Contestants on Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ slam conditions

Contestants who competed in a reality game show based on Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’ have slammed the series over what they call “inhumane conditions.”

‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ was announced last year and is currently being filmed in Cardington Studios, a former RAF Base in Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom.

Like the fictional drama it is based on, the show will see 456 contestants compete for a cash prize.

Problems while filming ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’

Three contestants from the show spoke to Variety and detailed what they called “inhumane conditions” while filming the series. Having signed a non-disclosure agreement, the individuals spoke on the condition their real names be withheld.

The contestants say they were made to compete in freezing temperatures with nothing more than their teal jumpsuits on, which reportedly resulted in several contestants collapsing.

One player, Marlene, said that contestants were told the game would last around two hours, but in reality, it lasted over seven hours.

“It’s not like we signed up for ‘Survivor’ or ‘Naked and Afraid’,” Marlene said when asked about the experience. “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.”

Netflix have said that three people needed medical attention during the challenge, but Marlene says she saw four people faint.

Another contestant, Jenny, says she felt disrespected by what she saw despite Netflix telling Variety that they care “deeply” about the welfare of the cast and crew.

“I’m infuriated by the narrative that Netflix is putting out there, that only [a few] people were injured… we were all injured just by going through that experience,” said Jenny.

“I’ve never been that cold for that long a period in my life. We couldn’t feel our feet or our toes. It was ridiculous.”

‘Squid Game’ was a hit for Netflix

The South Korean survival drama was released worldwide on September 17, 2021 to critical acclaim.

Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, he originally developed the script for the series in 2008 when he was in a bad financial situation.

It remains Netflix’s most watched series with 1.65 billion viewing hours in the first 28 days.

The series received numerous accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film for O Yeong-su, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for Lee Jung-jae and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for HoYeon Jung.

The series was renewed for a second season in June 2022, which is expected to be released in late 2023 or early 2024.