To say catfishing on The Circle is difficult would be an understatement. In addition to navigating all the truths and lies being thrown at you from all the other players and the various twists and turns the show throws your way, you also have to maintain a false identity on top of that. But Matthew Pappadia came in with a plan: Be himself, just with the face of his friend Ashley. And it was a strategy that proved successful for him, getting him all the way to a silver medal finish. Health and fitness consultant Matthew feared that his exterior wouldn’t allow him to come across as his true self. So he chose to take the face of his best friend Ashley, feeling he could be feminine without drawing suspicion. He was able to be himself without being himself, sharing personal details like his own coming out story. All the while, his flirt game was strong, laying his eyes early on with “Daddy” Nick Uhlenhuth, who brought them into his “Band” alliance. It was a vital move that saw Matthew become influencer once, while Nick kept him safe his three times in the chair after. And a last-minute chat with James Andre Jefferson Jr. where they bonded over their mutual experiences in the LGBTQ+ community got him over the line to the finale. Once there, Matthew stunned his fellow finalists by revealing his true identity. And he was equally stunned to find he netted a second-place finish behind James. Read on to hear Matthew’s thoughts on his 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? So I was working as an occupational therapist at the time that season one came out. And I worked at an autistic school for kids, which was really wonderful. But I went in one day, and four or five people on my staff were like, “I just saw this show. It’s called The Circle, you would be absolutely perfect for it.” They know how I operate. I’m very energetic. I’m a people person. And lo and behold, as I was watching the first week of season one, casting DM’d me on my Instagram. And I was like, “If that’s not a sign from God, I don’t know what is.” At what point in the process did you decide to catfish as Ashley? From the get-go, I wanted to go in as Ashley. I’m a big fan of Big Brother, so gameplay and strategy are essential to me. Going in as Ashley, I could see myself going much further as opposed to what I assumed I would be judged for if I went in as myself. So I went with Ashley right off the bat. Were you surprised when you found out that you placed second among the finalists? Definitely. But when I saw that I wasn’t going home for the final five, especially given the circumstances, it was the first time in the game I was able to breathe. My entire focus the whole game was really just making it to that five. Mainly because when the five of us do our ratings, it’s really out of our hands at that point. So being able to make it that far, I was really excited. I was excited that my strategy did pull through. And even if people assume that I’m going home early from watching those early episodes, it’s good to be like, “Alright, I’m going to show them that this strategy wasn’t a silly one. And it works.” What were your final ratings of the other four players? So I put Kai in fourth place. I knew that she was working with James, so James was going to put her high. And I assume that she was working with Nick throughout the game because they were definitely going for each other’s necks, so I wasn’t sure where Nick was going to rate her. I really loved her by the end, but I rated Kai fourth. Third I gave to Nick. He had gotten first place in the last couple of nominations, and Isabella and I kept putting him in our first place. So I thought Isabella might put him high, so that’s why I put him in third. When it came to James and Isabella, there was a lot of discourse about who I wanted to put first and second. There was a point where I was like, “I’ve been playing strategy this whole game.” And when we gave the answers of what we would use the money for, James’s answer really touched me. And I said to myself, “I’m gonna put the person in first place who, if I don’t win, I want them to win.” And I wouldn’t take it back. I really wouldn’t. Speaking of James, you have this conversation with him where he opens up about his trans brother. What was your reaction to that reveal at the moment? I really care about the game. And there’s so much going on with trans lives and the loss of trans lives, especially in the last few years. I mean, it’s not slowing down anytime soon. I was so blessed that James felt, even through the screen, my energy to be able to and want to open up to me about that. Knowing that we were having that conversation on such a platform, hopefully, many people will have that conversation and create that domino effect of communication that we need in this community. That, to me, was the be-all-end-all. And I remember going to bed that night, saying, “Hey, if I went home tomorrow, I’m pretty proud of myself for what I did, what I bought, and what I’m giving back to my community.” It was super, super special to me and something that both of us have taken outside of the game. James is a beautiful human being, truly wonderful and genuine. We have to talk about your relationship with Nick. What did you make of him over the course of your time playing together? Daddy Nick! So I knew that I have a dominant personality. But as Ashley, even though I was going to continue being