Real Life Squid Game Contestants Call Filming Conditions ‘Inhumane’

Angry contestants who took part in a new Netflix reality show based on the streamer’s drama Squid Game have spoken out to claim filming conditions were “inhumane.”

John and Marlene, whose names have been changed to protect their identities after signing confidentiality agreements, were hoping to walk away with the massive £3.7m prize money, the biggest in television history.

But they have bungled the production after being forced to stand for hours in sub-zero temperatures when filming began at Cardington TV Studios in Bedford last month.

Juan said Variety: ‘This is not a Bear Grylls survival show. If they had told us it was going to be so cold, no one would have endured it.

He added: “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game.”

It is claimed that the contestants received a wake-up call at 3:30 am on the first day of production when they played Red Light, Green Light.

They were told to take their own coats to the huge hangers at Bedford’s Cardington Studios due to the freezing weather in the UK at the time.

In addition, they were given hand and foot warmers, two pairs of thermal underwear and socks.

The players were grouped together and given a tracksuit identical to the one worn by the contestants in the drama.

It is claimed that they were told the game would take two hours to complete, but it is believed that it ended up taking over seven hours.

As the contest progressed, it is claimed that the contestants were told to wear their coats open so that their player number could be seen, and so that fake blood could easily come out of the devices attached to their tracksuits.

‘The second time the song came on, I saw in my left peripheral vision that this girl was swaying. Then she just doubled over, and she could hear her head hit the ground. Marlene said.

Marlene claims that the players were told to hold their positions, but added that other contenders were “dropping like flies”.

He added that the players were given ‘relaxation breaks’, but estimated that it took 11 calls to doctors before the breaks began.

MailOnline has contacted Netflix and production company Studio Lambert for comment.

The streaming platform has been secretly filming a reality version based on the fictional deadly competition.

A total of 456 players participated, the same as in the original series, and it is said that some began to feel sick during the first game, Red Light, Green Light.

Competitors had flown in from the United States and Australia for the show, which was being filmed at Cardington Studios, a former RAF base near Bedford.

Hundreds were eliminated in the first round and then bunkbed in the studios, just like in the Korean series.

In the original series, hundreds of penniless contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly.

Dozens of players criticized the production last month, claiming they were “treated like animals” and forced to stand for hours in sub-zero temperatures.

Two contestants were reportedly kicked off the show before filming began after breaking production rules by having sex at the hotel they were staying at.

“They tortured us for eight hours. We were just fodder. You wouldn’t treat animals like that. I know the program was supposed to be tough, but it felt inhumane,” said one player. Sun.

“At one point I could see that they were bringing a black coffin with a pink ribbon like in the original show. I feel like they prioritized getting a good opportunity over helping us.’

Another player claimed that people were “dropping like flies” due to the cold weather.

Elsewhere, two players are said to have botched their chances before the games even began, after going from bed to bed at London’s Tower Hotel, where the contestants stayed for two days before filming began in Bedford. .

A source told the publication: “There were strict rules that players had to follow before filming for the show began.” The production crew discovered that two had been sleeping together and had to cut them out before it started.

The source went on to say that the rules included not being able to interact with other players or smoking and drinking alcohol during the hotel stay.

It comes after reports surfaced that contestants were allegedly left yelling “doctor” before being stretchered away in freezing conditions during filming.

In a statement to DeadlineNetflix and the show’s producers, Studio Lambert and The Garden, said earlier this week, “While it was very cold on set, and the contestants were prepared for it, any claim of serious injury is false.”

“We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and we invest in all appropriate safety procedures,” he added.

A player previously told him Sun: ‘Even if hypothermia kicked in, people were willing to stay as long as they could because there was a lot of money at stake.

“Too many were determined not to move, so they stayed there for too long.

“There were people who came thinking they were going to be millionaires but they left crying.”

They added: ‘It was like a war zone. The doctors were taking people out, but we couldn’t say anything. If you talk, you’re out. Some people couldn’t move their feet because it was so cold.

‘You could hear someone yell ‘medical’ and the crew was rushing around. We ended up standing there for 30 minutes between takes. Some were trailing at the end. At least one was carried away on a stretcher.