isn’t, and then we find out more things about who he is at the very end.”

Related: Is Taylor Kinney’s Kelly Severide Character Back for Good on Chicago Fire?

One of the cops who interrogates Damon happens to be Ritter’s new boyfriend, Dwayne Morris (Samuel B. Jackson). It’s a relationship that Ritter -- who is out, so it’s not that -- is keeping on the DL and he says it’s just because of the rivalry between cops and firemen.

“It is the reason,” Newman confirms. “There’s a general hilarious rivalry between cops and firefighters that can get actually very tense, but in a couple episodes leading up when he first started dating him, there were episodes where that tension was particularly fraught.”

Miranda Rae Mayo, Taylor Kinney

Photo by: Adrian S Burrows Sr/NBC

Those episodes include the one in which Severide was battling the cops over the young girl who had hidden the money in her grandmother’s house, and the cops weren’t trusting him and he was really going at it with them. And then there was another episode where Severide and the cops were at odds over a recording studio fire and who they thought was the suspect.

“So, for right now, Ritter wanted to keep it private. You know, you want to keep things private until you know they’re for real. You don’t necessarily want to be talking about something and jinxing it either.”

And then the episode ends with a reaffirmation of the Severide-Kidd relationship, which we won’t spoil.

“They really are genuinely hot together,” Newman agrees. “It’s just a fact, can’t be denied.”

Chicago Fire airs Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

Next, Chicago P.D. Fans Hope Jesse Lee Soffer’s Photos Mean He’s Returning for Tracy Spiridakos’ Final Episode

Who's having a better year than Travis Kelce? Fresh off a Super Bowl win, a new hosting gig, a lucrative two-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs, and a couples' trip with girlfriend Taylor Swift and famous pals Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper, the NFL superstar has been cast to star in Ryan Murphy's new FX series Grotesquerie. 

Details about Kelce's role (and the show itself) are being kept tightly under wraps, but we do know a few concrete details about the series, including other key cast members and a timeframe for release. 

Keep reading for the scoop. 

Related: Travis Kelce Signs New Contract With the Kansas City Chiefs: Find Out His Net Worth in 2024 and Why It's Likely to Climb

What is Grotesquerie about?

As with most new Ryan Murphy shows, Grotesquerie is shrouded in mystery and will likely remain that way until closer to its release. So far, we know that it's a horror drama and that, given Murphy's track record, it'll probably be a little weird. 

The prolific TV creator released an audio-only teaser for the show in February. 

Related: Ryan Murphy's Massive Net Worth in 2024 Proves He's an American Success Story

“I don’t know when it started, I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s different now,” Nash-Betts says in character. “There’s been a shift, it's like something’s opening up in the world—a kind of hole to the center of nothingness."

"...You say, ‘Well, hon, evil has always existed,' cite some statistic about how the world is getting better, less murder, more help, less global horror, 'never been a better time to be alive, hon,'" she continues. "But then they come back. It’s not getting better! Something’s happening around us, and nobody sees but me.”

Creepy! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ryan Murphy Productions (@ryanmurphyproductions)

Who is cast in Grotesquerie?

So far, the following cast members have been confirmed.

Niecy Nash-Betts

She won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her performance in Murphy’s Dahmer-–Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. 

Courtney B. Vance 

He played Johnnie Cochran in the Murphy-produced The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.

Lesley Manville

She's fresh off playing Princess Margaret in the final two seasons of The Crown. 

Travis Kelce

He's the tight-end who's dating Taylor Swift. Heard of him? 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Niecy Nash (@niecynash1)

Absent from the cast, at least so far, is the star of Murphy's Delicate and Swift en-aimee Kim Kardashian. 

What is the release date for Grotesquerie?

FX has not set an exact premiere date, but the show is now in production and expecting a fall release. 

Is there a trailer for Grotesquerie?

Not yet, but you can listen to the aforementioned audio clip again if you want (just don't listen too much—or backwards), and watch this space for updates! 

Next, Travis Kelce to Host New Game Show, 'Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?'

For myself, my husband and my boys, breakfast foods are some of our favorites, but here is our secret: We don't want them early in the morning. If we are chowing down on eggs, bacon, pancakes, omelets and breakfast casseroles, I guarantee it's at the brunch hour, or for breakfast for dinner.

So no, I'm not the mom making her kids a big hearty breakfast before school. They will be fed, but it's going to be a bowl of cereal or some mini muffins. However, once a week, I make a simple supper out of all our favorite breakfast foods. One thing I never think to make though is breakfast pizza, but that all changes now. These 24 best breakfast pizza recipes are piled high with flavor, creativity and will be a perfect addition to our rotation!

Related: 30 Easy Crock Pot Breakfast Recipes

What Is Breakfast Pizza?

The answer to that really depends on what you want it to be! The basic idea is you take breakfast favorites like eggs, bacon, cheese, etc. and put them on top of a crust of some sort. Using that template, the only limit is your imagination. Use English muffins to make a mini version. Crescent roll dough can be rolled out to feed a crowd off a sheet pan. The eggs can be cooked however your family enjoys them from scrambled to extra "dippy" with a perfect runny yolk. The sky's the limit when you create these easy breakfast pizzas.

Related: 75 Family-Friendly Breakfast Recipes

Best Breakfast Pizza Recipes

When you launch the gallery you will find something for everyone. If you want to keep it simple, try Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pizza or 2-Meat Breakfast Pizza. Watching your carbs? I found low-carb and keto breakfast pizzas too. Want to try something different for the crust? How about a breakfast pizza with a bacon or hash brown base? If you want to take it to the next level, try Burrata Breakfast Pizza, Sausage Gravy Breakfast Pizza or Applewood Bacon and Eggs Flatbread.

Related: The Best Vegan Breakfast Recipes

I even managed to find slow cooker breakfast pizzas for those extra busy mornings, and a mini version on English muffins kids will love to help make.

Related: 17 Fun and Easy Breakfast Ideas for Kids

Breakfast pizza has come a long way since whoever thought "hey let's put some scrambled eggs and cheese on crust and see what happens!" There is no one way to make it, the possibilities are endless when it comes to toppings and it is truly one of those foods that can be enjoyed any time of day!

Breakfast Flatbread

Parade

This breakfast pizza hinges on herbaceous notes from pesto and juicy bursts from cherry tomatoes. 

Get the recipe: Breakfast Flatbread

Breakfast Pizza With Bacon Crust

We Are Not Martha

The only thing you have to do morning of with this make-ahead breakfast pizza is crack the egg and bake off the pie. 

Get the recipe: Breakfast Pizza with Bacon Crust

Mini Flatbread Breakfast Pizzas

American Egg Board

Pizza can and should be the answer to a delicious, healthy breakfast! Try this recipe to get your mornings off to a scrumptious start.

Get the recipe: Mini Flatbread Breakfast Pizzas

Applewood Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Flatbread

McCormick Gourmet

 This upscale breakfast pizza features a naan flatbread crust, candied bacon, spinach, Gruyere cheese and sunny-side up eggs.

Get the recipe: Applewood Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Flatbread

Pizza with Eggs Roasted Peppers and Olives

Misha Gravenor

Breakfast heads down to the Mediterranean with this zesty morning pizza.

Get the recipe: Pizza with Eggs Roasted Peppers and Olives

Burrata Breakfast Pizza

Cappello's

We're slightly obsessed with this Burrata Breakfast Pizza recipe, but the best thing about it is it's keto and thanks to Cappello's grain-free, gluten-free, yeast-free keto pizza crust made from turnips and almond flour.

Get the recipe: Burrata Breakfast Pizza

Sausage and Egg Breakfast Pizza

Sheri Giblin

Sausage breakfast sandwiches walked sothis  sausage breakfast pizza can run. You might swear by it once you try it one!

Get the recipe: Sausage and Egg Breakfast Pizza

Tia Mowry's Breafkast Pizza

Mark Boughton

We adapted this show-stopping breakfast pizza recipe from Tia Mowry's cookbook, The Quick Fix Kitchen. Her technique calls for parbaking the crust, which makes it easy to load the pie up with lots of indulgent toppings.

Get the recipe: Tia Mowry's Breafkast Pizza

Easy Crescent Roll Breakfast Pizza

Mark Boughton

This morning pie is loaded with eggs, sausage and bell peppers, or try bacon and your favorite veggies.

Get the recipe: Easy Crescent Roll Breakfast Pizza

Mini Breakfast Pizzas

Parade

These mini zas make a great, kid-friendly alternative to traditional scrambled eggs.

Get the recipe: Mini Breakfast Pizzas

2 Meat Breakfast Pizza

Julie's Eats and Treats

Quick and easy 2 meat breakfast pizza is the perfect lazy morning breakfast or delicious on a school morning or even perfect for dinner to mix pizza night up!

Get the recipe: 2 Meat Breakfast Pizza

Back-to-School Breakfast Pizza

Southern Bite

This Breakfast Pizza is great for a quick and easy weekday breakfast before heading off to school or work, but it’s great for the weekend too. The best part is how simple it is.

Get the recipe: Back-to-School Breakfast Pizza

Best Breakfast Pizza

This bacon, egg and cheese breakfast pizza is sure to become one of your new favorite breakfast recipes!

Get the recipe: Best Breakfast Pizza

Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Pizza

Lil' Luna

Your favorite breakfast burritos and breakfast tacos share ingredients with your next breakfast love affair: this cheesy bacon breakfast pizza. 

Get the recipe: Cheesy Bacon Breakfast Pizza

Cracked Out Breakfast Pizza

Plain Chicken

Here, refrigerated pizza dough is topped with ranch dressing, scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheddar cheese. We love this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

Get the recipe: Cracked Out Breakfast Pizza

Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pizza

A protein-packed pizza for breakfast? Yes, please!

Get the recipe: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Pizza

Easy Breakfast Pizza

As the name suggests, all you need to make this simple breakfast pizza is crescent rolls, hash browns, sausage, eggs, milk, and cheese.

Get the recipe: Easy Breakfast Pizza

Keto Breakfast Pizza

How To This and That

This Meat Lover's Style pizza is a gift for anyone who's doing a low-carb diet. 

Get the recipe: Keto Breakfast Pizza

Loaded Breakfast Pizza

Small Town Woman

This scrumptious breakfast pizza is topped with crispy bacon, browned pork sausage, sweet red bell pepper, scallions, scrambled eggs, and oodles of cheddar and Pepper Jack Cheese for the ultimate breakfast flavors in a crispy pizza crust.

Get the recipe: Loaded Breakfast Pizza

Low-Carb Breakfast Pizza

This low carb breakfast pizza is perfect for lazy Saturday mornings.

Get the recipe: Low-Carb Breakfast Pizza

Sheet Pan Breakfast Pizza

The Cookie Rookie

From the crescent roll crust to the eggs and cheese and everything in between, this pizza is filling and so tasty. Plus this pizza is made in a sheet pan, so it’s super easy to make!

Get the recipe: Sheet Pan Breakfast Pizza

slow-cooker-breakfast-pizza-jpg

Slow Cooking Perfected

This tasty slow cooker breakfast pizza is the perfect way to start the day. You can prepare it the night before and get it cooking as soon as you wake up.

Get the recipe: Slow Cooker Breakfast Pizza

Cheesy Breakfast Pizza

Spend With Pennies

This pizza is piled high with our favorite breakfast toppings including sausage, bacon, green onions, eggs and of course heaps of cheese. Consider the best grab-and-go breakfast that will bring everyone to the table!

Get the recipe: Cheesy Breakfast Pizza

Breakfast Pizza with Hashbrown Crust

This delicious recipe for breakfast pizza with a hash brown crust topped with bacon, ham, and cheese can be made for breakfast or as an easy dinner. 

Get the recipe: Breakfast Pizza with Hashbrown Crust

Related: 37 Homemade Egg Noodle Recipes That Go Beyond Tuna Casserole and Stroganoff

You already know that drinking alcohol can wreak havoc on your liver. (And if you don't, well, here are more details on those dangers.) Now, a new study links a drink popular specifically for its health benefits to potential liver damage.

According to the study, more than 200 cases of acute liver injury have been linked to an ingredient common in what's generally regarded as a super healthy beverage—but it may not be as dire as it sounds.

The study, reported in late 2022 but only just now gaining traction, correlates green tea extract to liver damage.

Related: One Common Habit That Could Be Damaging Your Liver

Is Green Tea Bad for Your Liver?

Green tea in and of itself likely isn't going to jeopardize your liver health. The study itself notes that actual green tea rarely causes any problems for otherwise healthy individuals, but that concentrated green tea extract—often found in unregulated herbal supplements and diet pills—can put you at risk of serious medical issues, with some even requiring a liver transplant.