myself and speaking like myself, I really needed to tone down the dominant part of my personality that usually comes out during games. Part of my strategy was getting behind an alpha male and hinting to him the whole time, and having him do the ideas and the dirty work for me. But Nick really surprised me with his game. There were a lot of times when I was in danger, and he saved me. So instead of that becoming just a strategic play aside from thinking he’s so handsome, it also became friendship. And when he was influencer, even though he could have sent me home, I was able to go to bed being like, “He’s my homie.” I think he’s a great player and a great guy. Though you two were close, you mentioned at the end that your closest ally was actually Isabella. Talk to me about your dynamic. We had our first conversation where we talked about her “little sister” coming out story and my coming out story. So we were bonded from the get-go. It was something more real as opposed to when Nick and I were more just answering questions. We really connected on something. And I didn’t feel I knew Nick. I thought he had a side alliance with Daniel at some point because they weren’t gunning for his throat. And I didn’t feel that Isabella had all those alliances. I really felt when it came down to it that Isabella had my back. You drew a lot of heat when, during one game, you threw Kai under the bus and called her your biggest rival. What made you decide to pick her? When you’re in that room for so long, you’re only with yourself and your own thoughts. We’re all our own worst enemies. I was getting closer with Isabella and Nick, and I just had that conversation with James, and I was in an alliance with Danny. When Kai wouldn’t reach out to me, or I would say something in a group chat, and I wouldn’t feel recognized, I would start to be insecure. And then you get paranoid. There was a point in the game where Jacki comes in, and she calls me out. And I said to myself, “I can make it easy and call Jacki out.” But at the same time, I had a strong alliance with Nick and Isabella, and I didn’t want them thinking I had any side alliances. I also think at a late point in the game, it’s important not to sit on the fence. When it goes from 12 players to seven or six, you have to get blood in your hands. I wasn’t going to gun for James. James and I had an unspoken alliance; I think we knew we had each other. I wasn’t going to go in for Daniel; I just made my alliance with him. And I had the Band. So I chose to hop off the fence and, unfortunately, threw Kai under the bus. It definitely affected my heart. I felt immediately terrible about it. You eventually reach out to Kai to apologize for what you did. Was that more of a personal or strategic move? It was genuine. The producers were like, “Alright, we’re gonna get into this game.” And I’m like, “Guys, I can’t, I’m really sad. Please, I need to talk to Kai.” I don’t throw my friends under the bus in real life. I’ve never done it before. I got cocky, and I thought it would be a cool move. It was a dirty move. And it was something I definitely regret. So you see from the reactions of the other finalists how successful your catfish game was. What strategy do you credit most for your success? My strategy from the get-go was to layer. I think what a lot of catfishes miss is that they give themselves a script to stick to, and they don’t show dimensions. And when they don’t show dimensions, people become suspicious. I had three layers. The first one was quiet and kind. The second one was building some confidence. And with my confidence, I can show my humor. And by the third one, I’m more outspoken. As opposed to coming on so strong, like my man Calvin, who was very outspoken from the beginning. I started to show a little bit of that personality and group chats. But I think that when you go into group chats, everyone’s more concerned about what they’re getting out there and how they’re perceived, as opposed to perceiving everyone else. Honestly, I’m not going to lie. I’m not one to boast at all, but I thought I did a pretty good job. I never really questioned that anyone would send me home because I thought I was a catfish. If anything, I just thought people would send me home because I sent their alliance members home or because they just weren’t aligned with me. But there were points in the game where people could call each other catfish, and no one used my name, but everyone else seemed to get catfished under there. Not once did Kai say out loud in the group chat that I was a catfish, and she was so good at identifying them the whole season. I was pretty pumped and pretty confident that I did a good job. So coming out and seeing everyone was a moment that lives in my head rent-free in the best way. Was there anything you took from The Circle into your real life after the game? I can’t even emphasize that enough; it was like a therapy session by myself. Being stripped of social media, personal contact, all of that stuff that causes us to live in our ego a bit. You’re stripped of the ego that you showed the world outside of this reality show, and it makes you recognize who you are. Coming out of it, I have taken with me all this stuff about who I am as a person, what I value, and what I enjoy. That’s such a huge blessing that I got from the show. Next, read our interview with The Circle season 3 winner James Andre Jefferson, Jr.
