Reality Show Squid Game Sees Meds For Frozen Players Affected

Reality Show ‘Squid Game’ Sees Meds For Frozen Players Affected By UK Cold Snap

A small number of contestants on the reality show Squid Game: The Challenge required medical attention Monday after a sprawling game of Red Light Green Light played during the ongoing cold snap in the UK proved to shock the system would have.

It’s believed fewer than five players needed paramedics on the set of the new Netflix show. While one contestant is believed to have injured his shoulder after accidentally hitting a wall, others have been treated for minor ailments.

The players were among the 456 participants who took part in “Red Light Green Light,” also known as “Statues,” depending on where you grew up. In the game, you must make it across a finish line while remaining perfectly still as a person who is “it” turns to survey the players. If you’re found moving, you’re out. The game was a centerpiece in “Squid Game” where a giant killer puppet spun its head around and fired shots to eliminate moving players. It was the first game in the drama and was particularly effective as unsuspecting players had no idea that if they lost the game they would be killed.

The unscripted game show, first announced by Bela Bajaria in June 2022, is based on the streamer’s 2021 Korean drama. Filmed at two studios in the UK, producers Studio Lambert and The Garden have 456 contestants from across the cast from around the world to participate in various challenges based on the Korean children’s games featured on the show as well as new games. The winner will receive a cash prize of US$4.56 million (£3.7 million).

However, Netflix was unlucky to start production during a rare cold snap in the UK

On Monday, the series’ first day of production at Bedford Cardington Studios, north of London, temperatures hit a low of zero degrees Celsius. The game was shot in the fenced-off former aircraft hangar, but given the outside temperatures, it is likely to get extremely cold in the gigantic room. While the players – many of whom are unaccustomed to UK weather or the reality of television production – are likely to have been given hand warmers and thermal underwear for their day of shooting, there’s no doubt the cold would have made it even more difficult.

British tabloid The Sun, which first reported the news, spoke to players who had left the show. “Some people couldn’t move their feet because it was so cold,” the source told The Sun. “Someone could be heard yelling ‘medic’ and the crew rushed on. We ended up standing there for 30 minutes between takes.”

In a statement shared with Variety, a Netflix spokesperson said, “We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew and have invested in all proper safety procedures. Although it was very cold on set – and the contestants were prepared for it – any claims of serious injury are untrue.”

It’s unlikely that the producers would have been able to change the show’s production schedule, especially given the large number of contestants involved. “Red Light Green Light” is also an essential game on the schedule to streamline contestants: Variety expects just 228 contestants to clear the first hurdle and last through the rest of the game, meaning the stunt was done on Monday would be a key day for the production.