"Standard preparations of green tea are less likely to cause liver toxicity," Dr. David Kim, MD, hepatologist and gastroenterologist at GI Alliance in Arlington Heights, Illinois, tells Parade. "Liver damage has been more commonly associated with taking green tea extract (GTE), which contains higher doses of EGCG."

Another important factor to consider: The main patient in the study got an IV of green tea extract, which is, well, pretty extreme.

"The patient in the article received green tea extract intravenously. This is a concentrated form of the biologically active compounds in green tea," Dr. David D. Clarke, MD, board-certified internist and gastroenterologist and president of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association, points out. "A large majority of reports of liver damage are associated with GTE taken orally in capsule form. Both the capsule and the intravenous form of GTE result in much larger amounts of potentially toxic compounds reaching the liver than would be the case for ordinary green tea. There have been a few people who have suffered liver toxicity from drinking green tea, but they appear to have taken large amounts."

Related: 12 Foods That Are Good For Your Liver

What Are Symptoms of Liver Damage From Green Tea?

If you have liver damage from too much green tea or green tea catechins or green tea extract, there will be signs, some of which are vague enough to easily be mistaken for other medical issues—so be sure to see a doctor if you're concerned. These symptoms can include:

• Abdominal pain
• Fatigue
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, often considered a tell-tale sign of liver problems)
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Dr. Clarke notes that mild liver damage usually starts with loss of appetite and fatigue, while more acute or severe liver damage has other symptoms. If you ever notice that you have jaundice, see a physician immediately.

Related: How to Keep Your Liver Healthy

How Much Green Tea Is Too Much Green Tea?

Generally, if you're healthy, you'd have to drink a lot of green tea for this to be a problem.

"A review of the literature by the European Food Safety Authority found that doses greater than 800 mg of EGCG (Epigallocatechin-3-gallate, one of the catechins in green tea) were more likely to cause hepatotoxicity," Dr. Kim notes. "For comparison, a cup of brewed green tea typically contains 100 to 300 mg EGCG."

"The data does not allow a definitive answer, and there also appears to be significant variation among people in their susceptibility to liver damage from green tea," Dr. Clarke points out. But available reports suggest much larger than usual amounts (the usual would be one to four cups) need to be ingested before there is any risk of liver toxicity."

So if you're otherwise healthy and not predisposed to liver issues, unless you're drinking a gallon of green tea a day (in which case we have other concerns, like your caffeine intake), you're probably safe.

Related: Health Benefits of Tea

Is Liver Damage From Green Tea Curable?

The good news, aside from the fact that, again, most liver damage reported was from green tea extract and not from drinking regular green tea, is that it's usually reversible, especially if you get prompt medical attention.

"The liver has remarkable regenerative properties so usually patients recover fully," Dr. Clarke says. "But in a few severe cases, the damage requires an emergency liver transplant to save the patient's life."

Dr. Kim concurs, adding, "Most cases of hepatotoxicity resolve spontaneously or with the administration of acetylcysteine."

Related: Different Types of Tea: Everything You Need to Know

Should I Avoid Green Tea Entirely?

If you're that worried about your liver and it'll give you peace of mind, knock yourself out. That said, according to Dr. Kim, most people don't have to worry about this.

"Taken traditionally as brewed tea has only rarely been linked with liver injury," he advises. "The more common association with liver toxicity has been seen when GTE has been taken in a pill or powder form as a way to lose weight."

How rarely? Very rarely, according to Dr. Clarke: "Hundreds of millions of people consume green tea daily with only five to eight cases of toxicity reported annually—and most of those were caused by GTE."

Next, The Surprising Habit That Gives You a Healthy Liver

Sources

• "Green tea extract–associated acute liver injury: Case report and review"
• David D. Clarke, MD
• David Kim, MD

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

It's appropriate that Myles Reed was voted the "most human" by his fellow players early on in The Circle. Though he gives off a self-proclaimed "[expletive] boy" persona, he has the intelligence of an AI engineer. He built a great social interface early on, forming a flirtation with Quori-Tyler "QT" Bullock that later turned into a tight "Tres Fuegos" alliance alongside Kyle Fuller. On top of that, Myles was, fittingly, given the task to identify the AI player. Unfortunately, this would end up being the height of his power in The Circle. Myles incorrectly blocked Steffi Hill as the AI. And he followed it up by developing a conflict with Cassie Saylor, after he jokingly calling her a "snake in the grass." Little did Myles know, though, that the biggest snake was to come.

Jordan Staff accepted Myles as his first DM, and Myles gave him all the info he knew. Reading Myles as a power player, Jordan then made it his solitary mission to get him out. The new player would spread rumors about Myles and try to convince QT to take him, while Myles was none the wiser. Eventually, word got out that Jordan felt Myles was in line to win The Circle, prompting a fiery fit of rage from "Papi Fuego." Unfortunately for Myles, despite having QT and Kyle on his side, Jordan's public callout had worked. "Olivia" (AKA Brandon Baker) had the sole power to block as the superinfluencer. And, despite how the two had worked together previously as "Ride or Dies," Brandon felt Myles was too much of a locked-in QT vote to keep for the finals.

Read on to hear Myles's thoughts on his time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle Season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
I'll be honest, it was not on the bingo board for 2023. When we did the filming, I just moved. So I worked in self-driving cars; I was doing remote. Moved for a job in LA. I'm not sure if I should disclose the company name. But it's a big tech firm you probably know; maybe do a few searches on. But I got an AI engineer. And so I just moved out to LA. First thing I do as a single man: Download the dating apps. And I think on my second day, I start getting a bunch of comments on my post, "Check your IG Threads messages." 

They found me off Bumble. I thought it was a great effort. And everybody watched The Circle during COVID when it first premiered because it was like, "Oh, it's the only reality show that can work at this time." So I watched the first two seasons at first. But traveling so much every day, it was hard to get a stable Netflix connection. I guess beyond the dating apps, there's a different purpose for it than just finding love!

[Laughs.] That seems to be the case! To talk more about your work, you chose to be upfront about being an AI engineer in your bio. And you talked about having these "[expletive] boy" vibes, probably partially due to the fact you were recruited via dating app. Did you debate obscuring your real job to play down your intelligence?
The way I look, people were gonna assume something from me. Let's just keep it with all the curveballs. I mean, you can lie at any time, but the truth always comes out. And honestly, I didn't think it would be that much of an advantage. Also people get caught in their lies all the time, unless there's a huge overlap. Like, I think Kyle going as a basketball trainer versus a basketball player is such a small difference, it works. But what was I gonna go in as? It just doesn't relate to me. If I'm trying to be authentic. I'm not going to filter my convos. I think you see that in how I speak, even in my texting. Some people might say it's illiterate to some degree. [Laughs.] But it is what it is. It's just where I grew up, how I go, my friend group. I just wanted to be myself. If I'm gonna be there in isolation, to also be living a lie, I don't know how that would do mentally.

Let's fast-forward to the end of your game. Quite a few people were shocked to find out that you were blocked. But how surprised were you by your own elimination, considering how hard Jordan was going after you?
To be quite honest, I think there's a point where, when Jordan comes for me and QT,  I realize there's probably a good shot neither of us are going to win. It's in everybody's back of their mind. And I think what I was hoping for was just the connections we formed at least to carry us. But I kind of understand Brandon--Olivia. [Laughs.] It's very weird to switch the names. We drunk SnapChat each other all the time. We're all doing shots. We're all friends and family. Even Steffi! I know that everyone's thinking we've got beef. But me and Steffi just got off the phone. We're good friends. I like to think, even if you think I'm an asshole, I grow on you.

So I do understand. I talked to Brandon about this. I understand his point. There was another alliance of Jordan, Lauren, and Liv. But he says, "Honestly, you're giving QT the number one. Kyle's is going to kind of ride for you. It's not good for my gameplay." And, you know, I think I come out here my strategy is a lot different than everybody's. So I understand it fully. I think there's a point where everybody's like, "I have to learn to trust Liv. But, in the back of my mind, can I?" Clearly not, but there's no there's no hate there. I think it's good gameplay. You can't be mad. Definitely, with prize money, though I'm gonna need a few drinks out here. [Laughs.]

Talk to me about you saying, "My strategy is a lot different than everybody's." If you had made it to the finals, were you always going to rate "Tres Fuegos" at the top?
Yeah. The thing is, I was loyal to the team. You'll see that in all my ratings. If I said I had your back. I had your back.  I think that's the one thing I can say: I've been loyal. I think people would think with the "[expletive] boy," I'd be the most disloyal person there is. But I try to keep it real. These are people who I've built friendships with. They're all family. And to this day, I still ride "Tres Fuegos." You'll see me in Miami with Kyle. Kyle's brother is sleeping over my house. I went to Kyle's brother's birthday. Our squads have interacted. QT, you know that's my boo! [Laughs.] I'm joking but I do have a little date with QT tonight. But "Tres Fuegos," at the end of the day, that's my squad. I'm just the coach. I get to see my players through.

Well let's talk about some of the opposition to your team. I want to start with the AI twist. As an AI engineer, what was your reaction to the twist?
First of all, the AI twist. I was like, "Damn, I've really got to do work on my PTO!" Because I had to use PTO for this. [Laughs.] I'm like, "[expletive], dawg. You really have me doing this AI stuff?" But nobody gets that, even though I'm an AI engineer, my background was more robotics. I did space robots for grad school, trying to find water with planetary rovers. I work with self-driving cars, warehouse robots. I didn't work with chatbots. Now that I have a little bit, maybe it'd be a little different.

I don't think they show it in the edits. But the photo of Max--even though I know Max is a real person now popping up on TikTok; I'm actually gonna grab drinks with him this week--and him leaving the group chat that I kind of start to go, "Oh, really saying nothing out here. It's always just in the middle." And him leaving the group chat, nobody who's human would do that. And I think I go in my mind, "There's like a 30 to 40% chance that it's Max." But nobody's throwing out Max really in this publicly. If I go for Max and I get it wrong, everyone is like, "Yo, why is it taking out Max?" I got the target on the back.

How much were you going back and forth between people before finally choosing to block Steffi?
I think for me what happens is it really comes down to Paul or Steffi. I didn't really think Kyle. I just thought it was a bad photo. And seeing why he had to choose that photo now...[Laughs.] I mean, it's so basic. I would have thought his photo was also a little sus, because it's kind of like the Steffi photo, where there's nothing really there. It's just sitting on a dune buggy. But it looks like he's in Dubai or some [expletive]. But I get why he had to go for it; it was a last-minute pivot. But realistically, it was Paul or Steffi, and if I really thought I had the "cajones" to go Max and if I was going to take that gamble. But I think it came down to that Paul's coming for me. Can I trust him? Am I going to be loyal when we said we had each other's back?

With Steffi, you might not know this about the dating scene in LA. But when I first moved here, right when I got scouted, I was still going on some Bumble dates, some Hinge dates, all that. And the first question you get is the horoscope question. I had so much PTSD from it. I was like, "Yo, if I have to do another horoscope conversation, I might just walk off the show right now. I'm not gonna lie." So I think that was also a factor. But it was Steffi who switched from coming at Paul to Kyle. I was like, "What is this going on here?" So a lot of variation there. But Kyle was never in play for me.

What about the Cassie side of things? You're not happy when she mocks in the Circle chat that the AI engineer couldn't find the AI. You respond by painting her as a "snake in the grass," which makes her upset. In the moment, she seemed to blame you for her low rating and blocking, and called out that you had an alliance that you broke in her goodbye message. What's your side of how all that transpired?
I was laughing through all this. I thought this was a roast game. I thought like, "Y'all, we've gone through some tough times. Let's have some fun with it." I was laughing. I'm still mad at Netflix here. I want that portrait of me puking the hearts. I said, "Put that in my bedroom!" I thought all of them were. I thought maybe the one of Lauren was a little mean, because I couldn't tell if it was two-faced or bad make-up. But I took it all good jest. But, with Cassie, in my mind, I'm like, "You literally told me to come for Steffi. And then you call me out for getting Steffi wrong. The whole squad was about it. Now you're trying to paint a target on my back."

And I could have easily blamed it on somebody else. I think nobody would have been suspect of it. But that didn't sit right with my character. I'm not gonna throw anybody under the bus who did anything wrong there. So I had to own up to it. And she said, "Oh, we can forget about it." I even offered to apologize to the group chat for her. So when she brings it up in the other group chat, I was just like, "[expletive] it, we ain't with her anymore." And I don't think I had time to focus on my game plan. Because of the "Ride or Die," we were focused on saving me and Liv. And mainly saving QT was my whole strategy. But I didn't have time to really talk to him about the Cassie situation. But I felt like she came from my neck out of the woodwork. If we did have a kind of alliance, it wasn't that deep of one. But we were working together. And just to throw me under the bus, you can't even think anybody's gonna think wrong of it. It is funny; the AI engineer didn't get the AI. But you have to know that's going to put something in everybody's mind.

