The disaster of the show ''Squid Game''

The giant death doll Younghee is kept intact in the reality show. Photo: Architecturaldigest

When he heard that Netflix was making a reality show based on the hit Squid Game, John (name changed) decided to give it a go. His passion for the original series led to him being chosen as one of 456 contestants to film in the UK.

"I think I'm going to win because I'm very competitive. These games, I'm extremely good at. They're games of chance, luck, and intelligence. I live for those things," John confidently told Variety.

But on the first day of competition, John and 227 others were eliminated in the "Red Light, Green Light" challenge.

Horror games

On January 15, The Sun published an article titled “Scary Squid Game in the UK”, describing how contestants were left freezing in an aircraft hangar in Bedford, eastern England, after a game of holding the same pose as a statue for nearly 30 minutes. Due to the harsh weather, many contestants could not bear it.

Studio Lambert, the show's producers, admitted the set was cold but said the contestants were prepared for it. The company insisted every precaution and protection was taken.

"We care about the health of our cast and crew as well as the quality of the show. Any information accusing the competition of cheating or causing harm to the contestants is false. We have appropriate safety precautions and take good care of each contestant. We also hire independent referees to supervise each match to ensure fairness" - Studio Lambert's response.

However, John and two other players stressed to Variety that they never signed up for the physical challenge they underwent. They were told it would take about two hours of gameplay, but instead the challenge lasted nearly seven hours in sub-zero weather. Several contestants collapsed on set before competing.

"This isn't a Bear Grylls survival show. If the producers had said it was going to be this cold, no one would have fainted," said John.

“Imagine playing ‘Red Light, Green Light’ for six hours. What kind of game is that? It’s not a game anymore. The fun is gone now. I can’t tell people that I had to stand in freezing temperatures in just a tracksuit and two pairs of socks,” John confided.

In fact, three of the 456 contestants on Squid Game: The Challenge told Variety they received support after the disastrous day of filming, but only to a limited extent.

“The application process was unlike anything I’ve ever done,” says Jenny. “The background checks and the psychometric tests… they emailed, called, or texted me every day for months. The people I interacted with at Studio Lambert were so nice. I thought this was going to be a great experience, these are great people. But when the game started, I was like, ‘What is wrong with these people?’”

Squid Game: The Challenge is a reality game show based on the popular Korean drama. 456 people from around the world participate in a survival game with prizes worth4.56 million USDThe show consists of 10 episodes filmed in the UK.

Studio Lambert's Stephen Lambert, Tim Harcourt and Toni Ireland and The Garden's John Hay, Nicola Hill and Nicola Brown are executive producers of the show.

According to Zing