'Squid Game: The Challenge': All about controversial reality show, Florida contestant Dani Templet

Red light, green light. What is a beloved childhood game played amongst friends has become an obstacle between one person and $4.56 million.

Modeled after the hit 2021 show, Netflix's "Squid Game: The Challenge," the game sees 456 contestants across the globe compete for the cash prize, with one challenger hailing from Florida.

Viewers of the new reality game show have gotten to watch Orlando resident Dani Templet's journey on "Squid Game: The Challenge" so far, taking on various challenges and interacting with the other personalities.

What led Templet, "Player 134," to complete in the "survival thriller turned a real-life competition" show? And why are multiple contestants, including Templet, now speaking out against their experience filming the show?

What is 'Squid Game: The Challenge'?

"Squid Game: The Challenge" debuted on Wednesday, Nov. 22 and nine episodes have been released on Netflix so far. Filming began in January 2023 in the United Kingdom.

The game show is a spin-off of the Netflix hit K-drama, "Squid Game," which reached the No. 1 spot in 94 countries, including its home base in South Korea

It followed 456 people competing in childhood games to win 45.6 billion South Korean Won (about $35 million). Except the participants don’t know the stakes of the game when they enter, which is that all the players will be killed at some point during the games until one winner remains.

However, Netflix's gameshow is less fatal than its inspiration. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Squid Game" creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said he hoped show creators would carry his "vision and intention as much as possible for the show."

He added that viewers concerned by the premise should not "take things too seriously, that's really not the best way to go for the entertainment industry."

The season finale is slated to air on Dec. 6 where the final three players will compete for the $4.56 million prize.

Who is Player 134 on 'Squid Game: The Challenge"?

Player 134 is Walt Disney World employee Dani Templet. The 24-year-old has worked at Disney World as a guest experience manager for six months and is based out of Orlando, according to her LinkedIn.

She earned a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and Corrections from the University of Louisianna at Lafayette in 2022. She revealed during the show that she used her background in criminal justice to her advantage.

"I think I will sit back at times and just observe people and see how they’re talking to people. You know, I have a criminal justice degree," Templet said during the show. "So, I feel like I’m pretty good at reading individuals, and I think that’s gonna come in handy.”

How tall is Player 134?

Templet stands at 4 feet, 10 inches. She mentioned on the show that has often been underestimated because of her height.

Why did Player 134 join 'Squid Game: The Challenge'?

Going on "Squid Game: The Challenge" was a way for Templet to seek "a crazy life experience."

In an interview with Tudum, Netflix's companion site, she revealed that the show allowed her to be more emotionally vulnerable.

“I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and just do things. I wasn’t happy with my social life that I had [before the competition], so I threw myself into some new friendships. I even enrolled in therapy, which has been a really great thing for me,” she told Tudum. “This experience was really hard on me, but now I’m happier than I’ve ever been before in my life.”

How did Player 134 do in 'Squid Game: The Challenge'?

Templet left during Episode Two after she lost the Dalgona candy challenge.

The premise of the challenge is to have players carve out the shape imprinted into a honeycomb cookie without breaking the shape.

The shape options are a star, umbrella, circle and triangle. Templet had to carve out the star.

Going into the second game of the show, Templet had accepted her fate and knew she would not win this challenge.

"I was tired, I was craving a hamburger and Coke, and I had betrayed another player," Templet told Business Insider. "I thought: "If I get eliminated right now, it is what I deserve."

What was the reception of 'Squid Game: The Challenge' when it was announced?

When news of a competition series based on the Korean drama was announced, criticism soon followed from fans who claimed the premise misses the mark. Some fans on social media were even pondering — Did Netflix even watch their own show?

On Jan. 25, opinions were made worse when British tabloid released an article titled “Squid Game Horror in UK," detailing how contestants had been left freezing while playing one of the games where they had to hold statue-like poses for almost 30 minutes.

Studio Lambert and The Garden released a statement shortly after, saying:

“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 'Squid Game: The Challenge' has filmed and aired. How are viewers reacting?

Some users still bring up that the show completely misses the point the original series, as well as how far creators went to recreate the experience. For example, during the "Red Light, Green Light" game, contestants are "shot" with sack of black ink that explodes when they’re out.

Mostly, many social users have gotten into the show and quickly found favorites. Here are some the funniest reactions to the show so far. Beware of spoilers!

What are 'Squid Game: The Challenge' contestants saying about their experiences with the show?

Prior to the show even airing, contestants were eager to share their experiences.

Eliminated contestants reached out to various outlets like Rolling Stone and Variety back in Feburary, detailing poor set conditions, multiple injuries and "rigging" behind the scenes. One contestant, who did not disclose their name, told Variety that she would have not done the show if she knew what the conditions were like ahead of time.

“It’s not like we signed up for ‘Survivor’ or ‘Naked and Afraid,’” Marlene says. “The conditions were absolutely inhumane and had nothing to do with the game."

In a statement sent to the BBC earlier this year, Netflix confirmed that three people did receive treatment for “mild medical conditions" while filming the show.

More recently, one day after the series premiered, a British personal injury firm called Express Solicitors posted on its website that two contestants reached out about a potential lawsuit. The anonymous contestants say they suffered hypothermia and nerve damage as a result of poor health and safety standards on set.

“We have sent letters of claim on behalf of contestants injured in this show," Chief Executive Officer (Legal) at Express Solicitors Daniel Slade said in a statement posted to its website. "From what we’ve been told they pushed the boundaries of safety in the name of entertainment. Production companies need to ensure that health and safety standards on their shows don’t leave people at risk of harm.”

In a statement to Entertainment Weekly on Nov. 24, a spokesperson for "Squid Game: The Challenge" said: “No lawsuit has been filed by any of the Squid Game contestants. We take the welfare of our contestants extremely seriously.”

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: 'Squid Game' show contestant is from Florida. Here's what to know