Let's move from something that made you laugh to the exact opposite. You're the first chat Jordan has in the game, and little do you know it makes him immediately turn on you and make it his mission to get you out. When you do find out about him targeting you and spreading lies, you clearly are upset, to the point of throwing a chair in frustration. Give me your take on everything that was happening with Jordan.
The thing is he told me, "I only trust you and QT." So it's just lies 24/7. I also find out directly he twisted the truth to Lauren. I told him that she got called two-faced and she lost her two friends. There's a difference. I never called her two-faced; I said she's been nothing but sweet to me. But that's what she's been called. And to say I was calling her that, spreading bad names, of course I'm mad. Because this is somebody I will actively look to protect in this. To be honest, I think Jordan might have done better in his final rating if he didn't do that. Because I think I would vote for him, and I think he was building up a friendship with everybody. Everybody kind of felt bad with the way he was like a new dog. I don't know if he would have won, but he would have gotten something.

But I was infuriated that somebody I was trusting and riding for just lied about me. It's war. At the end of the day, we're good friends now. I bought the kid bottle service when he came, He's crashing at my house. I took him to the club. I hooked him up. It's all jokes now. But you understand it's a game and he plays the villain role real well, at the end of day. I didn't really know that there was a villain role, but I think he does. And it's good TV. But I'm not gonna lie in the moment. You're living by yourself. These are your connections. It [expletive] with you differently. I viewed him as a friend. So to have a friend you find out is talking [expletive] on your name, it ain't cool. But stuff has changed. And of course I know the chair flip is in there. But there was some stuff that was out of pocket. I don't take it back. [Laughs.] But it be what it do. You come from me, I'm gonna pop off.

Well let's go from your rival to your Circle crush. Talk to me about developing your dynamic with QT. And I know you had agreed to go on a date after you were blocked. What's been happening with you two since you left The Circle?
So me and QT have definitely gone out. We've gone out to the club; gone out to dinner. I think within three days, we went out to dinner at this restaurant in a beautiful spot. I just had to point out all the stops for my girl. We've gone on several dates. I think, though, it's definitely different. There's an element of "trauma bonding" when you go through these reality shows, they call it. I didn't know that was a thing. But it's like, we were isolated in an apartment. And we go through this experience, and nobody else will really understand these conversations, the links between them. You're staring at a chat for 10 minutes sometimes before the next response comes. So, at first, we went on these dates. And all we wanted to talk about was our experiences coming back. I was overreading group messages like, "Yo, you flaking, or what's up?" And I'm like, "What do you mean by that?" [Laughs.] It takes you a while to adjust back, which is totally fine. Totally normal.

So me and QT, we went on these dates. And it was a true bond, a real friendship underlying over there. But there's definitely a little romance there, I'm not gonna lie. We've definitely gone on a few more romantic dates. I've had to travel a bit, and she's had to travel a bit for some other stuff. And we were watching, and we were just talking. There's always in the back of your mind, because we didn't know the edits, "Was it like fully romance? Or was there also just some strategy in play?" I think kind of seeing us, how we were talking, how we felt, was actually what we're interpreting. I think it definitely put a few butterflies back. I think there's a reason we're meeting up today again. We're doing a little watch party that her mom's organized. So I would say maybe keep tuned on that. But that's my boo thing still to the end of day!

Next, check our interview with The Circle Season 6 fifth-place finisher Lauren LaChant.

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

Lauren LaChant came into The Circle with the first five seasons in the back of her mind. As such, the former Twitch streamer had one tactic: Be nice and genuine to everybody, rate highly due to likability, and take home $100,000. That worked out for Lauren initially, as she made a great first impression and became one of the first influencers of the season. However, it became clear soon after that Season 6 of The Circle would be very different than what came before it. And when Lauren lost two of her closest allies, one of them being revealed to be AI, in one day, it was clear this would be far from an easy road.

This season, strategy prevailed over likability, and ratings were made based on alliances over vibes. And so Lauren's congenial attitude got perceived as duplicitous, and she even got called"two-faced" by "Paul" (AKA Caress Alon). Of course, it didn't help her reputation when she did things like cast a negative light on her "Ride or Die" Autumn Ann Nielsen, prompting a pile-on and an upset reaction from Autumn. Generally, though, Lauren's social standings did help take her to the finale, though only so far. Lacking many deep one-on-one relationships in the endgame, she finished in fifth place.

Read on to hear Lauren's thoughts on her time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle Season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
I was a big fan of The Circle in Seasons 1 and 2. I loved it. I was never really a reality TV person until The Circle came out. It was so different from other reality shows. And I loved it. And so I always thought, "I could be on this. I could do this." And actually, I think in Season 3 or 4, they had a Twitch streamer on, Jacki. And when I saw that, I was like, "Oh, they already have my archetype. I'll never apply. I'm never gonna get on. I can't do it." And so I was so discouraged, until I saw a TikTok two years later saying, "We need people for The Circle." And I was just like, "It would be silly if I just tried again." And I happened to get it! And it was like, "Wow, I'm gonna be on one of my favorite shows. This is surreal."

Let's fast-forward to the end of the game. What was your reaction to coming in fifth place in the final ratings? What did you think your chances were of winning?
I didn't think I would get fifth. I did think that Jordan would have placed under me because I'd been there much longer. I thought at least I'd get third or something. But I knew that Olivia was a really strong player and QT also. So I thought that they had a better chance to win than I did. I had hope, though. I did have hope going into it. But being fifth, I was like, "Okay, alright. At least I made it to the finale." I'm happy with what I did. And I played the best that I could.

Do you remember your final ratings at all? We see you rate Jordan first because, to your point, you thought he had the least possible chance of winning.
No, I don't remember too much. I wish I did. I thought I put Olivia first. I guess I put Jordan first. I put Olivia second, though. Because if I didn't win, I wanted Olivia to win, because she was just so lovely. And I don't think they showed it. But we had some chats about how she had gone through bullying before in her life and experienced people just being mean to her. And I really like resonated a lot with her story. And so I felt like she was most genuine regardless of if she was a catfish or not. I think I ended up maybe putting QT next, or Kyle. I don't remember. I wish I did. I thought that Kyle and I had a great relationship, so I must have put him higher. But little did I know. [Laughs.]

Let's talk about that. Because Kyle serves as a great example of your perception this season. You clearly thought you were getting along well and flirting with him, not knowing that he and Paul thought you were two-faced and playing them. In general, due to how strategic and cutthroat this season was, I think people saw your desire to be nice and genuine to everyone as a red flag that you must be hiding something and conniving behind their backs. What was your reaction to finding that out?
Coming to the finale and finding out that everybody was strategic and everybody thought I was two-faced, I thought we were all just being silly and friends! Honestly I know it's a game. But I went in just not really caring too much about strategy. I want to take it back to the original Circle where, if people like me, then I will get higher up and I will win. And I just wanted to go along with that. So I was surprised, but not too surprised. Because I know it's a game, and I know that people like really wanted to be as strategic as possible to win. So not too surprised, but it was silly.

Well it certainly doesn't help when one of the most genuine relationships you make this season turns out to be with an AI contestant! Talk to me about building your dynamic with Max, and your reaction to finding out he wasn't real.
Max was my bestie! I thought we were best friends. I loved Max. And to hear that he was AI and Steffi getting voted out in the same episode was just crushing to me, because they were my closest alliances. And I really thought that Max and I were gonna be besties out after The Circle too. I was so excited. It's somebody that I just instantly clicked with. And I feel like they put a dog in there because they knew that I'd pick a dog. And so it was sad. But I did last pretty long without him. So I'm not too upset.

Let's talk about some of your key relationships with real people in The Circle. You had such an up-and-down dynamic with Paul AKA Caress. You're upfront to him about suspecting he was AI, which then makes him suspicious of you and paints you as two-faced. When you come to him for support, he leads you along, showing he still doesn't trust you. And then, after being blocked, Caress tells Kyle that you had been flirting with them both, which makes Kyle feel a certain way. What's your reaction to the journey you two had?
I thought that if I came out right away and said to Paul, "I think you're the AI," instead of when we do have to announce who we think is the AI and kind of surprising him, coming in nice and then flipping on him, he would think I'm fake, and it would not be genuine. But it turned out to be that way anyway. Not everyone's gonna like you. Not everyone's gonna see your efforts as what they are. So I'm proud of myself for just trying my best and trying to show Paul, "I respect you. Even if you're a real person, and even if you're an AI. But I do think that there's something wrong. There's something off there. And I just want to present that to you so you know where I'm coming from." It backfired as well. [Laughs.] But I think that regardless, it would have. So I'm proud of the way that I went forward with it.

I want to talk ride or dies. Let's start with your strategic one in the form of Olivia. Talk to me about how you formed such a tight bond, and what was your reaction to finding out Olivia was really Brandon?
So my philosophy is, I think that regardless if you want to be somebody else online or a catfish, as long as you're being genuine and who you want to be. I love Brandon for who he is. I was surprised, but also not too surprised. Because I kind of sensed something. But I don't care whoever is behind the picture. Brandon was just so beautiful and genuine as a person and still is. Every single time I post something Brandon will comment the most beautiful comments on everything. He's such a beautiful person. And it was great because Brandon was catfishing as just pictures. Otherwise, Brandon was himself. So our connection stayed strong and got even better after.

Now let's move to your literal "Ride or Die" in Autumn. During the Circle Scenarios game, you decide to say she's the most likely to buy likes, something that clearly upset her and made her feel like it started a dogpiling on her by the other players. When you tried to explain yourself, she told you straight-up that she didn't understand your logic, and clearly you felt guilty about how it made her feel. Talk to me about that.
Yeah, that's a big one. Honestly, I was under a lot of pressure in that moment. And I had no idea who to pick. And I still look back at it now. I have no idea who else I would have picked. Maybe Jordan, because Jordan and I didn't know each other. But I wanted to build an alliance with Jordan, and that would have squished it. So I put Autumn because we had just talked right before, and I figured nobody knew her. So if I just kind of put her there, it wouldn't mean anything. Also, I think personally, buying likes is not a bad thing! If you want to buy likes when you start out, it's a cutthroat world out there in social media. So I'm not going to shame anybody for doing that. But then it kind of it backfired again. Because everybody saw Autumn on there and just kind of jumped on the train. And I did not mean to hurt her. And seeing her reaction, seeing that I even made her cry like that, it made me so sad. I was really upset that I hurt her so badly. And I reached out to her. I texted her just like, "Hey, again, here's my reasoning, I'm sorry. And I'm excited to see you in LA and get to know you in a real way."

What I do find interesting is, as much as you talk about being surprised at how strategic everyone else was, there were still moments when you were tactical. For example, when you find out that Jordan had been spreading lies about Myles to turn you against him, you still admit that you're "Team Jordan" because you agree with him that Myles is a threat. That sounds pretty gamey to me!
Yeah, So towards the end, because I knew that there was "Tres Fuegos." That was a big group; the three of them were really close knit. I didn't think if I just played into letting Myles and QT keep winning, that I didn't have any chance to even make it into the finale. And so I just at that point was like, "Okay, if I'm not running these big strategic games, I'm kind of helping with it. I'm still being genuine, but I'm helping my game as well." So I'm glad I wasn't leading this whole thing against Myles. But I needed to somehow push myself as much as I could. And so I had definitely played into it.

Even though you're not a big reality TV person, has your time on The Circle given you interest in going on other shows?
I thought about it. So the game Among Us, I hated it in the beginning. It is so stressful, because you have to lie. You have to  fake it to your friends. But the more I played it, and the more I got better at realizing the strategy of it, I liked playing Among Us a little bit more. So now I've played The Circle, I might try something else. But I'm not gonna say I'm gonna be good at it. [Laughs.] I'm gonna stress about it. I'm going to sweat about it. But I would try it. Why not? I put myself out there. [Laughs.]

Next, check our interview with The Circle Season 6 fourth-place finisher Jordan Staff.

