| The Circle | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Morning show |
| Presented by | Yumi Stynes(2010–2012) Gorgi Coghlan(2010–2012) Chrissie Swan(2010–2011) Denise Drysdale(2010–2011) |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 582 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Pam Barnes |
| Production locations | Melbourne,Victoria |
| Running time | 150 mins per episode (inc. commercials) |
| Original release | |
| Network | Network Ten |
| Release | 9 February 2010 (2010-02-09) – 3 August 2012 (2012-08-03) |
The Circle is anAustralian morningtalk show that aired onNetwork Ten from 9 February 2010 to 3 August 2012. The show was presented byGorgi Coghlan,Yumi Stynes,Chrissie Swan andDenise Drysdale and aired in a daytime slot onNetwork Ten.
Ten cancelled the program on 30 July 2012, with the last episode on 3 August 2012.[1]
| Presenter | Years |
|---|---|
| Chrissie Swan | 2010–2011 |
| Denise Drysdale | 2010–2011 |
| Yumi Stynes | 2010–2012 |
| Gorgi Coghlan | 2010–2012 |
Colin Lane replaced Coghlan in early 2011 while she was on maternity leave. In August and September 2011, Swan took maternity leave, with various guest hosts (including Lane) taking her role during that time.
The show was announced on 16 January 2010 as a replacement for the network's previous morning show,9am with David & Kim and debuted 9 February 2010.[2][3][4]Denise Drysdale andChrissie Swan were part of the original hosting team. After two years with the program they resigned at the end of 2011 season with Drysdale spending more time with family following the birth of her grandson and Swan announced her decision to move to theAustralian Radio Network to joinMix 101.1.[5] Swan and Drysdale returned for the show's 500th episode in 2012 to reminisce. They also appeared in the show's final episode.[6]
The Circle originally followedTen Morning News (which aired from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on weekdays) and occupied the 10:00 am to 12:00 pm slot. The first guest on the show was singer andAustralian Idol first season winnerGuy Sebastian.
On 29 April 2011, a primetime edition of the program was broadcast as part of Ten's coverage of theWedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[7][8]
In 2012,The Circle aired in the 9:00 am to 11:30 am slot.
Ten cancelled the series due to financial costs. The final episode was broadcast 3 August 2012.[1] From 6 August 2012, Ten's weekday lineup began from 8:30 am withThe Talk,Entertainment Tonight andThe Insider[9] under the titleMornings on Ten.
The Circle included a mix of lifestyle, cooking and interview segments along withadvertorials. It was taped in front of a live studio audience in Melbourne. The advertorials were for products from home-shopping companies such as Danoz Direct and Global Shop Direct.
During thesummer non-ratings period from December to January, a pre-recorded highlights show featuring notable segments from the preceding year was broadcast. Advertorials were still shown.
Stynes caused controversy onThe Circle on 28 February 2012 by commenting on a photo ofVictoria Cross andMedal for Gallantry recipient, CorporalBen Roberts-Smith, in a swimming pool by saying that "He's going to dive down to the bottom of the pool to see if his brain is there."George Negus added to the controversy by making a comment which was interpreted by some as questioning whether Roberts-Smith was "up to it in the sack".[10][11] Both Stynes and Negus later apologised to Roberts-Smith for their comments. He accepted their apologies.[11][12] The incident was criticised by theReturned Services League, the Defence Minister,Stephen Smith, and the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.Big4,APT, SwisseVitamins, Saria Shoes,Yoplait, Hoselink,Mirvac Hotels, Jamaica Blue, Michael Hill Jewellers, Dulux andMitsubishi dropped sponsorship or pulled advertising from the show, while fashion label Otto Mode continued their sponsorship.[13][14] Despite the loss of nine sponsors, Channel 10 resisted calls to sack Stynes from the show[15]Telstra sacked Negus as an event host because of his remarks.
Ironically, the controversy came just five days after the debut of the short-livedBreakfast starring controversial kiwiPaul Henry, who has a history of controversial remarks, most notably the "Sir Anand Satyanand" and "Sheila Dikshit" controversies, which led to his resignation fromTVNZ.
The Circle trailed behind its two rivalsMornings on theNine Network andThe Morning Show on theSeven Network, although the Ben Roberts-Smith controversy and its media coverage has caused ratings of the show to lift slightly.[16]
| Music from The Circle | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
| Released | 8 April 2011 |
| Language | English |
| Label | Sony Music Australia |
Music from The Circle is a compilation album featuring 38 songs chosen by the hosts ofThe Circle. The album includes a special song recorded by hosts Denise Drysdale, Chrissie Swan, Yumi Stynes and Gorgi Coghlan titled "Circle Song". The song was written by Stynes and Australian recording artistClare Bowditch.[17]
At the2011 Logie Awards,The Circle won two of its four nominations. The program was awarded Most Popular Light Entertainment Program, whileChrissie Swan won in the Most Popular New Female Talent category. Swan was also nominated for theGold Logie, and for the Most Popular Presenter category.[18]
At the2012 Logie Awards, Swan was nominated again for the Most Popular Presenter category.