'The Circle' Host Michelle Buteau Breaks Tradition by Skipping Season 6 Finale

Spoiler alert: This article contains MAJOR spoilers for the Season 6 finale of The Circle.

And just like that, Season 6 of The Circle has come to an end — but not without crowning a new winner first! In the highly-anticipated finale, Brandon Baker (aka Olivia) emerges victorious as the highest-rated player, securing both the crown and a $100,000 prize.

Traditionally, the finale sees host Michelle Buteau joining the players in person to reveal the winner. However, she's nowhere to be seen in the sixth season finale. So, what's going on? Why isn't Michelle in The Circle Season 6 finale? Here's what we know.

At the time of writing, Michelle Buteau has not publicly addressed her absence from the Season 6 finale of The Circle. However, considering her busy schedule, it's likely that she had prior commitments to honor.

One major factor is her burgeoning film career, notably her lead role in the 2024 comedy movie Babes. While there was speculation she might have been filming the movie during The Circle Season 6 production, this is unlikely as principal photography for the film kicked off in June 2022. Moreover, as noted by @Realitytv__fan on X (formerly known as Twitter), pre-production for Season 6 of The Circle started in early September 2023.

Nevertheless, Michelle's role in the adult animated black comedy film Fixed, which began production in July 2022 and wrapped up in September 2023, potentially overlapped with The Circle's filming schedule.

Though the exact dates are unclear, the host was likely occupied with voice work for Fixed during The Circle's filming period, preventing her from appearing in the finale in person.

Another potential (and more likely) explanation for Michelle's absence from the Season 6 finale of The Circle could be because she was on tour!

On Aug. 15, 2023, the stand-up comedian took to Instagram to announce her "Full Heart, Tight Jeans" comedy tour, which commenced in Amsterdam on August 16 and wrapped up in Los Angeles on December 1.

During September 2023, Michelle performed a total of 13 shows, starting with Chicago on September 8 and concluding in Portland, Ore., on September 30. Although she stopped to perform a show in Atlanta on October 27, by that time, filming for Season 6 of The Circle had already wrapped up.

But fans of the hit Netflix reality series don't need to worry, as Michelle still fulfills her role of announcing the winner, albeit through voice-over narration.

All six seasons of The Circle are now streaming on Netflix.