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

Jordan Staff may be the biggest villain The Circle has ever seen. "Big J" made a big splash with his late entrance into the show, as he immediately began making up for lost time. His first chat with Myles Reed caused him to target him ferociously in every conversation and game afterwards, feeling he was on his way to a win. When he became influencer alongside his "Ride or Die" Quori-Tyler "QT" Bullock, he made his play, unintentionally pitching blocking Myles to his closest ally and flirtmance. After a tense stand-off where neither party budged, QT ended the chat and, as the first-place finisher, overruled Jordan.

Not one to be deterred, Jordan came into the Circle chat the next day swinging. He not only called QT out on what she had done, but declared publicly that her and Myles were running the game and would win the season. Knowing he was public enemy número uno for "Tres Fuegos," he appealed to the other players to make a move. He got just that when "Olivia" (AKA Brandon Baker) became the superinfluencer and blocked Myles, finally accomplishing Jordan's goal. Unfortunately, Jordan's work had left him far from his other goal: Winning the game, as he finished in fourth place.

Read on to hear Jordan's thoughts on his time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle Season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
See, Big Brother used to be my dream show. But when I would think about it, I was like, "God, three months, and they're 24/7." After doing The Circle, I'm like, "I don't know how people do it." But with The Cirlce, and especially with my weight loss, I felt like I kind of had the perfect story to be able to play a game and hide behind it. That's kind of why I shot for shot for The Circle. I've seen every season. I had heard about it a lot in the UK before it came to the US. But I never knew how to watch it. So once it hit in the US, that's when I really started watching it. But I've seen every season.

To your point, was the "Big J" personality and the choice to use your profile pic from before your weight loss always a part of the process for you considering The Circle?
So originally I had thought I could play as myself. But I'm a photographer. So all of my pictures on Instagram, in every photo I'm doing the douchebag model face. And I was like, "I don't know how well this would go over in The Circle." I think people at times forget to put themselves in the perspective of the player, because they see everything. But from my perspective, I'm seeing a small photo and words on a screen. So when I wanted to play as Big J, I thought there was less room for error because all they're seeing is a small photo and a quick bio.

Last fast-forward to the end of the game. You made this big swing for Myles and QT towards the end of the game, which ended up landing. But what did you think your chances were of winning once you made the finale? 
So I had this whole elaborate strategy that wasn't shown. When I blew up the Circle chat, that was all part of the plan. After I had that influencer chat with QT, I had realized I had spilled out my entire game. Because we were in there for three hours. It was a really long influencer chat, and I had to build up my entire game. Because my thought process was, "I don't care about getting to the next episode. I want a shot at winning the game. So if this kills my game, that's fine. I need to try to get someone out. In my perspective, that's gonna help further my game."

So the next morning, I knew that QT was gonna run and tell Myles and Kyle everything at that point. So my plan was, "Okay, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go into the Circle chat in the morning. I'm gonna let everyone in the Circle chat know QT and Myles are my targets." That way, Kyle, Olivia, and Lauren knew I was safe with them. I also wanted to put this huge target on myself to kind of create this perception that I had no shot at winning. That way they would drag me to the end. And here is where it was a little flawed. I was kind of thinking everyone was thinking in the same mindset as me. But my mindset at that time was, if I can make everyone think I have no shot at winning, maybe I will get enough people to put me at the top thinking I have no shot and that could create a win for me. But that requires people thinking the same way I'm thinking. And I wasn't thinking that way at the time.

Speaking of those final ratings, we see you rate Lauren first, going with that strategy you mentioned of putting someone you know won't win at the top, and QT last. What were the rest of your ratings, and how did you get to that decision?
So throughout the whole game, I kind of played in a sense of, "How can I leverage my ratings to try to boost me up?" So it didn't matter if you were my ally necessarily. Depending where I thought you would be at in the ratings, I was going to rate you lower to try to balance things out. So going into the final rating, I thought, "Okay, I don't think Lauren has a good shot of winning. So let me put her at the top. That's just gonna help kind of boost me up and mess with the ratings a little bit." QT, I thought she had the biggest shot. So I put her at the bottom.

Now Kyle and Olivia, those were the two that I was really struggling with. I was really going really back and forth. At first, I had put Kyle in second. But when I was having my group chat with Lauren and Olivia and I clocked "Tres Fuegos," one of the two was had created this perception to me that Kyle was more connected than I thought he was. So that caused me to put him in third. And Olivia in second. I was rating least likely to most likely to win. 

So what was your reaction to finishing in fourth?
So it's really funny, because the game isn't about being the best catfish. But when Brandon walked out on stage, I was so shocked for some reason. When I saw Brandon, I was like, "Oh, it's game over. It is game over." I knew right then and there. And interestingly enough, when fourth came up, I had this gut feeling. I was like, "I don't want it to be my picture." But for some reason, I felt like it was gonna be my face. So I wasn't shocked. I wanted to win so bad, but I wasn't shocked at all.

You make waves in The Circle from the very beginning. How much of that was due to you coming in late and knowing you had to make up for lost time?
100,000%. That's the issue that people don't fully understand. When you come in at the beginning, you have plenty of time to have conversations where you don't have to talk about strategy. You can just get to know each other and build those core bonds. But when you come in the middle, you've missed so much. And when you're having chats with people, you don't know when you're gonna get to talk to them again. So for me, it was like, "I need to get to the point." And obviously the chats are longer than they were shown. So yes, I had like real talks in there as well. But at the end of the day, I was like, "I have to get some information out of this. Because what if I can't talk to this person again?"

So, as a part of that, you accept Myles to DM you first. And then you are off to the races.
Correct, but also no. So I think there is a little bit of a hole there. One thing I realized about Myles is, and retrospect is 20/20, obviously he told me he had power. I didn't know that was "most human." In my head, it was like an influencer or something. He had told me that he got to block someone. He had also told me that Cassie was upset with him. So when I heard that, that told me immediately, "Okay, this guy had power. There's a little fracture there. Maybe I can turn that into a full break." But I wasn't trying to get Myles out immediately. For my first ratings, for example, I didn't put Myles in the middle or towards the bottom because I wanted him to go. I put him there because I knew I was gonna be safe in that blocking. And I knew if he was an influencer, I kind of already knew how he would play at that point. I put QT in first because I had seen QT in our first Circle chat, and she was kind of playing the middle. So I wanted to get more information on other players and try to see what she would do in a position of power.

Once you commit to getting rid of Myles, you start the plotting against him, to the point of spreading rumors and lies. Were you worried about the repercussions of those getting back to him? And what was your reaction when they did?
No, I wasn't worried about it getting back to him. Because at the end of the day, it was going to be my word versus his. And I know that I've seen that some people think that's really shady gameplay. But I made it very clear. Every time I would make up that lie, I said out loud in my apartment, "This is a complete lie." My whole point with that was I was trying to get people to think Myles was capable of manipulation. That's all I was trying to do. So was I worried about it coming back to me? No. At the time, I really wasn't. I was not worried about it. I was like, "It's gonna be my word against his at the end of the day." And I figured it would get back to him, because that's such a bold thing to say. 

Talk to me more about this three-hour talk with QT in the influencer chat. Because you really come in charging and stand at a stalemate until she leaves the chat.
This is very interesting. And I think it will shape the future seasons of The Circle, because we've never seen something like this happen before. So when I was going in there, in my head, I was like, "We're gonna have to come to an agreement on something like at the end of the day." So I started with Myles. Quickly I realized that wasn't gonna happen. So I said, "Okay, let me let's try to get out Kyle. That will weaken Myles." That didn't work. Then I pitched Olivia. And I don't remember if that was shown or not, but I talked with QT about Olivia. And I told her, "You know Olivia is also a very well-liked player. Wouldn't that help you get into a better position?"

And then I realized, in retrospect, that makes her probably want to keep Olivia even more. Because then that would make QT an even bigger target if she took out Olivia, just because they were kind of on the same social status in the Circle. Um, but one thing I had said to QT in our influencer chat is, "Listen right now, you are sitting way too pretty. This is your second time being an influencer. It would not hurt you to have a little blood on your hands. Because if you go to the end, people are gonna look at you as someone that has a high chance of winning, and you might end up on the bottom." But none of it worked! She just said, "Gotta go!" But if I would have known that was an option, I would have played it completely differently. I just didn't even know that was a thing.

As someone who's a big gamer, how much do you think this being "the most strategic Circle season" will affect the way people approach The Circle from now on?
I would hope it does. So when we look back at season one, it truly was a popularity contest. But just like with Survivor, just like with Big Brother, every show evolves. And just as the social strategy fan I am, I would love to see The Circle kind of inch into that more strategic approach. Because I still see people say there's no point of there being a catfish in the game. There's no point of catching a catfish, which is true. But the whole point of the catfish in the game is to disguise your game to change people's perception of you in the game, so that you can make moves or try to influence people other ways. So I don't think the catfish is dead like some people say.

Finally, you were someone that was very adamant about how everything you were doing wasn't personal and was just a game. But clearly some of your competitors did not agree. What has your relationship been like now that people have gotten to know Jordan? Especially with Myles?
It's actually crazy. So after we filmed the finale, we went back to the hotel and everyone was talking. Me and Myles stayed up until 5:00 a.m. in the morning just talking about the entire game. Three weeks after the show aired, I went and stayed at Myles' house. Me, QT, and Steffi all hung out. Everyone in the game, once the game was over, understood it was a game. There were no hard feelings anywhere at all. 

Next, check our interview with The Circle Season 6 third-place finisher Quori-Tyler "QT" Bullock.

The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 is here! Throughout the season, Parade.com will speak with the challengers who were eliminated from the all-star competition.

Though Jasmine Reynaud is far from green to The Challenge, she came into All Stars Season 4 as a completely different woman. In the premiere, she declared the season her divorce party, and she was ready to prove her independence. Jasmine made it her mission to play a game she always wanted, making many powerful connections to be protected on all sides. And, when she found herself in power, she took a shot at someone who knew that game all too well, Cara Maria Sorbello. Though Jasmine succeeded in her goal to put star holders Cara and Rachel Robinson against each other, it left an irate Cara standing with a vengeful extra star in her hand.

Surprisingly, Cara gave the star to Jasmine, having the latter remark that her enemy just gave her a ticket to the final. But her revenge was far from complete. The "starget" was now on Jasmine to the point where Cara was able to coerce most of the voters to throw her in against fellow star holder Veronica Portillo. But everyone was thrown for a loop at the elimination, as Nicole Zanatta threw herself in to get a star. Though she initially took Jasmine's place, a last-minute sway by Veronica got in her ear. As a result, she called an audible, dragging Jasmine out of the game as she did attached to a giant rope.

Now out of the game, Jasmine speaks with Parade.com about what led to her different gameplay style, her conflicts with Ayanna and Cara, and whether social media reaction means she won't be returning for another season.

Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge: All Stars Season 4

You said multiple times this season that you wanted to play a game you were never able to play before, that you could only watch others do. Did you come in with that intention, or did that just happen once you wound up in the house?
No, I knew going into this game, I wanted to play things differently. I'm just coming off of a really bad divorce. I'm bitter, I'm a woman scorned. All these things I should have done when I was married. All these things I should have done when I first played The Challenge. This is my opportunity, this is my time, and I'm going to do it.

So what did that consist of? We see this past episode that Cara says that Derek, Ryan, Kam, Laurel, and Jay all won't say your name. Were you building on previous relationships, or looking to make new bonds?
Once I saw what the lineup was, and saw who was there. I was like, "Okay, how is this gonna work for me?" I already knew the "Mean Girls" are gonna be together. And I was like, "We've got to eventually break that up. Just got to figure out who do we go for first." I've never played with Kam, Averey, Jay, and Nicole. They're new people to me. But I know they've all kind of played together. So I didn't know how that dynamic was gonna go. I knew I had friends as far as Derek and Ryan and Brandon. And I knew Averey was friends with Ryan and Derek. So I knew I had some ways. But I was never aligned with anyone. I just had associates and friends and people. So I had to just kind of maneuver my way through and see what worked best for me and how people were really thinking.

You mention how you weren't in any explicit alliances. Did that incorporate into the decision to vote Cara into elimination against Rachel? What went into pulling that trigger?
It wasn't that simple. Like this vote went 1000 different ways. At that point, you have some of the strongest girls at the bottom. You've got Cara, Rachel, and Nicole. So we played a lot of different scenarios how this was going to go. Because at one point I was thinking, "Why not Rachel and Nicole? That might be a pretty good one. Why not Nicole and Cara?" So it was definitely got played around with. And I had to do what was best for me. I don't want to see Cara in a final. I've already seen her in elimination before. So I definitely don't want to see her in the final. So for me, it wasn't personal. It was business.

