Three people received medical treatment during the filming of a reality show, Netflix said, but said claims of serious injury are untrue, because a contestant claimed people were stretchered out.
The Squid Game: The Challenge will see 456 contestants competing for a huge cash prize, just like in the hit South Korean fictional drama. The reality show is currently being filmed in Cardington Studios, a former RAF base in Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom.
The Sun, a UK tabloid, spoke to an unnamed contestant who claimed multiple people needed medical attention due to cold temperatures in the studio while competing in the first game, Red Light, Green Light.
The anonymous contestant told the Sun that even if hypothermia kicked in, 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 too long.
People arrived thinking they were going to be millionaires, but they left in tears. The game Red Light, Green Light involves running quickly on a green light and staying perfectly still and silent when the light changes to red.
The contestant told the Sun it was like a war zone. People were being carried out by medics but we couldn't say anything. If you talk then you re out You could hear someone yell medic and the crew would rush on. We sat there for 30 minutes between takes. Some were crawling by the end of the day. At least one was carried out on a stretcher. After the reports emerged, Netflix said three people were treated for mild medical conditions. A spokeswoman told the BBC that medics were on set at all times and that participants were prepared for any claims of serious injury.
In the original drama, 456 contestants compete in deadly versions of children's games for a huge cash prize. It was widely seen as a critique of capitalism and South Korea's debt crisis. Nine months after it was launched, Netflix announced it would invite 456 people to battle for US $4.56 m A $6.4 m, 3.7 bn on a reality show version.