Popularity is a definite weapon in The Circle. But like any weapon, it has two sides, as Keisha “Kai” Ghost experienced. She started the season in the ultimate position of power, getting in good with multiple people. But as the game progressed and a line began to be drawn in the sand, Kai was put in the line of fire. Luckily her relationships, most prominently with her “frenemy” Nick Uhlenhuth, got her to the finale. Unfortunately, she was too big a threat to everyone else by the end, and she had to give up the ghost of winning $100,000. Kai entered The Circle with a simple acronym of CCCF: Compliments, comedy, commonalities, and fantasy. This strategy gave off a great first impression, making her influencer two times in a row. She used her power to go catfish hunting, twice eliminating sisters Ava Marie and Chanel Marie Capra. Nick used these catfish conspiracies to go after Kai himself, though privately, the two made a tepid truce to work together. And while she was earning the ire of some players, including “Isabella” (Sophia Layne) and “Ashley” (Matthew Pappadia), she was earning the favor of others, like newbies James Andre Jefferson Jr. and Jacki Jing. For the last half of the season, Kai expected to be blocked at every turn. Instead, the influencers chose to clip the ones she was closest to, keeping her in the game but out of the grasp of power. And though Kai was shocked to find herself among the finalists, her reputation preceded her, and she had far too good of a story for this strategic bunch to rate highly. Read on to hear Kai’s thoughts on her time in the game. And check out Parade.com throughout The Circle season 3 with the various players and catfishes alike. What made you decide to enter The Circle? I have a close friend who I worked with at the time. And we love Netflix; we binge-watch different shows. And I had started watching season one of The Circle. So I came back to work and got her to start watching, because I genuinely love the show. And then one day, this girl comes in and says, “Hey, you need to apply,” and sent me the link. And it just all kind of happened from there. So I’m just really blessed that I met that girl who sent me the link! What made you decide to go in with your “CCCF” strategy of compliments, comedy, commonalities, and fantasy? I just dissected my own friends, family, and the people that are around me. How did we become really cool and close? It was either based on something funny that had happened between us or based on our commonalities. Or the way that I presented myself for that particular person, which is where the fantasy comes in. It’s an acronym for how I get my friends in real life. It was realistic to me. Then I just put it in a cute little form. What was your reaction to finding out you came in fourth place? To be honest, I was so excited to be a finalist. I didn’t care what number I came in. I was glad that I was able to do it from start to finish. And I was actually shocked that I came in fourth because I thought I was going to come in fifth. I knew that the other team was gunning for me, so I went in there thinking, “I’ll probably be fifth.” I was actually shocked that Nick was fifth. What were your final ratings of the other four players? I know I did James first. I think after James, I did Ashley. And then after that was Isabella, and Nick last. James had my back, and he kept me in the game. I feel like James is the reason why I was able to make it to the dinner. I put Ashley second because I felt more genuine with her apology. Isabella was third just because I didn’t feel like her apology was as genuine during the game. And Nick was the most powerful threat at the time and the other team’s leader. You became the sole influencer on the first day and used it to block Ava. Why did you decide to do that? It’s nothing against them personally. I know that there’s some debacle about whether they were true catfish or not. But the way I see it, we all went in there alone. And even though Ava might have been herself, which is great, she had someone to help her. So while she’s not catfishing as someone else, the truth is that you’re not in there playing by yourself. So I feel good about catching Ava and Chanel. I wouldn’t change anything. It was inevitable because I was able to come back and block her the second time! (Laughs.) Considering how much you tried to target the catfish early on, how did it feel when you got accused of being a catfish? I knew it was all gameplay, so I didn’t take it to heart. For the most part, everybody knew that I was real and that there needed to be a wrench thrown in to get people to think otherwise. So I didn’t take it too hard. I just thought about it as “Clearly, they see me as powerful.” It was kind of a compliment if you ask me. That catfish accusation came from Nick, who was simultaneously one of your main allies and enemies throughout the season. Despite constantly targeting each other and being part of opposite alliances, you also had deals to keep each other safe. Talk me through that complicated dynamic. When it all started, I felt like everything was good from the jump. I even mentioned something about him being kind of cute. It started going downhill when I noticed that when we had a group chat early on after Ava was blocked, he was the only one who said something different. He said something like, “I was trying to get to know her.” So I felt that maybe he felt a way about me because I got rid of Ava. It wasn’t until he called me a catfish in the rap battle when I felt, “You’re really trying to gun for me now. You want people to think something different of me because you feel threatened. So that means I have to watch you because if you become an influencer, you’re going to let me go.” Going into that double blocking, I felt like I couldn’t trust him then. But