The 2021 Netflix show, Squid Game, sparked international interest with its macabre take on Korean childhood games. Its success was so outstanding that the streaming giant decided to repeat it, this time with real people.

Squid Game: The Challenge features 456 participants competing in similar children's games like the original for a massive US$4.56 million (S$6.05 million) prize in a 10-episode series. Netflix has been careful in highlighting to viewers that "the worst fate is going home empty-handed", with participants revealing the money was the least of their worries during filming.

Contestants — who were not paid for their participation — were woken up in their hotel rooms as early as 3.30am on the first day of production. They were told not to speak to the other contestants, taken to Bedford's Cardington Studios, a former Royal Air Force hangar, and dressed in the Squid Game tracksuit that did nothing to protect them from Britain's cold winter, though they were given hand and foot warmers.

Things started to change once the cameras began rolling.

According to Variety, the items giving them the little warmth they needed were taken away, and what was supposed to be a two-hour long shoot turned into a nine-hour one, leaving them unable to move for long periods due to the game they were playing.

In addition, a contestant who went by the Marlene moniker revealed that the famous "Red Light Green Light" game saw them keeping still up to 26 minutes per round (way over the stipulated two minutes).

At least 10 participants collapsed during the first day of filming, according to Rolling Stone, with medics called on set repeatedly. 

After medics were called for an eleventh time, Marlene stated in the same interview with Variety that Netflix only starting giving the contestants relaxation breaks then, telling them, "'Don't move your feet, but if you want to bend your knees and move your arms around, you can.'"

Contestants were returned to their hotels later that night with no dinner, and some even likened the show to "a Bear Grylls survival show"— and this was just the first day.

In addition to accusations of inhumane treatment towards contestants, allegations have been made against Netflix for rigging the contest, with contestants claiming the streaming platform had preselected 'influencer' contestants to move up to subsequent rounds, regardless of their results.

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'Normal' contestants, meanwhile, were up for elimination despite having succeeded at the game in what contestants dubbed the "38-second massacre".

Two contestants also told Rolling Stone that Netflix, which flew international contestants into London for filming, had already booked their return flights before the games began. These flights later turned out to occur right after the contestants' eliminations.

In response to these allegations, Netflix has stated that precautions have been taken to keep the games safe and fair.

"We care deeply about the health of our cast and crew and the quality of this show. Any suggestion that the competition is rigged or claims of serious harm to players are simply untrue.

We've taken all the appropriate safety precautions, including after care for contestants — and an independent adjudicator is overseeing each game to ensure it's fair to everyone."

The main complaint when it comes to reality shows is that it is never realistic enough. Netflix, however, does not seem to have that problem.

This article was first published in Geek Culture.

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