Is Netflix’s real-life Squid Game reality show safer than the original?

Three people received medical treatment during filming of Squid Game: The Challenger – a new reality game show based on the South Korean hit series, Netflix has confirmed but denied “claims of serious injury” after an unnamed contestant claimed people were stretchered out.

Just like the hit fictional drama, the reality show will see 456 contestants – who have travelled to Bedfordshire, UK, from around the world – compete through a string of games for a $4.56 million prize.

Multiple people had required medical attention due to cold temperatures on set while competing in the first game – Red Light, Green Light – the anonymous contestant told the UK tabloid the Sun. The game involves running fast on a green light and staying still and silent on a red one.

“People were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line,” the contestant claimed. After the reports emerged, the streaming giant confirmed three people received treatment for “mild medical conditions”. Medics were on set at all times, a spokeswoman for Netflix mentioned, adding it had “invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.”

In the original drama, 456 debt-ridden contestants competed in a string of deadly versions of children’s games for a huge cash prize. It became Netflix’s most-watched programme in 2021, being streamed by 111 million users in the first 28 days of its launch.

While the thriller series was widely seen as a critique of capitalism and the Asian country’s personal debt crisis, the reality show has been called a “social experiment” by Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of unscripted and documentary series.

The East of England Ambulance Service has confirmed that it had not attended any calls at the studios in recent days.