And I think she uses the word "friendship" a little loosely. We are friendly. We have never had a problem on any Challenge together. When we do Challenges together, we don't really talk and hang out personally. But we don't have a problem with each other. At the end of the day, you're a co-worker. So that's what it is. I'm going to use you to the best of my ability any way I can, and you're going to use me. At the end of the day, I've always been just a number for Cara. And that's fine. I don't take it personally. It's a game. She took it personally. So it is what it is.

What was your reaction when she went down to the elimination and said, "I definitely created a monster" in reference to you?
First of all, "created a monster"? You mean someone that had an attitude? That stands up for themselves? That will go after anybody and stand on their 10 toes? Oh, I've been doing that since Rivals.

Oh, I remember. That mirror will never be the same!
Yeah. You didn't create me. Rhonda Foreman created me, honey. So you need to give her her props. So I don't want to go there. [Laughs.] But I was just really shocked that Cara all of a sudden went from, "You've done this personally to me" and crying to now having some balls because you're in front of TJ. TJ can't save you, not from my mouth.

Speaking of another conflict, you and Ayanna end up getting into it while she's in the house. Prior to the season, I know that she had been with you through some very difficult times. But when you get into the house, there was this conflict with Janelle that we didn't see the full extent of, but we know you were involved in. And then, in another conflict, Ayanna mentions you and your conversations preseason, which had you going after her. How tough was it to negotiate the support she gave you before the show to all the sloppiness and drama she was bringing on the show?
Yeah, I mean, the whole Janelle thing was hard. because Janelle and Ayanna were both there for me outside of the show, people that I could talk to, call, and reach out to when I was going through one of the worst things of my life. So to see two people that I care about and I had both met at the same time on All Stars 2 going at it. And one person wanting to leave, and then Ayanna just going on this off-the-wall type of situation, it was just mind blowing. And then to watch her just attack everyone, I'm sitting there. And then you look at me, and just to come after me. What I have done?! I said nothing. I have been completely quiet. I tried to help mediate things, but it's just not working. So for you to attack me and come after me when I've done nothing.

Going back to the Cara/Rachel elimination, Cara decides to give you a star to put a "starget" on you. In the moment, you say it's a mistake, since that just gifted you a final. And, for what it's worth, you nearly didn't go into elimination. But you could argue it's one of the reasons why you were voted in. Did you have to change your game once you were given the star?
Yeah, it definitely did change things. I kind of had to take a step back and re-analyze things. Because once I got that star, people that I was working with's attitudes changed. We're talking about people like Jay and Averey. [They were] like, "Oh, why did Cara give her a star when I saved Cara?" So it made I think people think that I had all these other deals. Because that's something that I did hear people floating around, that I was making deals here and deals there. And I'm like, "What deals am I making?" So Cara handing me the star really hurt my game in more ways than I thought. I thought it was a helpful thing. But now watching and seeing what everyone is saying, it hurt my game. I took a shot. It didn't work. She took a shot. And she nailed it right on point.

Well, let's talk about that. Because we see Cara really maneuver that vote to put you in, telling Jay that you had a bunch of deals and he was at the bottom of your pecking order. And she promised Averey she would give her a star the next chance she got. So were you surprised to be sent in against Veronica?
I was not surprised to see my name. Absolutely not surprised. I was surprised that she picked Veronica, as I thought, Cara was taking this very personally. I thought she'd want to pick someone a little bit stronger to maybe take me out. Because I kind of think that me and Veronica, as far as our heights, that might work out in favor for each other. So it can be anyone's game. But I was not surprised to hear my name whatsoever. I knew it was coming. I knew it was happening. I mean, you take a shot and you miss, you better be prepared for the retaliation back.

When Adam voted for you, he said that he wanted to get rid of a "mouthpiece of Kam." Does that perception surprise you?
You know, I was really shocked that everyone thought I was a mouthpiece of Kam, because that wasn't the case. A lot of times whene I went talk to Kam, it was just we were both bouncing ideas like, "Oh, I was thinking that too. Yeah, that could work." I wasn't anyone's mouthpiece. And so with Adam, I was a little offended. Because Adam makes it seem like he wants to get to know people and all this type of stuff. Anyone who knows me and has watched my resumé knows no one speaks for me. I do what I want when I want how I want. Even if it's it goes against the grain or I fall on my own sword, I do what I want. No one has ever spoken for me. So, Adam, you don't know me enough like that to even say that.

Of course, we have to talk about Nicole choosing to go into elimination. At first she replaces you. But, when Veronica tells her she's working against Cara, Nicole switches to put you in and send you out. Talk me through that emotional journey you went on.
I was not surprised that Nicole did that. Because Flora had worked out a deal for me and Nicole to make that happen when we were on the buses headed to elimination. And we shook on it. So I was not shocked. But, obviously, I have to play the shocked role. Then when I get up there, and we're standing there, I'm like, "This is taking way too long. Why are these two talking? Why are we not doing this? Let's wrap this up, TJ." Then they told me that I'm going down again. I'm fuming angry on the inside. On the outside, all I can do is laugh. I mean, if I was Cara I would have been like, "Checkmate." She didn't have to do anything; other people did it for her to get me out. It was crazy. Everybody was shocked.

I have to go back to this bomb you dropped. So you, Flora, and Nicole made a deal before the elimination that, sight unseen, Nicole would go down and take your place?
Yeah. Because me and Flora were also close. We were roommates; we stayed in the same room. And her and Nicole were close. And so Flora was like, "Hey, I've worked out this deal. Nicole will go down. And, if you ever get the opportunity, you won't take her star. You guys will work together. Blah, blah, blah." And I was like, "Okay, cool." We shook on it on the bus. So when she said my name, I'm like, "Great. Yes, perfect, I'm safe." And then Veronica, I gotta give it to you, girl! You literally created a lie. And she believed you. And it worked. I gotta give Veronica her props. That's why she's an all-star. That's why she's an OG. I can't even be mad at the game.

On your way out, you talked about how you were already ready to come back for another season. But I did see on social media, after receiving many personal attacks against you and your family following your move against Cara, you said that All Stars 4 would be your last season. What's the temperature check on your chances of returning now that we're a couple of weeks removed from that?
I mean, you know, it's social media. Sometimes you then can you say things and you're in the moment, and it's hard to just see that. And I've kind of been a little quiet. I've just been posting about my daughter and her dance competitions. So you take a step back, and then you realize why you do this, what you do it for, what's the bigger picture. You can't let someone who's over a phone screen get in your face. Because if they had to go out there and do what you do, they would cry the moment their foot hit the ground. So it just depends on the timing. If everything works out for me and my kids, they're in their competitive mode right now with dance and karate and baseball. If the timing is right, and I can do it, you'll see me again. This isn't the last time you'll see me. I've got something to prove. And I've got a few people I've got to go after.

Finally, in honor of the infamous "[expletive] They Should Have Shown" episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what's one moment from your time on the show that you wish you had made the edit?
I wish they maybe would have shown a little bit more of Brandon and I both talking about how we wanted to play a different game. How we did maneuver, we did talk with other people. We did present these things to Kam and Leroy. I just kind of wish people got to see that a little bit more. I wish people got to see how annoyed we all were with Laurel and Nicole. [Laughs.] We kept telling Nicole, "If you don't stop talking about her, don't come in this room again talking about that." [Laughs.]

Next, check out our interview with Kefla Hare, who was also eliminated in The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 Episode 6.

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

As a former dancer for the Lakers, Quori-Tyler "QT" Bullock knows how to be light on her feet. Combined with a superfandom of The Circle and love of social strategy games, that made for a deadly combination. Though she came in late, QT soon had the ear of everyone in the Circle, particularly catching the eye of Myles Reed. And that popularity translated to power, as she became a back-to-back influencer.

Unfortunately, with great power comes great responsibility, and a great target. QT's blocking decisions earned the ire of contestants, most notably Jordan Staff. After his "ride or die" refused to ride on what he was pitching her, he tried to torch her game, publicly calling her out and saying she had already won the game. But according to QT herself, she knew she had already lost. Despite making the finale, QT was considered too big of a threat, and was undone by everyone else voting tactically. But even if she didn't walk out of The Circle with $100,000, she may have walked out with a "Papi Fuego" on her arm.

Read on to hear QT's thoughts on her time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

I know you're a big fan of social strategy shows, and touted yourself a superfan of The Circle. How did you end up getting on the show?
So I started watching the show when it first came on in the US and then I went back and actually started watching some of the UK seasons. I was so obsessed with it. I just love strategy game shows. Big Brother, Survivor, The Circle. Any strategy game show that comes on TV, I'm watching it. I'm a huge Big Brother live feeder. So strategy is a huge part of my life, I guess. I've just always been obsessed with it. And then what I always said in all my interviews to get onto The Circle is that the only way you can play a game like this is to be on the show truly. There's no other way. So I always felt like I would do pretty good. But obviously, you don't know until you're actually in it. So that's kind of what motivated me to become a player.

Did you ever think about catfishing as someone?
No, I always wanted to go on as myself. Because I knew that I was going to be lying and backstabbing as much as possible. So I was like, "I need to eliminate the amount of lies that I need to tell, only the lies that I absolutely need to to get me further in the game." And I felt like I've done so much in my life between dancing for professional sports teams to loving books, sports, and makeup. I have so many facets of my life that I felt like I could use all of that to deal with people. So I didn't feel like I needed to catfish as someone else.

Let's fast-forward to the end of the season. There was palpable shock among the other players when you finished in third. But you had said in the finale that you were worried you wouldn't win because you were too much of a target. So, what was your reaction to where you placed?
Two days before the finale, once I became influencer that second time, I was like, "There's just no way I'm winning the game." It didn't matter what combination of five people were going to be at the end; I was never going to win the game. Because I knew that everyone that was left besides Myles--which obviously I had a little bit of blinders there--was going to rate me lower in the end because they knew that I had too much power and I was on top too much. So going into it, I knew there was no chance of me winning. I just tried to give myself the best opportunity. And then honestly getting third I was shocked. I thought that I was really going to get fourth, maybe fifth possibly. So third, I was feeling pretty good.!But as we were going down, and I didn't get fifth, and then I didn't get fourth, I was like, "Wait, maybe I can win this!" And then I got third and it was all over. [Laughs.]

Well it's interesting you talk about how those final ratings would shake. We see you say you were originally going to rate tactically. But, if you didn't win, you wanted to have a "deserving" winner. You rate Kyle first and Olivia third. What were the rest of your ratings, and what made you deviate from strategy?
I feel like I have like a conflated view of what I did. Because I always remember thinking I need to rate Jordan first. I think from when we were doing the secret superinfluencer, once I got to that point of the game of realizing I wasn't going to win, I wasn't playing to win anymore. And the whole time I was until I got there. And then I stopped playing to win. I was just playing like, "Okay, I'm not gonna win. So let me just make like random decisions." Obviously, me and Kyle worked so strongly together. I think I was also very hurt by myself. The fact that I put Myles in third in the Secret superinfluencer one, I didn't trust my alliance with the two of them.

And so then at the end, I was like, "Okay, if I don't win, I do want it to be Kyle." Because I mean, we've been together since basically the beginning. So I felt like I wasn't going to win. So if it's not me, then I wanted it to be Kyle. But I did go back and forth with putting Jordan first. Because I knew that no one else was going to rate him that high, so that could give me a little bit of a better chance. But I think ultimately, I just knew I probably wasn't going to win. So I needed to put someone that I actually wanted to win the game in first.

You mentioned it, so let's talk about that superinfluencer rating. You surprisingly rate Myles third, questioning if he's more strategic than you may have thought after the gift giving game. Instead, you rate Olivia first, saying you have the strongest emotional connection to her. Of course, that round, Olivia does become the superinfluencer, and blocks Myles. Talk me through that decision there.
I know! So okay, so there were a few things. It wasn't just the gift thing. I think that's what everyone's kind of seeing right now. But there were a few scenarios that were happening with Myles that I felt like he was more strategic than I realized. After the pancake thing, and him flirting with me in the rap, I was thinking he's just playing this like whatever game. Just doing whatever, flirting with me, and just having fun. Then when he came to me and Kyle to tell us that we both need to rate Autumn on the bottom, he was basically trying to like maneuver things for the "Ride or die" twist. Then he sent the gift to Olivia. Then we had another conversation where he was saying, "We need to put Lauren at the bottom." I was just starting to realize that he's a lot more strategic than I was giving him credit for. And now watching as a viewer I'm seeing that he was like that the whole time. But from my conversations with him, I wasn't getting that until the end.