then blocks Ruksana! So then he makes me feel like, “Oh well, I guess I can believe him. Maybe he is legitimate.” But then James comes around later and says, “Don’t trust Nick; he will let you go on a roller coaster.” I always had this gut feeling that I couldn’t trust Nick because I knew he was a powerhead, and he knew I was a powerhead. In the back half of the season, you constantly felt like you would be blocked. How tough was it to deal with that threat of elimination every single time? It was so hard. From sweating to literally shaking. I finished first and second and then third, and then I hit eighth. After that, I just felt, “Okay, at some point, I know I’m going to go.” Physically, it drove me nuts. I couldn’t eat; I wasn’t sleeping that well. I really wanted to win the game, and I felt like the people against me were against me for no reason. You made a close bond with Calvin during your time in the game together. Talk to me about that relationship. Number one: Calvin’s an attractive person. Let’s just put that out there. He’s an attractive human being. I think a lot of people will agree that he’s just got this universal aesthetic that draws you in. And then we found a lot in common. I think we had a conversation at some point we talked about food. He mentioned a few dishes that were Caribbean, which I’m very familiar with. And so I was like, “Oh if he’s saying those different ingredients, he’s got to be real.” From that point on, I just felt that he was who he said he was. It was really strong, and it felt good to have someone I really felt like I didn’t have to side-eye. And so when it came down to him coming to see me, I was so grateful that he was real. If he was fake, I really would have felt bad. But he just ended up being a really, really good person and a really good friend. I rock with Calvin, even to this day. James was another key bond you made inside The Circle. What was your dynamic like, especially when you saw him get rid of your allies like Daniel and Jacki? Honestly, he threw me off guard initially because he’s a new player. But at the same time, I liked him because my numbers were diminishing. Calvin just got blocked, but now I get another gu. I saw him as a big brother automatically. I’m like, “Okay, he’s going to be someone that I really can get close to,” especially because he invited me into that chat to talk first. That made me feel like he wanted to connect with me. But then, after we had that conversation that said Daniel and I should be good, he went and blocked Daniel. I didn’t know what to think. It wasn’t until that conversation we had where he starts to break down, saying, “I get that you might be upset with me, but it was to save you.” It was bittersweet because I didn’t want to go, but I also didn’t want my alliance to go either. And also, he lied to me because I felt he would stay loyal to our alliance to the end. But ultimately, I had to remember that I was still here, so we were able to move forward. And I didn’t put too much emotion into it. At one point in the show, you tout to Jacki that your alliance is full of the “real, honest, and genuine” people. What made you feel that way as opposed to the other players? I think it’s actually kind of funny my whole team was real people, and Nick’s whole team was mostly catfish. (Laughs.) But I perceived a tone with my alliance in which they all spoke and an energy that somehow I could feel through the screen that made me feel I could trust them. And they genuinely are like that in real life. It was a real connection with them. And so when Ashley said, “Kay is not in here trying to make real connections. She just wants to figure out who the catfish were.” Well, actually, y’all got rid of the most real connections that I had! (Laughs.) You mentioned Ashley, who, along with Isabella, ended up making late-game apologies to you after gunning for you for so much of the season. What was your reaction to those two conversations? There’s a little bit of reality to this, and then some gameplay. The reality is I’ve been in isolation, and these girls do not like me for no good reason, simply because we haven’t been able to communicate with one another. It brought up actual feelings of rejection from the past in real life. In the past, I’ve been like, “Why do these girls not like me for no reason?” It put me in a space where I was able to reminisce just within my own self. At that point in the game, I’m tired; I’m losing energy, my alliances are gone. And these girls don’t like me for no reason. For them to come to me and say, “I’m sorry,” and admit that they should have handled things better made me feel better. That’s where my emotional reaction came from. It parallels the reality that there are people out there in real life that will just not like you for no reason, and that’s a hard concept to digest. Was there anything you took from The Circle into your real life after the game? I found a part of myself that wasn’t there. What I was trying to portray at that point is that I’m a very driven person. I’m a workhorse; I just go for the goal. And sometimes, I can put myself in positions where I want my number one goal and forget people’s feelings. Well, what The Circle taught me is that that’s good that you have drive and that you’re motivated. But sometimes you have to take yourself out of that and consider other people’s feelings and thoughts. Consider some things that are outside of yourself and just have a more open perspective. It softened me a little bit. And it led me to believe that when you get out here in the real world, don’t just trample over people. Sometimes it’s better to see how they’re feeling, built that rapport with them first, and you can go longer and further that way. Next, read our interview with The Circle season 3 third-placer Sophia Layne (AKA “Isabella”).
