After Squid Game Contestants Claim Frostbite And Other Maladies, Netflix Defends The Reality Show
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Whether you love it, or you’re frustrated by it but still rely on it, Netflix is home to many bingeable TV shows and great movies now. One genre that those behind the streamer have excelled at, particularly over the past few years, is the reality show, with it now being a place where millions upon millions of viewers watch everything from dating shows like Love Is Blind, to competition series like The Circle, and Bravo-esque programs like the long-running Selling Sunset. But, the granddaddy of streamers has now had to defend an upcoming reality competition, Squid Game: The Challenge, after contestants made claims of injuries on set.
What Did Netflix Say About Injuries On The Set Of Squid Game: The Challenge?
Though Netflix is very well known for many of its reality shows, the service is also beloved for many of its scripted entries, as well. So, it makes complete sense that executives would try to capitalize on the success of both, by turning the mega-hit Korean thriller, Squid Game, into an actual competition series. Unfortunately, many of the players have now complained of frostbite and other medical issues related to the conditions under which they competed. But, Deadline reports that the streamer has issued a statement denying those allegations, which says, in part:
While it was very cold on set – and participants were prepared for that – any claims of serious injury are untrue. We care deeply about the health and safety of our cast and crew, and invested in all the appropriate safety procedures.
We don’t know if the statement, which was issued in agreement with the show’s production companies, The Garden and Studio Lambert, details what type of safety procedures were used to help players, but the reported maladies seem to suggest that they weren’t enough. The show is filming in the U.K., where temperatures have dropped below freezing even during the daytime, and the cast had been playing a game of Red Light, Green Light (which called for them to remain still for several hours in order to win) when problems allegedly began to occur.
What Did Contestants Say About Injuries On The Set Of Squid Game: The Challenge?
The competition will see 456 people (just like the scripted series) from all over the world endure non-life threatening versions of challenges that come from the original show, in the hope of winning the $4.56 million prize. Contestants who spoke with The Sun noted that before game play began on this particular challenge, they were given basic athletic shoes, two thermal clothing items, two socks, a shirt, and green tracksuits similar to those seen in the fictional thriller. Participants then detailed how things went awry:
"When we got there it was freezing."
"Everyone was shaking. I don’t think there were any heaters."
"It was like a warzone. People were getting carried out by medics but we couldn’t say anything. If you talk then you’re out."
"Even if hypothermia kicked in then people were willing to stay for as long as possible because a lot of money was on the line. Too many were determined not to move so they stood there for far too long."
"You could hear someone yell ‘medic’ and the crew would rush on. We ended up standing there for 30 minutes between takes. Some were crawling by the end. At least one was carried out on a stretcher."
Some of the reports noted that people were crawling at the end because their feet had gotten so cold while standing that they couldn’t actually move them well enough to walk. We don’t know yet when the competition is set to air, but, at the very least, it sounds like filming was way more of a challenge than many of the players expected it to be.
