When both Xanthi Perdikomatis and Brett Robinson showed up on The Circle, my reaction was the same: a long, hearty groan. Really? More models?
Xanthi, a Massachusetts native who bares a striking resemblance to Fran Drescher, played up her Greek roots in her introductory video. She chose to enter The Circle as a preschool teacher, she said, because models don’t have the greatest track record on the show. Brett, meanwhile, hails from Las Vegas and professed his love for popping bottles with smokin’ babes. “The biggest misconception about me is that I’m a douchebag,” he said, “when in reality, I’m a lovable douchebag.”
Unfortunately for both of them, Xanthi’s right—models do not do well in The Circle. Just ask Alana Duval, who left The Circle Season 1 before she’d even had a chance to unpack. Models (current and former) are a regular fixture on the show, but they often seem to have trouble talking about anything other than… well, the fact that they are models. And while these players don’t usually go home explicitly because of their jobs, the trend is undeniable: former America’s Next Top Model contestant Bryant Wood (who, in fairness, entered the game not as a model but under his new career as a breathwork instructor) went home first in The Circle Season 2, and a cycle later, another ANTM alum, Ava Marie Capra, only made it to Episode 4. That’s as far as any have made it.
The question of how well a model can fare in The Circle seems to take center stage this season. In addition to Xanthi and Brett, there’s a British model, Billie-Jean Blackett, who entered the game as her model ex-boyfriend, Bruno, on the belief that male models would fare better in the game than their female counterparts.
Billie-Jean has actually fared pretty well this season, perhaps proving her theory that dude models get an easier time in this game. Then again, Brett—who also placed sixth on Big Brother Season 20—went home at the same time Xanthi did. But then again, Xanthi entered the game not as a model, but as a preschool teacher. (She, like Billie-Jean, didn’t trust her fellow players to give her a fair chance with her actual job title.)
So the question of how being a model affects players’ feelings toward a person remains up in the air. Even so, Xanthi and Brett got the boot first, thanks to influencers Raven Sutton and Chaz Lawery. But these chiseled babes’ time in The Circle was apparently far from over: both were given the opportunity to return in catfish form as a beachy middle-aged woman named “Jennifer.”
Do we love this or hate this? I hated it at first; neither Brett nor Xanthi seemed particularly groundbreaking on their own, and The Circle needs to maintain its stakes. Over the seasons, certain eliminated contestants have been allowed to return, through one scenario or another. Doesn’t that dilute the intensity? And do we really need to dilute it again for these two? A healthy contingent of fans was understandably not amused by this twist, but I have to admit, I’ve come around in this case. Separately, Brett and Xanthi are whatever. But together, they’re… kind of really fun?!
Let’s start with the obvious: these two have some serious chemistry. Could they become the first actual hook-up in The Circle history? It sure seems like a possibility, although there’s also something to be said for maintaining their platonic married-couple vibes. Xanthi is a bubbly ball of energy, while Brett has perfected his “lovable douchebag” shtick to a T. (You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.) You can see from their intro videos that both of them have a sense of humor—and loads more charisma than, say, Alana, whose generic profile and choice to start a “Skinny Queens” chat with fellow female contestants quickly alienated players. Once these two start bunking together and playing as “Jennifer,” however, they really start to pop.
Much like John Franklin, a 24-year-old who played Season 4 as “Mama Carol,” Brett and Xanthi (should we call them Branthi?) lean a bit into wine mom stereotypes in creating #CoolAunt “Jennifer.” Their challenge moving forward will be finding ways to give her more depth so that she can connect with players on more than a superficial “she reminds me of my mom!” level—a hurdle John never managed to overcome last season.
For now, however, Brett and Xanthi are taking a different, more aggressive approach. As Brett put it, “I hope they’re replacing the freezer, because revenge is served cold.” (It worked in the moment.) The pair has come out swinging, focusing most of their strategy on bumping Raven Sutton—perhaps the frontrunner of this season—down in the ratings. “Jennifer” has quickly formed a strong alliance with British comedian Tom Houghton. Especially after Brett came in with plans to take things slow and steady, it’s been a treat to watch his post-elimination Joker-fication. I mean… did you hear his (fake) exit video?
“Are you shocked that I really am exactly who I said I was?” Brett told his fellow players. “I don’t think I was ever given a chance to show who I am. I think that I was put in a box and then immediately targeted.”
That’s the energy both Brett and Xanthi are bringing: Auntie Jen is out for herself, like it or not. And if you don’t? As Brett put it at the end of his video, “Kick rocks, losers!”
