Richard Madeley becomes first celebrity to appear on reality TV show The Circle

Veteran broadcaster Richard Madeley has become the first celebrity to appear on the social-media inspired reality TV show The Circle.

The Channel 4 programme gathers a group of hopefuls and places them in separate apartments, only allowing them to communicate via the titular social media network.

The show, presented by Emma Willis, sees some contestants “catfishing” their way to victory and posing as someone they are not in order to be voted most popular and win the £100,000 cash prize.

Former This Morning presenter Madeley, 63,  is not eligible for the prize and will not appear as himself, instead adopting a persona chosen by viewers.

He expects the persona to be “extreme and embarrassing”, joking: “I’m probably going to have to be a woman.”

Madeley said: “I think what I’m going to have to try and avoid doing is not attempt to be cool or clever, or as we used to say, a very old-fashioned phrase, a wise guy.

“I think I’ve just got to take it as it comes, basically be quite kind while I’m talking to people and stay away from difficult topics that can easily be misinterpreted.”

Madeley started his broadcasting career in the 1980s and became a household name while presenting TV shows including This Morning alongside wife Judy Finnigan.

Asked if appearing on The Circle would show viewers a previously unseen side of him, Madeley said: “I don’t know. I suspect that people who know me will just think, that’s him being him. I suppose they’ll see a more deconstructed side to me.

“See me cooking for myself, and yawning, and scratching my arse as I come out the bedroom and all that. But again, I don’t think that’s a big deal, it’s just telly.”

The Circle airs on Channel 4 at 9.15pm.