“It was like a warzone”: The ‘Squid Game’ reality show is as chaotic as you’d expect

A report by The Sun has stated that a number of contestants in Netflix’s upcoming Squid Game: The Challenge reality series have required immediate medical attention – leading the streamer to come to the defence of its show.

Dozens of players have blasted the production, claiming they were “treated like animals” and made to stand for hours in freezing temperatures as filming commenced at the Cardington TV Studios in Bedford on Monday. 

The Sun reported that the contestants were in the middle of playing the infamous ‘Red Light, Green Light’ in below-freezing weather. One player told the publication, “Even if hypothermia kicked in, then people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line. Too many were determined not to move, so they stood there for far too long.”

They continued, “There were people arriving thinking they were going to be millionaires, but they left in tears. It was like a warzone. People were getting carried out by medics, but we couldn’t say anything. If you talk, then you’re out. Some people couldn’t move their feet because it was so cold.”

Netflix has been secretly shooting a reality version based on the deadly fictional competition, with participants battling it out for the biggest cash prize in TV history – £3.7m. 

In a statement to Deadline, Netflix and the show’s producers Studio Lambert and The Garden said earlier this week, “while it was very cold on set — and participants were prepared for that — any claims of serious injury are untrue.”