And then I think the whole time, there's always a chance that he could be a catfish for me. Even though I'm flirting, we're having fun, I don't think it was shown enough the amount of doubt that I had that he was actually Myles. Because he was this big character in the way he texts with "Papi Fuego" and the fire emojis. Everything just made me feel like I didn't want to get my hopes up too much that he was who he said he was. So I always had this thread of thinking Myles is a catfish. And so obviously, we get to secret superinfluencer and I'm like, "If Myles is a catfish, the smartest thing for him to do right now as a secret influencer would be to block me." Because I always felt like I was going to win over Myles. I guess I just think so much as a strategist that if I was in his position, and I got secret influencer, I'd probably block me. Because it would kind of be a smart move for him, especially if he knew that I was a strategist and I wouldn't rate him as high in the end.

I don't know. I just started to play the game a little bit too much. And I think I was just thinking too deeply into it. And I still never wanted Myles to leave. That wasn't my intention of putting him third. I just didn't want him to have the power to block someone secretly. Me putting Olivia first is because--which I do think I read right--she was an emotional player. We had an emotional connection, and I knew that she was not going to block me. So again, I'm not playing to win. I just playing to get to the finale in that spot. So I put Olivia there knowing that it's a possibility she blocks Myles. But at least it gets me to the next step.

Well you talk about your game being done with your second stint as influencer. That has you getting in a tense stand-off with your ride or die Jordan, who keeps pushing you to get rid of Myles or Kyle to the point where you tell him it's your decision and then leave the chat. Talk me through your experience with that.
We were in there for three hours. I was so late at night. I was getting so frustrated towards the end of it. There's so much that's not even shown because we were there for so long, going back and forth, back and forth. And I was just sitting there. And I just kept saying, "I'm not leaving unless Autumn is blocked. So I'm not sure what else is gonna happen." And what I was feeling the whole time we were talking was he was in sixth place; I was in first. So there has to be some kind of hierarchy. And I felt like, because I was the number one influencer, why can't I just be able to make the decision? So once I realized we were in full deadlock, and once he sent that message about, "Well, Autumn's not an option," I was like, "Well, Autumn's honestly my only option. There's no other thing that I'm willing to do." So it wasn't enough with the conversation. I was like, "This is not serving me anymore. Let me just try to leave the chat." I did; it worked. And the rest is history.

So then were you surprised when Jordan came into Circle Chat the next day and called you out, saying you were going to win the season?
Honestly, I had so much fun during that conversation. As a fan of the shows, I was like, "This is such an iconic moment." It's so epic. I knew he was gonna do it. When I woke up in the morning, it was the first thing I said. "Jordan's gonna publicly come after me." I didn't expect him to come after me and Myles. I mean, now I'm seeing he was obsessive coming after Myles. But I think it would have made more sense for him to have just one target in me after the conversation we had last night. But whatever. He comes for me. I was shocked about him saying that I was going to be the winner. But again, I didn't feel like I could win anyway. So I was just having fun with it at that point. And then I saw that everyone was protecting me. Olivia sent a message in my favor. Even Lauren a little bit, Kyle, Myles. Everyone was protecting me. So I felt really good about my standing there. And I knew that people were looking more at him than me after he did that.

I know you and Myles agreed to go on a date after he left The Circle. What's the status on your relationship since you filmed?
When we came back from The Circle, we did go on some dates. I don't know. I mean, it's been so long since the show filmed. We went on some dates, and then we kind of didn't see each other for a while. He was traveling; I had a lot of work stuff. I was traveling. And so nothing like really came of it. And then recently, right before the show, we started kind of rekindling things. So we're just figuring everything out right now, I think. The "fuego" still shines bright.

Finally, as an avid fan of these social strategy shows, how much do you think everything from "the most strategic Circle season ever" might affect the way people play The Circle in the future?
It's exciting to even think about. But I feel like it really is going to affect it greatly. I think a lot of people are seeing how you can be strategic in The Circle now in a way that you weren't able to before. A lot of the times before, it was just popularity and everyone's being so nice to each other. But now I feel like you can kind of use that niceness, make it a strategy, and make people like you in certain ways that are not as genuine.  I love to watch that as a viewer I know some people are torn about it. But I'm excited to see how people play moving forward. And hopefully, I can inspire some players to go in there and really switch up the game. 

Next, check our interview with The Circle Season 6 runner-up Kyle Fuller.

The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 is here! Throughout the season, Parade.com will speak with the challengers who were eliminated from the all-star competition.

It's been a long road (rules) to get Kefla Hare back on The Challenge. After appearing on the very first season (simply dubbed Real World/Road Rules Challenge) back in 1999, he was a face that many thought would be a "one and done," especially with how different the series has changed. But, after 25 years of lying in wait, Kefla finally got his opportunity with All Stars Season 4. Immediately he proved himself with infectious personality, dance moves, and athleticism when he beat Syrus Yarbrough in elimination. Unfortunately, for Kefla, the biggest thing he missed out on in his 25-year hiatus was the key to this season: Building relationships. Every time he wasn't safe, he was the easy target to throw into elimination. And when he got sent in against fellow star-holder Steve Meinke, he suffered a surprising upset. His strength and weight advantage lost out to Steve's wrestling experience, and an injury suffered during the daily had Kefla quite literally at the end of his rope.

Now out of the game, Kefla speaks with Parade.com about how he came back to The Challenge after decades away, what surprised him the most about the season, and how his elimination actually served as a "blessing in disguise" for a larger diagnosis.

Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge: All Stars Season 4

It's been 25 years since we last saw you on The Challenge. A lot of fans, including myself, were surprised to see you back for many reasons. So what led you back to the show after such a long time away?
I've always wanted to. I've had two callbacks for Inferno and Battle of the Sexes. Battle of the Sexes, I had just got engaged to my now-wife. And at the time, I think they were trying to get the rekindled love affair with Roni and myself. And then Inferno, my wife was on bed rest, pregnant with the twins. So I had to turn them down for those two things. And then after that, I just kind of like fell off the chart. But I had spoken to someone once, and he was like, "You're high on the athletics part in the competition. But then when we look at the drama, you don't have that. So they always go for someone that has more drama than that." And so I've always tried to keep the door open. But I was just thinking, "Man, it's going to close in."

So when Mark threw the idea out, he DMed a few of us. And he's like, "What would you think about doing a Challenge with the old school folks like ourselves that started it all? And we do some fun stuff, stuff that won't get as hurt and killed." And I was like, "Dude, you know I'm down!" Because we have so much fun doing the first one. I said, "Hey, whatever you need. You ain't even got to pay me right now. Let's do it." Because it'd just be fun just to you know, create some content with Mark.

And all of a sudden he did the "#WeWantOGs." And that started rolling like wildfire, man. And here it is. And that's what kind of kept me in the loop right there. All Stars makes it safer for the "britter bonelers," people like ourselves. [Laughs.] If you look at the episode, you saw Steve had a CPAP. I had a CPAP also. I had all kinds of stuff. I had cream from my bones and my joints. I had OOFOS, the shoes that "older" people wear now to help them recover better. So this setup was perfect for me to come back in.

Had you been keeping up with The Challenge in your time away? What was your expectation going into All Stars, and how much did the experience defy it?
Well, I didn't keep up with the show as much. Because it hurts me to watch it, knowing that I should have been there. Like, "Dang, why didn't they have me?" I've always tried to keep myself in shape. The only time I wouldn't be in shape is when I hurt myself trying to get in shape. And so every time, I would always look and see who's the new cast. Because I would say, "Oh, they brought such and such back?! I'm ready!" And I would see it and then I just wouldn't watch it. And I would see people and they'd be like, "Hey, so what do you think about The Challenge?" I'd say, "Man, I'm sorry, but I don't watch. I'm not hating. I just don't watch it because it makes me feel some kind of way."

And then so when I got into the house, I really didn't know what to expect. But I did see All Stars Season 1. And that led me to say, "Okay, I can do this. This is not as bad. It's not a lot of drama." Because some of these people are grown. They have jobs they gotta go back to. They can't be messing up their mortgage payments. And so I said, "I can do this." And when I got the call, it was actually for Season 2. I injured my ankle, and thought I was going to do it because I was like, "Well, I can wear a brace." But then right when they said they wanted me, the very next day, the doctor called and said, "We need to do surgery." So they had to do a full reconstruction repair on my ankle as far as the tendons and everything were concerned. And so I had to let them know that I couldn't do it. And that's disappointing. I was like, "God, why did you tease me like this? You bring me right to the door and then you slam it in my face again." But then I told myself, "That's okay. He did it for reason, whatever it is. Just be patient, be faithful, and everything will work its way out."

And I'm glad that I did this one. Because talking to people that did [previous seasons], they said that four was set up much better than the other ones. They said, "Even the way production worked with us, even the gaming, how they had everything design was better." So I felt I felt like that's what God was doing. He was like, "Look, I'm gonna show you. Get ready. But not this one. I got one perfect for you." And it seems like man, he gave me the exact one that I needed. Because I'm getting so much love. And and I'm not even the major piece to the puzzle. And it just feels good. But less and less people know that, even without the drama, even without vying for screen time and camera time, you're still going to be an important factor, an important piece, and influential to a lot of people out there if you just be your authentic self. 

So you talk about some injuries that kept you out of previous All Stars seasons. Let's talk about one that arguably took you out. Can you describe what happened with you injuring your hamstring during this past daily challenge? 
Yeah, man. It was either the second or third place we had to run to. And I remember, we're running off of the bleachers. And I had to run onto what they call the "pitch." Right when I leave and landed, I tried to explode, and I felt it pop. And I mean, if you ever feel something pop, you know that there's something wrong. And so I did not slow down, but my mind was saying, "Slow down, slow down, slow down." But then the other part of me was saying, "Keep going. If it tears, it tears. Whatever happens, just go full out." And so I just kept rolling, kept rolling, kept rolling. And every time we get to somewhere, it will hurt even more and more. Aand then we go somewhere else and then start hurting more, go somewhere, start hurting more. And that affected me going up the bleachers and all that kind of stuff in that in that challenge.

And so we tried to get therapy. We had a physical therapist come and put stimulation to it. But it just wasn't right, man. And I knew right then from the jump. I said, "I know for a fact, if we don't finish top with this injury, they're going to pounce on me, as they should. They're going to vote me in." Because if I'm injured, and I'm on your team, I may hurt you the next challenge. And I know the game. And so I was expecting to go in without even politicking. I knew what the writing was on the wall.

How much did that affect your elimination performance against Steve?
So when I got into the elimination, that moment when I lift Steve up, my goal was to lift Steve up and the rope, and I was just gonna carry them both so that the rope would come across the board. That was my goal. But as I started moving forward, I felt it snap and twist again. And then that's when I fell. And we started maneuvering and wrestling to the ground. And Steve is a wrestler, and so he got on me. And when he got on me, I was trying to life the rope, which is almost 200+ pounds, Steve is probably right at, I'll say, 190, 200 solid pounds. And every time I would lift, he would land on me and I would lose more breath. Lift, lose more breath. Lift, lose more breath. And it got to the point where I couldn't even put my hands up. I couldn't have any leverage. I couldn't do anything. And I was not getting any oxygen in. And so I was like "Yeah, I can't do this." I couldn't breathe, and I was to the point where I just had to tap out, because I was literally out of breath, like I was gonna pass out. And I was like, "I'd rather tap out than die out."

And so I come to find out after everything, when I went home, my wife was concerned about my health. She was like, "Go to the respiratory doc." Because I couldn't even walk up a flight of stairs without breathing hard. Come to find out, I was only using 76% of my lung capacity. And they said, "It looks like it was fluid and minor scar tissue from probably post-COVID or something like that." So the doctor put me on some treatment, on some inhalers and stuff and to clear that up. And so now I'm in I'm in pretty good shape. I go back in a week or so to get everything finalized and see how it is. But I feel better than I did before I left for the show.

So I think that's a blessing in disguise. Because who knows what would have happened if I went through and how badly I could have damaged myself. But I'm good, good bill of health. But I was good then. And that's what the doctor said. He was like, "I don't know how we didn't pick it up when we did the stress test. We did the stress test and you passed with flying colors. But we didn't do this in-depth test, which shows that people can live perfectly fine like that and exercise. But that explains why you couldn't push past some of those boundaries."

Well I'm so happy to hear you're feeling even better than you did before! Going in against Steve was not your first elimination. You correctly predicted you'd go in against Syrus, as two of the guys who were least connected in the house. Talk to me about the experience of winning your first elimination. Did it leave an impression on the house, booty pop included? [Laughs.]
[Laughs.] Yeah, well, when you come from the South, you learn how to booty pop. That's where it originated! But they set that precedence in the first elimination. When I had the chance to vote, I asked them, "So if this is based off relationships, where does that leave me?" And Ryan was like, "Unfortunately, that's what we have to go by right now." And it makes sense. But I see now where I stand in this group. And so when Syrus and I had to go in, it wasn't that I volunteered. It was just the fact that I told them, "There's no need to politic. Y'all don't have to come to me and say, 'How do you want me to vote?' You vote how you want to vote! If you have to ask me that question, then something's wrong here."

