“Inhumane Conditions”: Squid Game Show Seems Closer To The Original Than Planned Four Children And A Woman Drown In A Migrant Shipwreck In The Aegean Sea

The Netflix hit series “Squid Game” was briefly explained: People in hopeless life situations get the chance to escape the grief and win $38 million when they compete against each other in a brutal game. The prize is high, only one can win: if you don’t, you die.

Netflix landed a world hit with the South Korean production and the first season is still by far the most watched series in the world. The streaming provider therefore decided without hesitation to adapt the concept to reality and run its own show with real participants.

In “Squid Game: The Challenge”, 456 contestants fight for a $4.56 million jackpot – not as many as in the fictional version, but still by far the largest prize money ever won on a reality show. By way of comparison: Claudia Effenberg, wife of ex-footballer Stefan Effenberg, set a new record in the German jungle camp this year with an initial compensation of 500,000 euros, according to media reports. The usual costs are significantly lower.

Of course, those who leave the reality show aren’t killed, but according to recent participant reports, the conditions during the show’s filming didn’t feel like a comfortable oasis either. In particular, the temperatures at the filming location in Bedford, UK, challenged the candidates to the limit, writes the “Spiegel”. It was freezing in the small town north of London, with temperatures around zero degrees, according to the report.

Thus, the game “Red light, green light” was recreated. The concept means that the participants have to reach a goal and are not allowed to move until there is a green light. Anyone who does it with a red light is eliminated. The red intervals were extended to a maximum of half an hour and the participants wore only light suits and socks. Winter coats should have been handed in in advance.

Although several contestants collapsed and required medical attention, play was not interrupted and paramedics were not allowed to intervene immediately. This is because the producers were afraid for their recordings, according to anonymous reports. The shoot lasted a total of nine hours.

One of the participants was quoted in the American magazine “Rolling Stone” as saying: “I have never experienced anything so cruel and mean. It was like a horse race and they treated us like horses.” Another judges the situation with “red light, green light” as “sick”:

In addition to the allegations regarding the eligibility requirements, criticism was also leveled at the fact that certain participants – such as well-known TikTokers and influencers – would be favored and benefit from simpler conditions. According to US media reports, the accusations come from candidates who left early. They agree that the production company was overwhelmed by the sheer number of participants and lost control of the shoot. Allegations cannot be verified because they are made anonymously and the show’s contestants have signed confidentiality agreements.

Netflix and the British reality show production company have rejected all allegations. The competitions were fair and reports of candidates suffering serious bodily harm during filming were “untrue”. (con)