Play the game how you need to play. Because I'd rather for you to be straight up with me in my face and say that you're gonna do something as opposed to you shaking my hand and not lobbying for me, but knowing that you're voting against me. I'd respect you more. And not only that, we're in this house. I don't care if we're in this house for nine months and you vote against me. I'm not going to be having some kind of attitude towards you. Because that's gonna make my day long and worse.

And so when I got injured, I kind of knew I was going in for sure. And they were like, "What do you want it?" I said, "Look, man, y'all know me." And they were like, "I respect you for that. One thing about Kefla, he makes it easier on us. He's not going to tell us, 'Oh, please do this, please do that.'" Just do what you have to do. Do what's best for your gameplay, because I'm gonna do what's best for my gameplay. And of course, they voted me. And I told them, "It's my job to not get in that opportunity where you have to vote me in. And then it's also my job, if I do get voted in, to win so I can get my butt back into the house. It comes on me. It's never on y'all. It's on me. Because I put myself in that position, and I need to get myself out of it."

Finally, in honor of the infamous "[expletive] They Should Have Shown" episode of the old-school days of The Challenge, what's one moment from your time on the show that you wish you had made the edit?
I think some of the relationships that we built. Nicole and I were, really clowning a lot. We would laugh so freaking hard. Like, [In a Nicole impression.] "Kefla, bro, what's going on, man? Yo, come here Keef. Keef, come here, bro."  And we would just sit there and be laughing. Even when we're going to the freaking challenge, we're laughing. Going into the elimination, we're laughing. We were just always having a good time. And I had those moments with a lot of people in the house. But of course, they wanted to see what they got. And I understand that; everything can't make the cutting room floor. But that's definitely one thing, the relationship I had with Nicole.

Also, some of the little conversations, TJ would have. For example, when we would pick teams, I would be the last to be picked. And TJ was like, "Yo, y'all must not be watching the same thing I'm watching. Because Kefla's been proving himself every week, every day." And even at the end. I told TJ, like I said, "I understood it was based off of relationships. And everybody up here, I pray that I have put a lasting impression on you. So if we're ever on the show together, I know that now I have somebody that I can build an alliance with. Because I have proven myself worthy of having relationships with all of you." So little things like that, that I wish we could have shown. But I understand the cutting room floor. You can't do that for everybody.

Next, check out our interview with Brandon Nelson, who was eliminated in The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 Episode 5.

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

Kyle Fuller is all about putting up twos. It's natural to him, given his profession as a basketball player. So it only makes sense he brought it into The Circle (including a literal number two in his puppy Deuce). Kyle was great on one-on-ones, even getting "Paul" (AKA Caress Alon) to sacrifice himself for his game. But his true pair was "Olivia" (AKA Brandon Baker). The two had a relationship in The Circle straight out of a rom-com, going from vocal enemies to bonding over personal details to eventually turning to flirting and a photo sharing session. It's safe to say Kyle imagined he would be standing at the end next to Olivia for the final two positions. However, he never imagined it wouldn't be with a man who had been catfishing as his "#CircleBae" the whole time. And he certainly have imagined that he would finish in number two, arguably dooming himself by rating Olivia first.

Read on to hear Kyle's thoughts on his time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
I cannot even take the credit. Because the season before this, me and my girl watched it. We had a good time watching it. But then after that, I'm still getting ready for my next season. I was supposed to leave for Argentina. But my girlfriend thought, "Oh, you would be perfect for this show. You have the personality. You would be great for it." And I'm like, "Yeah, but no. Because I'm good at basketball, I want to focus on basketball. It's going good in my career right now." They actually signed me up without me knowing.

And then all of a sudden, I get a call I'm gonna say two months later. And I am supposed to leave for Argentina in the next couple of weeks. And I get a call from one of the producers saying, "Kyle, you are my guy!" And there's a random number right now and it's a woman. So I'm like, "No, I'm not!" [Laughs.] I don't know who is nearby. But I see it from L.A. And I do have a lot of friends from L.A, so I thought it was somebody from L.A. And they go. "You would be perfect for The Circle." And I go, "What? How did you just contact me out of nowhere right now?" Then she goes, "You are my guy. I loved the application. I just need you not to do the next steps." So I go, "Okay, thank you."

And I immediately go to my girl and ask, "Why did The Circle call me just now?" And she goes, "What?! Let's go!" And she's screaming, jumping up and down. And I'm like, "Let's go what? I had no idea about this. What are you talking about?" And then I found out that the filming was the same time as I was about to start my season. But now the best part about this was that I always wanted to be home with my family. I'm tired of her always having to go to Brazil or go to these different places. And she can only visit me for like two months at a time because like she has her own job. So I was like, "This is my chance to be home and be with my family. Especially if I win this money, I can now have a good start of being home with my family and my new puppy." So it was  really important. So I said, "You know what? I'm just gonna do it. I'm just gonna take the chance and I'm gonna do it."

Once you decide to commit to the thing you were signed up for without you knowing, you make two major choices: Playing as single, and bringing in your dog Deuce. Talk to me about what led to those decisions.
When it came to me going in single, that one me and my wife had a big conversation about. Because we were like, "Okay, let's watch the other seasons now and let's see who's actually made it being married, or made it being in a relationship." And we didn't see that many people that went far without being single and without keeping that door open. So she was like, "I'm gonna let you go into single." So it was like my hall pass. [Laughs.] "I'm gonna let you go in single. But just be respectful. But get that money though. If you're going to single, you better bring home that money." So I said, "Okay, that's one plan."

So when the producers kept asking for the pictures on the profile page and things like that, almost all my pictures were like with my puppy. All my videos were with my puppy. She was like, "I love the camaraderie you guys have with each other. Could you bring him too?" And I was like, "Are you serious right now? I'll absolutely bring him." But the thing is, it was his first time flying too. So that right there was a mission in itself. Because he's never been on a plane; he had to kind of be with me on the plane. I didn't want to bother other people. And I didn't know how to take a dog on a plane in the first place anyway. So it was a new experience for both of us. 

So let's fast forward to the end of the season. What was your reaction to finishing second in the final ratings?
Because because of the connections I had, I knew I had a good chance of winning. It's just that always when it comes down to the final five, eerybody now is no longer voting with their heart or something like that. They're definitely voting, who they think is gonna be popular, they're gonna put them at the bottom. Because now it's about "win or go home." It's no longer about alliances anymore. It's about winning. I knew I was gonna play his high. I just didn't know where. So the moment I saw me, Olivia, and QT, I was like, "Okay, it's down to the big dogs. Let's see where we go." When I saw QT leave, I'm like, "Oh my God." It's me and Brandon. It's me and my Circle bestie. [Laughs.] But now I was like, "Lord, just say my name. Just turn over and say first." Because I found out that she was a secret super influencer. So I was like, "It's my turn now. This is mine now. I need it to bring home. My family. I need this." Unfortunately, it didn't go my way.

We see you rate Olivia first and Lauren third. Do you remember your other ratings, and why you chose to do that?
I think it was QT second. It was Lauren third. Jordan, I didn't want to win. So Jordan, four. I put Olivia first. See, that's the thing that I feel like is killing me right now. I always play with my heart. And it got me that far. When I say I'm loyal to you. I mean that. I'm not just saying that, you know. So when I kept putting "#IStandOnWhatISay," I meant that. And so I was thinking that they would possibly play it that way too. Because we've been playing a certain way the whole time. And I've been on top a lot of the time. So I'm like, "If Olivia does what she says. QT doesn't have any other people. Myles is gone; Jordan doesn't like her. Lauren, I'm not sure how good of a connection they have. I actually might have a chance to win this thing. So maybe I can play with my heart and be happy with myself where I put everybody and still win this." And now that I know it was Olivia who beat me, I just know if I put Olivia second, I would have won.

So let's stay on the Olivia train. You go from her calling you out as AI to you bonding over your mutual losses of your fathers, to then trading racy pictures over messaging. I gotta get your reaction to this entire journey.
I came in the game thinking Lauren was really cool. And she was really nice, and we were flirty back to each other. But the thing is, when I found out that Lauren was being nice to absolutely everyone, it was kind of like, "Okay, so are you just being flirty to me? But you've been flirty to also everyone else? When it's time to get our hands dirty., will you get your hands dirty with me?". And then when Paul came in and told me that she was flirting with him is when I knew, "Okay, I can't trust you." When I was influencer, QT and I were between Lauren and Cassie. And just because Lauren is nice to everyone. At least Cassie won't like someone, so at least I know who my enemy is. When you don't know who your enemies are, that's the dangerous part. So I didn't know if I could depend on Lauren.

So then, fast forward. Olivia was my enemy. Like she was my public enemy one. She's the first one that called me out thinking that I was an AI for some reason, don't know why. And that built that right there. But she reached out to me, and she first said sorry. And that right there takes a lot for somebody to say sorry. The longer you're in this game, when you build an enemy, that is your enemy. And you guys don't necessarily become friends. We both know that we're targets for each other. We're just not going at each other right now. When it came to Olivia, she straight up said, "Sorry. Let's start over." And that was big of her to me. And so then I was like, "Okay, now let me see more of her. Because I just don't know this girl. I've never talked to her." So when I opened up and said, "I definitely feel the same way about my mom, and then she told me about what happened to her," that right there hit a chord that not many people can hit for me.

So I knew from then on, I'm never coming for this girl. No matter what happens? I'm not coming for her. Because I know how that feels. And it's the worst feeling on the planet. So because of that, when I knew I didn't have Lauren, I was like, "I need her to be my number one." Because I just lost Paul, who was my "Ride or Die" and kept putting me number one every time. So now that I don't have a number one anymore, QT and Myles had each other. Even though we were in an alliance, they had each other. I needed someone to put me first or I would always end up in the back. So I was like, "That's my girl." So when I took it further, I was like, "Baby, forgive me. But you said I need to bring this money home. So I'm going all the way upwards. And I really did." But when I found out that it was not Olivia, Lord have mercy on my soul. That was rough right there.

It must have been such a wild feeling. Because not only do you find out that Olivia is not who she says she is, but you end standing alongside her hand-in-hand to see who will end up the winner!
Brandon and I looked at each other. And I said, "We said we were going to make it to the top. It's our time." We were cruising. We were being liked by everybody so we weren't creating enemies. People kept thinking that we didn't have a chance. But we were literally here. That was one heck of a day, you do not understand. I make it to the finals. I know I'm in the final five. I get to the finals; I meet everybody. Then I'm trying to figure out how the heck am I going to tell Olivia? Because she kept saying, "This is more than just The Circle. This is outside The Circle too." So now I'm thinking, "How am I going to tell this girl that I am married and I'm about to hurt her feelings?" This is what I'm thinking in the final. "How am I going to break it to her, that I'm sorry?" 

So seeing her walk out and it was Brandon threw me for a loop! I thought it was literally a producer coming out at first. I'm like, "Okay, so where's Liv?" When I saw everybody screaming, I figured out, "Oh my God I got catfished." And nobody knows how close me and Liv got. Nobody knows about that "hot and spicy" scene but me and her. I was like, "Oh my God, this is national TV. I just got completely catfished. This is bad."

So then, okay. Obviously it's Brandon. I'm kind of cool now. I have no problem because I know that, "Okay. You're a catfish, I'm married. There you go. We both got each other." That was cool. Then after that, it's me and him holding hands in the final. I'm like, "Wow, we really did this." It's so many emotions running through me right now. I don't know what to do. I made it to the finals with my "#CircleBae." My Circle Bae's a man. We're holding hands for one and two. We're both rooting for each other at the same time as well. So it's like, "Oh my God." The emotions were going crazy right now. And I just couldn't breathe at that moment. Time was moving so slow for me. 

Next, check our interview with The Circle Season 6 winner Brandon Baker (AKA "Olivia").

Warning! The interview below contains spoilers for all of Netflix's The Circle Season 6, which aired in April and May. Please do not continue if you do not wish to be spoiled on who was blocked in those episodes.

Brandon Baker began and ended his time on The Circle in tears. The nurse decided to catfish as his friend and coworker Olivia, and was quickly overwhelmed after failing to deliver in the first chat. Luckily, he bounced back quickly, becoming number one in the ratings the day after. Brandon came onto the show looking to show off his boisterous personality and make winning relationships. But he soon discovered this would be a very different Circle season for players and fans alike.

This season proved to be the most strategic yet. And Brandon soon realized he had to start scheming and he'd be left behind. In an act proving this, he made a deal with his "Ride or Die" Myles Reed, despite wanting to actively target him right before. But despite Brandon being more strategic, that doesn't mean emotions didn't get involve. He was part of one of the thorniest plots of the season, as Olivia and Kyle Fuller developed a rivalry turned friendship turned flirtmance, despite one being married and one being, as Brandon himself would describe, "gay as [expletive]." And it was those key relationships that not only had Brandon finishing first as the last influencer, but in the final ratings as well. And so he broke down into happy tears, surrounded by those who had finally met the man behind Olivia.

Read on to hear Brandon's thoughts on his time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle season 6 with the various players and catfishes alike.

Related: The Circle Season 6: Everything You Need to Know

What's your history with The Circle? How did you end up getting on the show?
So I had auditioned before and didn't make it. And I remember I was like, "Okay, so what can I do here? Could I maybe get some advice? "So I reached out to someone who was in casting with them, and just was kind of like, "Hey, is there anything I can do to kind of better myself?" And they responded, "Just be yourself and try again." And I was like, "Thank you!" [Laughs.] And then I think it was maybe a year or two after, someone I had worked with on another audition reached out to me and said, "Hey, I'm casting for this. Are you interested?" And I was like, "Absolutely! Get me now." It was a long process.

So when does Olivia come into the picture? Did you always audition with the intention of being a catfish?
I had auditioned with catfish and myself. And then, with this one, I was like, "You know what? I really want to do catfish." Because it felt like a challenge. And I was like, "Maybe it would be more fun."

Now let's jump to where things finished. First off, congratulations on being the winner! What was your reaction when you found out you had taken it all?
I was in complete shock. So when I went into those ratings, I was rating QT at the highest. Because I was like telling myself if I don't win, she deserves to win. So going into it, I just assumed I had given the game away. I had assumed I had given it all up. And then, we kept getting further and further to first place. And I was in complete shock. I grabbed Kyle and was like, "Just hold me right now. Because I can't breathe!" And I was sobbing, obviously, because that's what I do best. [Laughs.] It was a moment that I think will be in my mind for the rest of my life.

Understandably so! Do you remember what your full final ratings were? We saw you put QT and Kyle first and second, respectively.
So going into the finale, I had already kind of made up my mind who I was going to send home. That was the thing. It wasn't because of anything Jordan did. It was because I had told Cassie in the very beginning, "I'll take out Myles for you." And that kind of re-upped here. I was like, "You know what? I'm just gonna go for it." But I think after Kyle, I put Lauren, and then I put Jordan. Just because I felt like Jordan was brand new. And obviously, he earned his spot just like everyone else. But I didn't have as big a connection with him. So I definitely thought Lauren deserve to be higher. I went into it rating the way I felt people deserved to.

Back to the beginning of the game, you struggle in the first chat of the season, to the point of breaking down. But then the next day, you're voted first in the ratings. What was that up and down experience like for you?
So going into it, it's definitely not what you expect. It's a lot harder than you would think. And so I just kind of felt like, "Oh my God. I'm not showing my personality. I'm sounding boring. I'm just not giving the rest of the cast anything to keep me. I'm done for." And that was just my mindset at the end of the day. I was like, "I'm going home." So it made me emotional. And then, finding out I was the number one influencer, I was like, "Wow! How, how did this happen? I didn't sleep with anybody to get this. What happened?" [Laughs.] I honestly didn't expect it. Half the things that happened to me through this season, I was like, "What is happening?"

From our perspective, it looked like you came into The Circle wanting to be authentic and bank on social relationships. But when this turned out to be the most strategic season yet, you had to adapt to the game. Is that an accurate assessment?
Yeah. Ao I went into it saying, "I know, it's a game and I want to have fun with it. But I also don't want to be mean." Because I don't think you have to be mean to win The Circle. So going into it, I definitely had strategy. But overall, I was like, "I kind of just want to have fun and get people to like me for who I am." But then I realized very quickly, that if I didn't start playing the game, and stop trying to be besties with everyone, and actually think of the game, then I was going to be I wasn't gonna make it. So there was definitely a flip moment where I was like, "Okay, I gotta do what I need to do."

Well you could argue the biggest example of that came when you became "Ride or Dies" with Myles. Despite, as you mentioned before, Cassie warning you about him, you agree to vote each other number one, and to mutually throw Autumn under the bus. Talk to me about how difficult that was to do.
It was definitely one of the biggest moments. I couldn't stand Myles up until that moment. I could not stand him. I just thought he was very arrogant and all those things. I love him now. But when we found out we were Ride or Dies, I was like, "I'm doomed." Because I know people want him out. And people don't like him. And people are already kind of shaky on me. So one of us is going to be near the bottom. And I was like, "Okay, we have to go for Autumn because this is the only thing that's going to work." And then while doing it, I was like, "This is so bad." And then apologizing was rough. Because she didn't want to hear it, which I don't blame her. I don't blame her. I would have been like, "Whatever." So I get it. I know that was rough. 

So we have to get into everything around your relationship with Kyle. You started as enemies when you accuse him of being AI. Then you find common ground over losing your respective fathers. And that takes a turn in the salacious direction as you two flirt, complete with sending photos back and forth. Give me your reaction to that entire journey.
[Laughs.] Oh my God. So the whole dad conversation happened and I was not ready for it. I didn't think he would go there, because I thought he was just going to be pissed off at me. And him throwing that at me was such a curveball. And I was like, "Well, now's the only opportunity I'm going to get to share my story." So I had to. and then the hot tub scene...[Laughs.] Oh my god, the hot tub scene.

So I was like, "I want to get in this hot tub. I've seen it. I just want to try it out." And so I get in the hot tub. And I'm just chilling. And then Kyle pops up on the screen. And I was like, "Oh my God. Is this a setup?" Because I did not want to flirt, because I am a terrible flirt. And just to top it all off, he's gorgeous! What am I supposed to say? And then it just turned out, "You know what? We're gonna go for it. He's gonna flirt. I'm gonna take it and use it to my advantage. And I'm gonna sit there and my tits out and  I'm just gonna do what I gotta do." [Laughs.]

What was your response to Kyle's reaction when he found out who you were in the finale?
I loved Kyle's reaction. I knew it was gonna happen. I knew it. I was so ready for it. And I think he was the first person I looked directly at. I was like, "Where's Kyle? Boom. Oh, yeah, he is shocked." [Laughs.]

And what was your reaction when you found out that he was married?
Oh my God, I was so relieved. Because I was like, "This makes it so much easier." Because my thing was not flirting was I didn't want to hurt anyone. When it came to like the reveal, I didn't want someone to actually have feelings. So when he said he was married, I was like, "This could not have worked out better."

Michelle's final narration this season says that your time as Olivia "proved if it doesn’t matter if your profile’s real, as long as your emotions are." And she says, after a life of being the funny sidekick, you have "main character energy." What do you take away from the validation The Circle has given you to that point?
It's been absolutely incredible. I think the amount of love I received from people watching has just been so huge to me. And I think watching it for myself, I've learned a lot about me, and that I do have what it takes to win a show like this. I should be proud of the person I am. I don't get to see that outside perspective often. So seeing it now is it's really refreshing. And it's made me want to be even better than I was. The Circle has changed me for life. I've got new friends from the cast. I am so grateful to be here. And that's what I said the whole time. I was like, "I'm just so grateful for this experience."

So, for Olivia, you used a picture of your friend Claudia, who actually sent you a message from home during the season. What's been her response to you using her image as your profile?
Claudia loves it. So that's the reason why I wanted to pick her was because her and my personalities are so similar. And I'm like, "Girl, you are so gorgeous and so funny. I have to be you." And she's obsessed with it. She's actually coming over today because we're gonna make some content together. But she loves it. She's making jokes with the rest of the cast, and they're all gonna get to meet her soon, which is awesome. I don't think the whole cast knows. But they're gonna get to meet her soon, and she's having a blast.

When Deleesa won as Trevor back in Season two, Trevor got a chance to play in Season four as another player. Do you think Claudia would ever want to play if given the chance?
Oh my God. Yeah, we actually talked about it. I was like, "You should audition for the show. Do you know how amazing that would be? If you went in and maybe catfish as me?" Or like how Shubham came back. I know she'd be down just because she's so amazing. But I think she'd be hilarious to watch. I don't think people get to see a lot of her humor.

Next, check out our interview with Autumn Ann Nielsen, who was eliminated in The Circle Season 6 Episode 11.

This week on The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 saw another double elimination having contestants scrambling for seats of safety. Cara Maria continued her revenge tour, attempting to strong-arm the others into sending in fellow star-holders. Laurel and Nicole's complicated dynamic took another turn. But that's not the only twist Nicole had up her sleeve, as she unleashed a surprise to everybody at elimination.

Check out more information about this week's episode below and find out who was eliminated.

Related: Everything to Know About The Challenge: USA Season 2

Who was eliminated on The Challenge: All Stars this week?Kefla Hare

Kefla is truly a relic of a time gone by, having competed and won on, as he put it, a " memory in a chopped up beta version of The Challenge." And so he was understandably nervous coming in after 25 years to a show where everyone else knew each other. Fortunately, he endeared himself quickly to people, and showed his prowess when he won a tough physical elimination. It wasn't long, though, before Kefla was thrown in again against fellow star-holder Steve. Despite Kefla having the size advantage, Steve's wrestling experience combined with Kefla's sustained injury ended his return appearance.

Jasmine Reynaud

Jasmine came into her sixth season looking to play the game she's watched others play while she sat on the sideline. As a result, she had created a web of various alliances and people protecting her. And she helped helm the biggest move of the season in putting Cara Maria and Rachel against each other. That had Cara out for revenge, giving Jasmine a star to put a target on her. And she was able to strongarm a few key people to put Jasmine and Veronica in against each other and protect her own star. Everyone was thrown for a loop, though, when Nicole decided to put herself in to try to win a star for herself. Though she initially chose Veronica, the three-time winner was able to persuade Nicole to change her mind in the moment. And so Jasmine was forced back down and out of the competition when Nicole overpowered her.

Who won the daily challenge on The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 this week?

This week's daily had the all stars sprinting around a stadium as part of a game of high-stakes musical chairs. In the end, Ace and Nicole were the pair to finish first. And Nicole took advantage of the position to throw herself into elimination in Veronica's place.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of The Challenge: USA Season 2

Were any stars stolen on The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 this week?

Yes! Steve won Kefla's star. But since he already had a star, he gave it to Ace, commending him for his performance in the daily. Nicole, meanwhile, won Jasmine's star when she threw herself into elimination and beat her.

Who's left in the game on The Challenge: All Stars Season 4?Ace AmersonAdam LarsonAverey TresslerBrad FiorenzaCara Maria SorbelloDerek ChavezFlora AlekseyeunJay MitchellKam WilliamsLaurel StuckyLeroy GarrettNicole ZanattaRyan KehoeSteve MeinkeTina BartaVeronica Portillo

Next, check out our interview with Brandon Nelson, who was eliminated in The Challenge: All Stars Season 4 Episode 5.

Spoilers ahead! We've warned you. We mean it. Read no further until you really want some clues or you've completely given up and want the answers ASAP. Get ready for all of today's NYT 'Connections’ hints and answers for #332 on Wednesday, May 8, 2024.

Today's NYT Connections puzzle for Wednesday, May 8, 2024

New York Times

If you've been having trouble with any of the connections or words in Wednesday's puzzle, you're not alone and these hints should definitely help you out. Plus, I'll reveal the answers further down.

Hints About Today's NYT Connections Categories on Wednesday, May 8

1. Similar colors
2. The amount of cream you might ask for in your coffee, for example
3. "The greatest"
4. They can all share the same second word

Related: 300 Trivia Questions and Answers to Jumpstart Your Fun Game Night

Ready for the answers? Scroll below this image (the image that represents your very appreciated patience!).

iStock

Today's Connections Game Answers for Wednesday, May 8, 2024:

1. SHADES OF RED: BRICK, CHERRY, ROSE, RUBY
2. LITTLE BIT OF BEVERAGE: DROP, SPLASH, SPOT, SPRINKLE
3. CHOICEST: BEST, CREAM, PICK, TOP
4. ______ BATH: BIRD, BUBBLE, MOD, SPONGE

How'd you do?

Did You Miss a Few Days? Let's Catch You Up With Recent Connections Answers.